After the 1979 science fiction classicAlien,people cannot get enough of the terrifying Xenomorphs. Gaming is no exception. The following list ranks the best the franchise has given us in the medium, at least according to Metacritic.
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Most of the games float somewhere in the 60s and 70s and only three games go above 80, so it does not bode well for the franchise. Some classics likeAliensVs. Predatorfor the Atari Jaguar are missing from the list because they do not have a score on the website. The list runs the gamut from nigh unplayable disasters to masterful survival horror games.
11Aliens: Colonial Marines (48) - 2013
Thisfirst-person shooteris infamous for its technical issues and failing so hard to meet expectations.Aliens: Colonial Marineshad an exceptionally long development and still managed to release as a janky mess.
Gamers expected much more from Gearbox Software, the developer ofBorderlandsandBrothers in Arms. Updates fixed some of the issues and there are even some interesting story revelations for fans of the series, however.
10Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem (49) - 2007
This PSP gamebarely counts on the list because players mainly control Predators and not Xenomorphs. It only came out on PSP and is based on the secondAliens Vs. Predatorfilm, which itself was panned by critics. Common complaints around the game were the graphics, AI, and difficulty (or lack thereof). Judging by the scores of both, it is best to avoid both the video game and the movie.
9Alien Resurrection (61) - 2000
Alien Resurrectioncame outnear the end of the PS1’s lifespan. By this time most console owners had a DualShock with analog stick support.
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Taking advantage of this,Alien Resurrectionwas one of the first console games to utilize the dual analog movement standard to virtually every modern FPS sinceHalo: Combat Evolved.Funnily enough, some reviewers complained about this control scheme. Critics were split at the time, with some scores going as high as 8/10 while others were as low as 4/10.
8Aliens Vs. Predator: Extinction (66) - 2003
Where mostAliens Vs. Predatorgames are first-person shooters,Aliens Vs. Predator: Extinctionis an RTS. Similar toStarCraft,there are three campaigns that follow three different species. Some series have successfully switched genres, but just looking at the Metacritic score of this andAliens Vs. Predator 2indicates a huge step back. It is also from a different developer than the priorAliens Vs. Predator.
7Alien Blackout (68) - 2019
Sales ofAlien: Isolationwere too weak to justify a sequel. Additionally, the team at developer Creative Assembly who made it had split off from the company. Still, fans got their hopes up when word came out about a newAliengame a couple of years ago.
They weren’t hoping for a mobile game, however. Players still control Amanda Ripley, but instead of an FPS survival horror game, they monitor security systems to guide other people through a spaceship to safety.
6Aliens Vs Predator (68) - 2010
Serving as somewhat of a reboot of the gaming series,Aliens Vs. Predatorfrom 2010 takes players through three separate FPS campaigns. Each of the creatures controls differently based on the abilities fans know and love from each species. Considering the games and movies fans received during that decade, ending it in 2010 with a game to getting a 68 on Metacritic was actually a step up.
5Aliens: Fireteam Elite (70) - 2021
Aliens: Fireteam Eliteis not the sequel toIsolationfans were looking for and has a different tone.The cooperative shootertakes players through several different locations as Colonial Marines shooting everything in sight.
The campaign is surprisingly short but designed to be played over and over again to grind levels and earn better gear. Reviews were mostly critical towards an uninspired level design and repetitive gameplay.
4Aliens: Infestation (76) - 2011
It might be hard to imagine a qualityAliengame as anything other than an FPS.Aliens: Infestationon the Nintendo DStakes inspiration fromCastlevaniaandMetroid. The move worked in its favor if the 76 Metacritic Score is any indication. Developer WayForward was already well-versed in side-scrolling action games by 2011, having made theShantaegames.
3Alien: Isolation (83) - 2014
Alien: Isolationdoes its best to recreate the same vibe and atmosphere of the debutAlienfilm. Most were in agreement that it captures this well, and it is often seen as one of the scariest games of the generation.
Related:Games To Play If You Loved Alien: Isolation
Players control Amanda Ripley, Ellen’s daughter, and only contend with one Xenomorph throughout the journey. The only major complaint most critics had was its length. Most agreed that it was too long.
2Zen Pinball: Aliens Vs. Pinball (84) - 2016
This is an outlier compared to all the other games on the list. The name is not lying;this is a pinball game.It still has theAlienname on it, so it deserves its place on the list. 84 is nothing the scoff at, either. The levels call back to various films and iconic imagery from the franchise. It is definitely not what fans ofAlien: Isolationwanted though, especially since there is still no sequel in sight.
