With Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, Cold Iron Studios hopes its sequel delivers the same satisfaction as the movie Aliens did for the iconic movie franchise.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite holds a special place in my heart because of my affinity for the movie Aliens, because of how well it delivered the colonial marines’ action versus hordes of Xenomorphs that Gearbox Software’s Aliens: Colonial Marines epically failed to provide.
While the game wasn’t perfect, Fireteam Elite was still a solid experience worth playing, so it’s no shocker that there was much excitement coming from me when Cold Iron announced Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is coming this year.
Heading into Summer Game Fest play days, Fireteam Elite 2 wasn’t on my SGF game schedule, but when I spotted the booth, I immediately had to see if I could get on the schedule to preview the game. Luckily, I was able to accomplish my mission.
All I Needed To Know Is One Thing, Where They (Xenomorphs) Are
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 takes place 5 years after the first game and 28 years after the first Alien film. The demo I got to experience was called “Rust In Peace,” which puts players smack dab in the middle of a mission set halfway through the game’s campaign.
We are alerted to a Weyland-Yutani warship orbiting the colonized planet of LV-558, home of the colony Storr’s Boon, which is described as a mining operation. Still, it’s actually nothing but a front for Weyland-Yutani’s sinister experiments.
You board the warship looking for intel, only to discover that it is infested with Xenomorphs and psychotic synthetics. During my playthrough, I got to experience one of Fireteam Elite 2’s new features, 4-player co-op, as I teamed up with the game’s developers to make it through the mission.
Another new feature is more aggressive enemies, particularly the Xenos, who will overwhelm you, forcing you to remain mobile, be aware of your surroundings, and utilize all of your tools granted, whatever class you choose.
Teamwork and communication are also stressed because if you happen to stray on your own during one of the many pulse-pounding encounters, you can end up being a victim of one of the many different variants of Xenomorphs.
Speaking of Xenomorph variety, the demo gave us a nice-sized sample of them to shoot at, including runners (the common enemy type), Spitters, Drones, Prowlers, Exploders, Bursters, and Sirens, who, if not taken care of quickly, will alert more Xenomorphs to your location.
Class Is In Session
Like the first game, there are different classes for you to choose from before you embark on your missions. I ran with the Hunter, whose specialty is continuous fire and burst DPS with SMGs, plus shotguns for close encounters with Xenomorphs and malfunctioning synths.
There is a new class in Fireteam Elite 2, the Specialist, which gives players the ability to mix and match all of the unlocks from different classes, which will allow you to create your own badass xenomorph killing machine.
Other classes include the Duelist, Machinist, Medic, and Marauder, giving you plenty of options when embarking on missions.
I was already a fan of the first Fireteam Elite game, so I was very excited to learn that Cold Iron was quietly working on a sequel. The best part is that we don’t have to wait too long to pick up our pulse rifles and get back into the fight because Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 drops sometime this summer.
Until that day, stay frosty.
