The main show offers a 4-player co-op experience that?s a significant step forward from the storytelling in Borderlands?which, in my book, makes it a pretty big event for the genre as a whole. Add to this the significant multiplayer offerings?and their delivery of Marines-versus-Xeno deathmatch and objective-based modes that populate co-op-style missions with player-controlled enemies?and you?re looking at a genuinely impressive outing.
All things considered, Colonial Marines is a consistently solid, occasionally spectacular shooter that does more than enough to honor the Alien name. It was going to be a tough task from the onset, but despite a ton of potential pitfalls for the talented team at Gearbox, they?ve gone a long way toward reminding us that, for folks who love the craft of building great games, the best challenges only seem impossible.
SUMMARY: Like most successful license-based games, Aliens: Colonial Marinesis much more than a loving homage; it serves as one of the most robust story-driven co-op experiences to date. The concept definitely has room to grow, but as maiden voyages go, Colonial Marines is a clear winner.