The 10 Best ALIEN Video Games

The 10 Best Alien Video Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at the 10 best video games that every “Alien” fan should play!

“Alien Resurrection” (2000)

While “Resident Evil” and “Silent Hill” were scaring the pants off PS1 players,”Alien Resurrection” was continuing the FPS format of previous “Alien” games while leaning more into the horror. And it leaned heavily into it! The only sounds you hear are your own footsteps and the creaks and hisses of the ship. Any other noise most likely signifies the presence of a Xenomorph! Admittedly, “Alien Resurrection” has not aged gracefully with its control scheme. However, considering the time it was released, the game was fairly impressive in visual and audio fidelity, and it managed to make one of the most immersive “Alien” experiences we had seen at that point.

“Alien Trilogy” (1996)

After the demonic boom that was “DOOM”, it seemed like everyone wanted their own iteration of id’s legendary FPS. “Alien Trilogy” was the franchise’s answer, and it was surprisingly pretty great! Whereas “DOOM” put everything you needed in front of your face, “Alien Trilogy” ramped up the difficulty by keeping you in the dark most of the time. Literally. From dark corridors to simple limitations in draw distance, every step was a gamble in whether you’d run into a Facehugger or a full-grown Xenomorph. You had to keep your wits about you with this title…and maybe crank up your TV’s brightness a few notches, but it always managed to make nights in fun in its own terrifying way.

“Aliens: Dark Descent” (2023)

A tactics game set in the “Alien” franchise? But this IP has typically been FPS and survival horror. How would a tactics game work? Well, instead of making it awkward with a turn-based format, players have to think on their feet as the game plays in real-time. Command your own squad of marines and send them out to explore a moon base crawling with Xenomorphs. This was a game where combat should be taken with extreme caution as poking the wrong Xenomorph could possibly kill off a squad member or force you to seal off a path to your objective. “Dark Descent” demands a lot of skill in survival and adapting on the fly, so don’t go in thinking you’ll be able to blast through the game no problem.

“Aliens Versus Predator: Extinction” (2003)

On the surface, a real-time strategy game for AVP already sounds like a weird concept. What’s even weirder is putting it only on PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and not on any computer platform. Despite this aspect, “Extinction” was a solid example of how to make simple yet great strategy games for console players. Rather than encumber the player with menus and complex mechanics, most of the experience demanded you manage your units properly and carry out combat strategies effectively. Those used to “Age of Empires” or “Civilization’s” more complex format may not have found much here, but for us console players, “Extinction” opened the door wide enough for us to consider trying the harder stuff later. Plus, it was just super satisfying to lead a troupe of Xenomorphs and feel as unstoppable as they truly seem.

“Aliens: Infestation” (2011)

Hard to believe that an “Alien” game was ever made for a system catered to kids like the Nintendo DS. And yet, developer WayForward provided an action-platformer worthy of the IP. As you venture forth and fight off whatever Xenomorphs cross your path, you’ll also encounter one of fifteen other Marines to recruit. Here’s the catch - these Marines functioned not only as additional playable characters, but also your life counter. “Infestation’s” difficulty was tied to a permadeath mechanic where one of the Marines you recruited would enter the fold if your previous one died. Play it smart, and you might reach the end with all fifteen still breathing. Lose all fifteen, then…well, time to git gud, as they say.

“Aliens Versus Predator 2” (2001)

We will forever cherish the 1999 original that is also commercially available on Steam under the name “Alien Versus Predator Classic”. As for AVP2, the sequel, much-needed improvements were made that allowed the game to outshine its predecessor. The controls were tighter, the campaigns felt more expansive, and the online multiplayer was just as exciting as before. And that all goes without mentioning the incredible “Primal Hunt” expansion, which featured even more weapons and maps than we knew what to do with. If only it was brought forward to the modern age in some capacity. Hope Nightdive is watching this.

“Alien vs. Predator” (1994)

It is such a shame that Capcom’s oft-forgotten AVP beat ‘em up has been forever stranded in the arcade scene. Not even in an official Arcade 1Up cabinet! This title came in an era where Capcom was the company known for fighting games and beat ‘em ups. AVP was unfortunately one of their more rare cabinets. While you could play as the Hunter or Warrior Predators, players could also play as two other characters with their own cybernetic enhancements, Major Dutch Schaefer from the “Predator” movies and an original, Capcom-made character, Linn Kurosawa. Unfortunately, due to the complicated legalities of both the “Alien” and “Predator” IPs, it’s hard to say if this arcade gem will ever be brought forward to modern hardware. One can dream.

“Aliens: Fireteam Elite” (2021)

How did we not get a PvE multiplayer “Aliens” game before “Fireteam Elite”? While there were “Alien” games where you could fight Xenomorphs with friends, most of those titles were, if not always, PvP. “Fireteam Elite” lets you and two of your friends get together to fend off hordes of Xenos, and there was a surprising amount of depth here! Diverse character classes, weapon customization, various difficulty levels for each of the four campaigns, plus a decent amount of post-launch support gave us hours upon hours of game time. Sure, the AI could have been a bit smarter and the controls less janky, but overall, if you get a full squad going, “Fireteam Elite” does shine in almost every other aspect.

“Aliens vs. Predator” (2010)

Before SEGA published our final entry (hold your horses, don’t skip yet), developer Rebellion Developments put out this reboot of the classic AVP games from 1994 and 1999 (which were also made by Rebellion!). However, this was not a simple one-to-one recreation. Rebellion approached the IP in a different way that took advantage of the innovations of then-new technology. For this iteration, various mechanics were implemented to expand upon the experience of being a Xenomorph or a Predator. For example, the Xenomorph can crawl on walls and ceilings to prey upon its next victim, and it can leap at targets to quickly kill off unsuspecting Marines. Plus, that online multiplayer was surprisingly really fun! Not so much if you were a Marine, but fun nonetheless.

“Alien: Isolation” (2014)

After the disaster that was Gearbox’s “Aliens: Colonial Marines”, it was tough to believe that we’d get a tried and true AAA “Alien” game. In comes Creative Assembly with “Alien: Isolation”, a survival horror game that introduces Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, as she looks for her mother while surviving her own fight against the Xenomorphs. Not only did it perfectly capture the look and feel of the movies, it also excelled in level design as no room felt the same as another and every corner gave the sense of danger lurking in every vent and hallway. On top of that, it reminded us all why the Xenomorphs were terrifying in the first place, and not a single typo to screw up the AI.

What’s your favorite “Alien” game to play? Did it make our list? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!