Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?
Contrary to reports that Gearbox’s Aliens: Colonial Marines would be a standup fight rather than just another bughunt, Games Radar reveals that the upcoming sci-fi shooter will include a cover system, Quick Time Events, and squad-based combat.
Regarding the Quick Time Events:
“When that first confrontation does arrive it’s not the guns-blazing, space marine frag-fest you may expect. Instead the alien bursts out of the shadows and drags you kicking into an air duct where it prepares to cocoon you in slime. You guessed it – this is a Quick Time Event where button presses have to be hit as the event unfolds. It works well, as the directions mimic the action perfectly. For example, pressing right smashes open a vent casing to the right, or pressing up raises your gun and blasts your captor, forcing it to retreat.”
A more pessimistic writer might have called this “an uninspired take on a universally despised gameplay widget,” but there it is. The inclusions of squad-based combat and a cover system aren’t surprising, although a cover system hints at strategic gunfight elements. If Aliens: Colonial Marines has enough lunatic balls to equip its xenomorphs with pulse rifles, there might still be hope for the franchise somewhere down the line.
Other reveals: A:CM’s squad members will each have unique skills, such as hacking, welding, or turret construction. Judging by the screenshots, the game appears to capture the dimly lit, otherworldly blue haze of Aliens pretty well, and is being written by Battlestar Galactica’s Bradley Thompson and David Weddle.