Alien: Romulus is due to hit cinemas later this year. Written and directed by lifelong Alien fan Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe), this film looks set to bring the franchise back to its nerve-shredding body horror roots. But if you’re looking for something to scratch that itch, how about taking a look at some of the best Alien games you can currently play?
It’s no secret that Ridley Scott’s return to the Alien universe can be described as anything from underwhelming to polarising amongst fans, but when Alie: Romulus’ trailer dropped in late March, it stirred up a real buzz of renewed hope, excitement and anticipation for everybody’s favourite double-mouthed xenomorphs.
But August is a long way off, right? It seems like an eternity between now and then, but don’t worry, Alien fans, here at GameSpew we’ve got you covered. Read on for the best Aliens games to help you scratch that Romulus itch and ease the pain of waiting for the return of the most terrifying life form in the universe.
1. Alien: Isolation
- Available on PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC
In this first-person survival horror game, you’ll take on the role of Amanda Ripley, Ellen’s daughter. You must navigate a space station that’s steadily unravelling as you try to uncover the truth behind your mother’s disappearance, whilst being stalked by a Xenomorph.
Alien: Isolation is as close to the original film you’ll ever get, as the unkillable Xeno follows you around the station relentlessly, forcing you to hide wherever you can when that motion tracker starts to pulse. It’s tense. It’s terrifying. It forever keeps you on your toes. And while the story is perhaps a touch too long, for the most part, it’s one of the best Alien games ever. More importantly, it will keep your nerves shredded throughout.
2. Aliens: Dark Descent
- Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC
In this tense RTS, you take command of a squad of marines through a series of missions as you seek to find a way off a Xeno-infested planet. With Weyland Yutani up to no good behind the scenes and a weird cult in play on the planet, you’ll get caught up in a web of intrigue throughout the entirety of Aliens: Dark Descent’s story.
With the perma-death of your characters to contend with and limited resources, every choice matters. Part way through the game the tension ramps up further when the Doomsday Clock starts, giving you a time limit to complete the game or face game over. While the visuals aren’t the best, this is still one of the best Aliens games on the market right now.
3. Aliens: Fireteam Elite
- Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC
This is one for you and your friends. Things take a turn for the frantic in Aliens: Fireteam Elite, a third-person co-op shooter where hordes of Xenos will descend upon you ad infinitum. Luckily, you have a whole host of weapons (including the absolutely amazing Smart Gun) and player classes to choose from to keep the hordes at bay as you progress through its relatively linear missions.
Fireteam Elite may be light on story, but that’s not what you’re here for. You and two friends can team up and live the dream as marines gunning down the Xenos. But there’s much more to it, with tactical options available such as drones, traps and the ever-reliable sentry gun. It even has a DLC campaign, Pathogen, which adds more enemy types, escalating difficulty, and ultimately more variety and fun for you and your pals.
Read our review of Aliens: Fireteam Elite
4. Aliens vs Predator
- Available on PC and Xbox (via backwards compatibility)
Whether it’s the 2000 original or the 2010 pseudo-remake, you can’t go wrong with your choice here. Centred around three campaigns, you’re put in the role of either a Colonial Marine, a Xeno or a Predator.
Aliens vs Predator nails the look and atmosphere of both franchises, bringing them together in a frantic and frightful story. The added caveat of taking on the role of the Alien is great too, even if the hyper-fast speed and orientation may cause you some slight motion sickness.
In the 2000 original, there’s even a great horde mode, pitting you against wave after wave of Xenos, Predaliens and Praetorians. While the 2010 version lacks this, it does have a multiplayer mode where you can pit the three against each other.
5. Starfield
- Available on Xbox Series X/S and PC
Okay, hear us out on this one. While it’s not an out-and-out Aliens game, Starfield does pay homage to it in an endearing (and terrifying) way. Head out to the Schrodinger system and find the Colander, an abandoned spaceship floating aimlessly in the system.
Without going into spoilers, it will soon become apparent as to why Starfield is getting a mention in our list of best Alien games. But be warned, make sure you’re packing some heavy-duty firepower. Low-level players enter at your peril.
Related: This Starfield mod is a horrifying steam-powered nightmare
And the one to avoid: Aliens: Colonial Marines
- Available on PC
No matter how cheap you see Aliens: Colonial Marines, we strongly, strongly advise you to avoid it. Released back in 2013, there was a lot of hype leading up to its launch. It promised to be an FPS that would bring the spirit of the colonial marines and the tension of the Aliens franchise to create the authentic gaming experience that fans had craved for almost thirty years. But… it hugely missed the mark.
Pitched as a direct sequel to Aliens, players would return to the Sulaco and LV-426 as the the ultimate badasses to wipe out the Xeno infestation once and for all. What was delivered was a terrible-looking game full of bugs — and not the alien kind. Even a decade later, despite many updates and even some fan mods, it still remains a terribly bland experience.
