Announced earlier this week, Aliens: Fireteam is a squad-based third-person shooter set in the Aliens universe, in which players team up with friends to battle hordes of xenomorphic threats. The title was unveiled through an action-packed trailer, and the promo revealed that the last video game in the franchise would arrive on PC and consoles later this year.
Following up on their announcement, IGN has released a comprehensive look at Fireteam’s gameplay, with the publication’s executive trailer editor Ryan McCaffrey teaming up with Cold Iron Studios CEO Craig Zinkievich and CCO Matt Highison to fight some xenomorphs. The footage is just over 25 minutes long and is loaded with details about the game, including the classes players can choose from, how the missions are structured, and which enemies lurk throughout their levels.
The game portion is supposedly drawn from one of the game’s earlier missions, seeing McCaffrey, Zinkievich, and Highison exploring an orbital refinery known as Katonga. As with all missions in Aliens: Fireteam, a three-person squad is sent to scout the site. Cold Iron Studios clarifies that solo players will be assigned AI teammates, however the experience is best with a group of friends.
The trio also highlights the classes that players can occupy, with Highison taking on the role of “technician,” meaning he can place turrets and other useful items. Zinkievich, on the other hand, is a “wrecker,” allowing him to use grenade launchers, flamethrowers, missiles, and other heavy weapons to destroy xenomorphs. Meanwhile, McCaffrey takes on the role of gunner, which is more of a general build.
Throughout the footage, the trio reveals that there are over 20 types of xenomorphs to fight, four different campaigns, and a number of in-game algorithms that will attempt to add variation to repeated encounters. Above all, the footage confirms that the co-op title will have plenty of action for Aliens fans, as the three-man squad makes their way through waves of alien foes.
Aliens: Fireteam already appears to be an intriguing take on the formula for games like Left 4 Dead and the upcoming Back 4 Blood, focusing more on classes and third-person combat while adding the distinctive look and feel of the Aliens franchise. . Following an epic final confrontation that closes the preview, the team reiterates that the title will hit shelves later this summer. Given that the Aliens franchise has frequently crossed over into the video game space via Alien Isolation, Alien vs Predator, and Aliens: Colonial Marines, it will be interesting to see how Cold Iron Studios’ description of the franchise compares.
Aliens: Fireteam is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X later this year.