When Aliens’ Private William Hudson first declared “Game over man, game over!” back in the Summer of 1986 (circa 2179) he may well have been predicting the future of the entire Xenomorph-infested franchise. Following the monstrous successes of Alien and its space marine-starring sequel some 7 years later, the action/horror hybrid would go to spawn a terrifying legacy all its own.
Infamous box office failures, including Alien 3 and its canon blasting sequel Alien: Resurrection — as well as an ill-advised cross-pollination project with the Predator — all helped to transform this once-proud franchise into a shameless self-parody. Then came Aliens: Colonial Marines, a shooter title seven years in the making, and a lifetime in the creative pipeline. Developer Gearbox Software assured fans of its quality, legitimacy and reverential spirit, but like most corporate entities associated with the Alien universe, (cough cough Weyland Yutani) they lied.
Now, the brand with acid for blood and a sting in the tail appears to be coming back to life once again - that is if a recent trademark application made by series distributor 20th Century Fox is to be believed. Covering the use of ‘computer and video game software,’ ‘downloadable mobile software,’ and ‘decorative magnets,’ ‘Alien: Isolation’ could well prove to be Sega’s next big swing at a home console tie-in. That, or an exceptionally well trademarked line of fridge magnets.
Alternatively, Sega may be choosing to followup on 2011’s well-received Aliens: Infestation, a handheld side-scrolling title that replaced Contra-like lives with a finite number of upgradeable grunts. Death resulted in permanent character lockout, a mechanic that - despite the game’s meager run time - helped echo the spirit of Aliens grim fight for survival.
Having already turned off ’80s action star Michael Biehn, aka the dearly departed Corporal Dwayne Hicks, Sega are unlikely to re-tackle the story behind Aliens. With the first and third films in the franchise offering up little in the way of action, and Resurrection often being outright ignored by fans, a unique spin on the series could be in the offing. In retconning the death of Hicks for the purposes of Colonial Marines narrative, Aliens’ intellectual owners revealed themselves to be open to canon-eschewing steps, so why not an attack on Earth or a trip to the Xenomorphs home planet next?
Will the Aliens franchise return to form before the license outlives its welcome? Where should Sega take the storied franchise? Have your say in the comments below, and be sure to check in with all the latest Aliens game news, right here on Game Rant.
Aliens: Colonial Marines was released earlier this year, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC platforms. To find out why the title was such a monstrous misstep for the franchise, check out our in-depth review.
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Source: Siliconera
