Aliens: Fireteam Elite - Release date, gameplay, enemy types, system requirements, more

James Cameron's action classic, Aliens, celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, and if you are feeling nostalgic and in the mood for blasting Xenomorphs, Aliens: Fireteam Elite might be just the right game for you.

Developed by Cold Iron Studios, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a brand new game set in the iconic Alien universe, where players need to corporate and eliminate the ever-growing Xenomorph threat. 

Unlike the last big Alien game, Alien: Isolation (which is a fantastic game, make sure to try it if you haven't already!), this is not a pure horror game. Instead the focus here is on the action and gunplay elements, similarly to the aforementioned movie Aliens, which was significantly more action-packed compared to the original Alien trilogy.

When Aliens: Fireteam Elite was first announced, there was some scepticism and distrust amongst the fans of the Alien franchise, mostly because Aliens: Colonial Marines (the last Alien shooter game from 2013) was a disaster, while Alien: Isolation is universally loved, and Fireteam Elite goes into a different direction.

Nonetheless, the first impressions were mostly positive, so let's check out everything we know about it.

What is Aliens: Fireteam Elite? Gameplay and features

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a cooperative third-person survival shooter set in the Alien universe.

In the game, players are put up against waves of hair-raising Xenomorph and Weyland-Yutani Synthetic androids.

The game is balanced around a 3-player co-op experience, but if you don't have friends to play with, you will be given two AI teammates.

There will be dozens of missions across several campaigns that will unveil the game's narrative as you progress through the story.

Missions are designed in a linear "fight your way through" style, where you and your squad progress through the level, killing countless aliens and trying to get to the next checkpoint without dying.

Players take the role of a Colonial Marine, which they will be able to fully customize and adjust to their playstyle both visually and in terms of gameplay.

According to developers, the game will offer "an extensive variety" of classes, weapons, gear and perks for players to combine and create their perfect build.

Once you beat all campaigns in the game, a Challenge Card system comes into play, which will give you a variety of options to modify campaigns and make them harder and more challenging, offering a new experience with every playthrough.

There will be 20 enemy types, including 11 different Xenomorphs "along the evolutionary scale from Facehuggers to Praetorians, each designed with their own intelligence to ambush, outsmart and eviscerate vulnerable marines."

Aliens: Fireteam Elite - classes

Players will be able to choose from five unique classes: Gunner, Demolisher, Technician, Doc and Recon.

Each class comes with special abilities and character perks, that can be altered through the Perk Board, which modifies and improves your abilities

In addition to this, developers promise "an extensive arsenal of 30+ weapons and 70+ mods/attachments" which will allow you to further customize your loadout.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite - story

We don't know much about the story, nor it seems that the story will be particularly important here, asides from creating a base for the gameplay.

Here's what devs have to say about the story:

"Play a pivotal role in the epic events that occur 23 years after the original Alien trilogy as a Colonial Marine stationed aboard the UAS Endeavor, battling terrifying Xenomorph threats, combined with new storylines in a series of replayable campaigns, expand upon the story from the blockbuster films."

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Aliens: Fireteam Elite - PC system requirements

While the game doesn't offer the latest, state of the art visuals, it will require a decent machine in order to run it.

Minimum system requirements

• OS: Windows 10
• Processor: AMD Athlon X4 950 / Intel i5-2500K
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD R9 285 4GB / Nvidia GTX 760 4GB
• DirectX: Version 11
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 30 GB available space

Recommended system requirements

• OS: Windows 10
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600AF / Intel i5-7400
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD RX 480 8GB / Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB
• DirectX: Version 11
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 30 GB available space

Aliens: Fireteam Elite platforms and release date

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is set to be released on 24th August 2021, on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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