Stop your grinnin’ and drop your linen
I have seen every Aliens movie except for the original that started it all. I only mention that because it came up in chat as I was playing a round of Aliens Fireteam Elite 2 with some friends. I think I was told that if I saw the sequel that it was the superior movie and I was good, so I never went back. Now to be clear I intend to see the original Aliens before I leave this mortal coil, but to bring us back around just know that Fireteam Elite 2 is the better game and there really is no need to play the original.
If you haven’t already guessed, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is the sequel to Cold Iron Studios 2021 original game. Like its predecessor, Fireteam Elite 2 is a third person shooter where players will be tasked to mow down hordes upon hordes of Xenomorphs and other enemies on the planet LV-558. One of the biggest changes from the original game, which I loved btw; is the addition of a 4th squad mate. In fact, one of my complaints from the original was the fact that it was only a three-person squad so I am glad to see that little oversight being fixed.
MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: XBOX (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $49.99
Just as in the last game players will create their Marine who will be stationed aboard the USS Endeavor again. Just as in the first game before each mission players are able to purchase items from vendors and customize their avatars. They will also need to speak to the various NPC’s in order to move the plot forward. Most of these conversations have multiple choice responses that the player can choose from but these don’t change anything and are just for flavor purposes. As of this writing one of many bugs is the constant prompt to speak to the character Wrench even though you already did and he has nothing else for you. I’m sure it will be patched but it’s annoying just the same.
Another improvement from the original is to the class system, this time around there is five main classes to choose from; Duelist, Machinist, Marauder, Hunter and Medic. Each of them has a different specialization and unique abilities and attacks to utilize. The Machinist can deploy turrets while the Hunter class can place electric traps that can slow enemies, so I am sure you can see where the synergy comes into play. The sixth class is the Specialist and this class is neat because it allows players to build a class from all the skills and abilities of the original five. So, you want a medic who can also drop turrets, well its possible with the Specialist. The only drawback is that players will need to level the first classes up fully before the Specialist will become really viable.
With the classes also come various weapon choices, each one uses a primary weapon, a signature weapon and a pistol with unlimited ammo for when times are desperate; and believe me they will get there. Fireteam Elite 2 also adds elemental ammo types into the mix as well as making some enemies weak and strong to each one. Normal Xenos are weak to fire, while the robotic synths are weak to electric, this adds a new layer of strategy to each match. Luckily the game informs players of what enemy types will be present during each mission, the only time players will go in blind is when they play the Horde mode which unlocks after the main campaign is completed.
I also feel like I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the stellar audio on display here. There are some sound effects that are just embedded in our brains and the Xenomorph screech is one of them. As well as the firing sounds from the Pulse rifle and the Smart Gun, all of ‘em are here and just as awesome as you remember. And while I loved the voice acting here, just as in the original after a while the marines will just kind of cycle through the same lines over and over again. If I have to hear someone say “Reload or Die team” one more time I am gonna feed them to a Facehugger.
I wish I could say that this has been a perfect launch for Fireteam Elite 2 but alas it isn’t to be. In addition to the weird ‘Wrench” glitch I talked about above, there are also crashes galore. And if you crash during a mission the game will let you keep any collectables you may have found but players will need to replay that mission. I can’t tell you how many times I have replayed the same missions and it’s a pain each and every time. There are also some slowdown issues when the game has multiple fire effects going off at the same time, I should preface that this was played on XBOX.
Cold Iron Studios has done it again, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 should be counted among the few really good Aliens franchise video games that we have; and I say that even with the small issues I’ve experienced. With loads of improvements to the class system, perks and most importantly the addition of the 4th squad member the developers really listened to fans and addressed just about all the issues we had with the original. I do hope if there is a third game however that the team changes the formula up a bit more.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
