Tag: Gearbox

Aliens: Colonial Marines (A:CM) is a videogame that received mostly poor reviews when it was released on February 12, 2013. Star Trek is a videogame that received mostly poor reviews when it was released last week. As they’re both based on science fiction movies and they both have co-op play, they compare well to each other. And having spent time with both, I find that A:CM is the better game.

When Aliens: Colonial Marines (A:CM) was released last month, many fans who had anticipated the smooth, clean graphics of the trailers were disappointed to see blocky, early 21st century textures instead. Now Gearbox has announced a major patch for A:CM that will address all manner of graphical and gameplay issues for the PC.

When Aliens: Colonial Marines launched on Tuesday, the majority of reviewers hated it the way Ripley hates xenomorphs…and the gamers who paid money to play A:CM hated it even more than that. Maybe I’m saying this because I didn’t experience as many issues as other people had–also, I had fun playing, because killing aliens = good times–but I’d like you to give A:CM a second chance…with an important caveat.

In anticipation of the February 12, 2013, release date, Sega America has put out a two-and-a-half minute trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines. Sega is calling this the “Aliens: Colonial Marines Contact Trailer Extended Cut.” I’m calling this the bleakest, most depressing game trailer I’ve seen.

Something I noticed very quickly when playing Aliens: Colonial Marines (A:CM): If you don’t know where the xenomorphs are, they’re probably behind you. Or above you. Or some other direction in easy striking distance. And it’s all easy striking distance for the aliens, because that is how they roll–with extremely quick prejudice.

The xenomorphs want to kill you. I’m not just saying this because I’ve seen all of the movies where H.R. Giger’s creation appears (Alien and Aliens, among them). I’m saying this because I’ve seen the “survival multiplayer” trailer for the upcoming videogame, Aliens: Colonial Marines. Not only do they want to kill you, but also they’re pretty good at it.

Borderlands 2, Gearbox’s recent FPS extravaganza, has 87 bazillion guns, and you can’t possibly find and use all of them. But if you happen to acquire this Energizing Bane by Hyperion, consider arming yourself with it only if you have a sense of humor or are deaf.

Borderlands 2 was one of the most anticipated video games of 2012. But as of today, it’s Gearbox’s newest (for those of us in the United States, anyway; the UK has three more days of waiting time) AAA title. From all accounts, the sequel game is like Borderlands but only more so. That means more guns, more enemies, and if you can believe it, more attitude.

It’s not a secret to the people who know me: I love videogames, but I suck at shooters. I tend to die so frequently that I see the reload screen as often as I see the game itself. So when I hear that Borderlands 2 will be taking players like me into consideration and adding options that will extend my character’s lifespan from “mayfly” to “freakishly long-lived mayfly,” I’m more than optimistic. I’m practically gleeful.

The Borderlands 2 “Wimoweh” trailer is out, and there’s a lot to like, especially if you like your action non-stop and your violence both visceral and cartoony. The trailer gives us that and more.