As Alien films go, Resurrection was a fairly decent attempt I reckon...not a patch on the first two, but quite a great deal better than the third and those pretty dire Alien Vs Predator films. This game based on the film though, is probably my favourite Alien game ever!
Right from before you even start the game, it oozes atmosphere! Once you're in, the big booming voice of the USM Auriga spaceship's artificial intelligence, FA-TH-UR, fills your ears, as do the creepy sounds of bad things going down elsewhere on the ship.
Dead bodies are everywhere, and blood drips from holes in the ceiling where crew members have been dragged. Aliens can be heard hissing, and occasionally lights will cease to function as the ship succumbs to the alien infestation and you'll be plunged into darkness. Crawling through the air-ducts you'll also witness the horrific slaughter of some soldiers at the claws of the aliens...
Taking control of Ellen Ripley and three other characters from the film, you'll have to navigate treacherous drops, electrified floors, stupid soldiers who should be asking for your help instead of trying to kill you and of course the acid-blooded xenomorphs themselves, in this massively under-rated masterpiece of horror first person shooters!
Sure, its aged a bit over the years, but at the time magazine critics seemed to miss the fact that this was truly great. Some complained about the fiddly controls being mapped to the two analogue joysticks, something which is laughable now that it's become the standard method of control for pretty much every console shooter since!
The way the aliens hide in the dark and pounce from walls above and around you is truly terrifying, and if you're playing this in the dark with headphones (as you really should be playing any proper horror title) you'd have to be made of stone not to jump at least a few times as the aliens hunt you down and pierce your skull with their gnashers! There's even levels based underwater just like the movie, and these add extra atmosphere!
I really can't stress enough how much I want you to try this game for yourselves. It can be damned tricky, but this just adds to the fear factor, as you'll genuinely want to be careful how you proceed in case you die horribly! It can be a bit frustrating though, and occasional glitches can be annoying too, but I urge you to stick with it. It really is a hidden gem, and more people should be playing and talking about it!
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