A free Season 1 update for Aliens: Fireteam Elite will add new weapons and cosmetic items to the game alongside a brand-new class. The third-person cooperative shooter puts players in the boots of the Alien franchise's Colonial Marines as they face off against countless deadly Xenomorphs. Reviews for Aliens: Fireteam Elite praised the game's enemy variety and atmosphere, while also critiquing the title's repetitive mission design.
As a contrast to the beloved 2014 survival horror title Alien: Isolation, most of the inspiration for Aliens: Fireteam Elite seems to come from the 1986 action film Aliens. The game puts a heavy emphasis on combat, with groups of marines mowing down waves and waves of Xenomorphs with sci-fi weaponry. However, the game is able to achieve tension due to the unpredictable and elusive nature of the hostile aliens. A lone soldier can easily be outnumbered and outmaneuvered by the fast and agile swarms of aliens. Cooperation becomes a key component of survival, especially when faced with Aliens: Fireteam Elite's various enemy types which are able to easily overwhelm a single soldier.
A new trailer for Aliens: Fireteam Elite's first season of free DLC has been posted to YouTube. Season 1: Phalanx will bring with it a host of free additions to the game, including the titular new class. The combat shield-wielding Phalanx will be a defensive unit in the marines' roster, allowing some reprieve from the merciless onslaught of the Xenomorphs. Four new weapons will also be added to the third-person shooter, including a massive L59 Minigun and a powerful L33 Pike Rifle. New cosmetic items will also be added for free, while those who purchase the Endeavor Pass will receive even more cosmetics.
Watch Aliens: Fireteam Elite's Season 1 trailer here.
While Aliens: Fireteam Elite can be played alone, battling against waves of alien monsters with other players can add a lot to the experience. Well-organized teams are able to more easily survive against the unrelenting opposition, and the game's new Phalanx class will no doubt add an additional level of strategy while forming a team. Aliens: Fireteam Elite features cross-generation play, meaning that PS4 and PS5 players can team up and Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S users can do the same. However, a lack of cross-platform play means that Xbox, PlayStation and PC players cannot cooperate to survive the alien onslaught.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is an effective cooperative shooter which makes players feel like the Colonial Marines they've seen on the big screen. Holding off waves of bloodthirsty Xenomorphs with high-tech weaponry is a satisfying experience, particularly with friends. Free seasonal updates will continue to improve and expand this experience, adding content such as new weapons and brand-new classes. The Phalanx looks to add a unique role to the game as a defensive unit which will likely help its teammates survive in the heat of combat.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Source: Aliens: Fireteam Elite/YouTube