Aliens: Fireteam is a new cooperative survival shooter from the Colonial Marines

The distinction between Alien and Aliens is clear to any fan of the franchise: When dealing with plurals, expect a shootout. This is the case in Foreigners: Fireteam, a new cooperative third-person survival shooter where players take on the role of a green colonial sailor who knows exactly what they’re getting into.

Foreigners: Fireteam is defined after the events of Alien 3, when the deadly Xenomorph is no longer a secret or a myth, developer Cold Iron Studios said at a preview event on Discord. Colonial Marines of Fireteam have the tools and talent to tackle extraterrestrial threats, and are sent en masse by government order to clean up homes in remote space settlements.

But that doesn’t mean it will be simple bug hunting; Cold Iron promises an intense challenge, with 11 Xenomorph types, lethal Weyland-Yutani synthetics, and other enemies await players on the surfaces of distant planets.

Colonial Marines of Fireteam are by no means helpless, said Craig Zinkievich, director of Cold Iron Studios, during a presentation. Grouped into teams of three, players will have class-specific weapons and talents to aid them in battle. Weapons include the standard M41A Pulse Rifle and Frag Grenades, but also new inventions like Charge Coils: Sticky Shock Grenades that stun xenomorphs in place.

Image: Cold Iron Studios / 20th Century Games

What you bring to battle depends on your class. Fireteam has five classes: Gunner, Wrecker, Technician, Doc and Recon. There are some fun surprises, like an automatic turret for the technician, an “overclock” ability for the gunner (it temporarily doubles the fire and reload rates for the whole team) and a blast wave to. area of ​​effect for the game. heavy class, the wrecker.

Every player has a role, Zinkievich said, and classes are built with tactical synergy in mind. We saw this in practice during a gameplay demo, played by Cold Iron staff members. The Colonial Marines found themselves pulled back into a corner, waiting for an elevator to arrive while pushing back swarms of Xenomorphs. The swarm was a mixture of Fireteammany alien strains: Spitters, Warriors and Bursters, a Xenomorph filled with giant sacks of acid. The team technician set up a turret in front of a nearby air duct, and the gunner and wrecker did the heavy lifting of Xenomorph’s slaughter, aided by the technician’s aforementioned charge coils.

The developers survived their mission, naturally, but home gamers may not find Foreigners: Fireteam so easy. “It must be tough,” Zinkievich said, but acknowledged that some players may just want to experience the game’s four story-driven campaigns. There will also be easier difficulty settings for players who want them, as well as challenge cards, mutators that change the way Fireteam rooms. This should allow players to take advantage of high risk and high return scenarios.

Image: Cold Iron Studios / 20th Century Games

Cold Iron designs Foreigners: Fireteam be highly replayable. While players will start out as a new Colonial Navy with a generic list of skills, they will be able to upgrade their soldiers and unlock new weapons, abilities, and customizations over time. The studio promises “a vast arsenal” of over 30 weapons and over 70 mods and attachments, plus a perks board that enhances and modifies player abilities.

The developers say they expect players to revisit the game’s four campaigns, each of which is made up of three missions, and maybe play through a full campaign or just one mission in one evening. The game is designed to be played cooperatively in a trio, with AI-controlled allies filling all open slots. The developers hope the variety of xenomorphs, which include giant-sized Facehuggers and Praetorians, along with multiple difficulty levels, will keep players coming back.

Foreigners: Fireteam arrives on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X, sometime in the summer of 2021.