Game: Aliens Infestation
System: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action
Developer: WayForward Technologies, Gearbox Software
Release date: October 11, 2011
Pros: Challenging, atmospheric, excellent "permadeath" mechanic
Cons: Very short, some stereotypical personalities
In an industry where games are becoming easier and easier, and the consequences of failure increasingly insignificant, a game like Aliens Infestation, with its high level of challenge and "permanent death" mechanic, is a welcome change of pace. Many modern games reward players with dozens of extra lives, ubiquitous checkpoints, and unlimited continues. Not Aliens Infestation. In this game, released exclusively for Nintendo DS, players must grind their way through unforgiving enemies and bosses, and lose many lives along the way. And once a life is gone, it's lost forever.
Set after the events of Aliens and Alien 3, Infestation follows several squads of colonial marines on a recon mission to the U.S.S. Sulaco, the military starship featured prominently in Aliens. As expected, things go to hell rather quickly and the surviving marines are tasked with fulfilling their mission surrounded by the deadliest organism in the galaxy, the "Xenomorph." Most of the game takes place aboard the Sulaco, but there are a few other environments to explore, including LV-426.
Infestation plays a lot like the 2D Metroid and Castlevania games. Marines explore the rooms, corridors, and ventilation systems of the Sulaco, defeating enemies, collecting weapons, and unlocking areas along the way. As more tools and key cards are discovered, more sections of the ship become accessible, making backtracking necessary. Whats makes the game stand out, however, is its "permadeath" mechanic, whereby a dead marine stays dead forever. When the game begins, each player has a platoon of four marines. Think of the marines as "lives"; in other words, you begin the game with four lives. However, each of these lives has a personality and a backstory. Lives can be restocked by finding stranded marines throughout the ship and in other facilities, but it doesn't do much to remove the sting of losing a soldier in battle. In my first encounter with an enemy boss, I lost all but one of my marines. It made the boss fight (indeed the entire game) more exhilarating and stressful, and it made the costs of failure difficult to bear. This permadeath mechanic is the defining feature of Aliens Infestation, and it makes what could have been a pedestrian piece of software something special.
When marines aren't sacrificing their lives against super-strong baddies, they're raising hell with several different weapons and tools lifted directly from Aliens. In-game weapons include the iconic pulse rifle, shotgun, flamethrower, and "smart gun," and accessories include motion sensors, flares, and welding tools. The motion sensor in particular is a marine's best friend. Enemies, hidden in ceiling, floors, and walls, will often appear on the motion tracker, giving players a fighting chance. Moreover, Infestation features very little music, so in many instances the throbbing beep of the motion tracker is the only sound you'll hear. That, combined with the gritty, industrial art direction of the game and the frequent scares, make Infestation one of the more immersive and atmospheric games on the DS.
Unfortunately Infestation didn't do very well in sales. It's a shame, really, because the game is solidly constructed, atmospheric, loyal to its source material, and challenging even for veteran players. Plus it features a permanent death mechanic that make life or death decisions much more consequential. Yes, the game is short -- it could be finished over a weekend -- but it's worth your time and money.
System: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action
Developer: WayForward Technologies, Gearbox Software
Release date: October 11, 2011
Pros: Challenging, atmospheric, excellent "permadeath" mechanic
Cons: Very short, some stereotypical personalities
In an industry where games are becoming easier and easier, and the consequences of failure increasingly insignificant, a game like Aliens Infestation, with its high level of challenge and "permanent death" mechanic, is a welcome change of pace. Many modern games reward players with dozens of extra lives, ubiquitous checkpoints, and unlimited continues. Not Aliens Infestation. In this game, released exclusively for Nintendo DS, players must grind their way through unforgiving enemies and bosses, and lose many lives along the way. And once a life is gone, it's lost forever.
Set after the events of Aliens and Alien 3, Infestation follows several squads of colonial marines on a recon mission to the U.S.S. Sulaco, the military starship featured prominently in Aliens. As expected, things go to hell rather quickly and the surviving marines are tasked with fulfilling their mission surrounded by the deadliest organism in the galaxy, the "Xenomorph." Most of the game takes place aboard the Sulaco, but there are a few other environments to explore, including LV-426.
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| The power loader makes a reappearance. |
Infestation plays a lot like the 2D Metroid and Castlevania games. Marines explore the rooms, corridors, and ventilation systems of the Sulaco, defeating enemies, collecting weapons, and unlocking areas along the way. As more tools and key cards are discovered, more sections of the ship become accessible, making backtracking necessary. Whats makes the game stand out, however, is its "permadeath" mechanic, whereby a dead marine stays dead forever. When the game begins, each player has a platoon of four marines. Think of the marines as "lives"; in other words, you begin the game with four lives. However, each of these lives has a personality and a backstory. Lives can be restocked by finding stranded marines throughout the ship and in other facilities, but it doesn't do much to remove the sting of losing a soldier in battle. In my first encounter with an enemy boss, I lost all but one of my marines. It made the boss fight (indeed the entire game) more exhilarating and stressful, and it made the costs of failure difficult to bear. This permadeath mechanic is the defining feature of Aliens Infestation, and it makes what could have been a pedestrian piece of software something special.
 |
| One of 19 marines available in Aliens Infestation. |
When marines aren't sacrificing their lives against super-strong baddies, they're raising hell with several different weapons and tools lifted directly from Aliens. In-game weapons include the iconic pulse rifle, shotgun, flamethrower, and "smart gun," and accessories include motion sensors, flares, and welding tools. The motion sensor in particular is a marine's best friend. Enemies, hidden in ceiling, floors, and walls, will often appear on the motion tracker, giving players a fighting chance. Moreover, Infestation features very little music, so in many instances the throbbing beep of the motion tracker is the only sound you'll hear. That, combined with the gritty, industrial art direction of the game and the frequent scares, make Infestation one of the more immersive and atmospheric games on the DS.
Unfortunately Infestation didn't do very well in sales. It's a shame, really, because the game is solidly constructed, atmospheric, loyal to its source material, and challenging even for veteran players. Plus it features a permanent death mechanic that make life or death decisions much more consequential. Yes, the game is short -- it could be finished over a weekend -- but it's worth your time and money.
