Every co-op shooter must face the same task, no matter when or what it releases on. It’s the same task that a few have truly tried to step up to, and even fewer have come anywhere close to completing. In a genre that requires all parties to be on the same page, engage in the same way, and enjoy it equally, it’s always curious to see newcomers come and go…or come again.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is the follow-up to the 2021 hit, aiming to bring more firepower and even more xenos. Where the first game carved out a space in a genre perfected by others, questions remain about whether the sequel can do the same, or better. The short answer is no, not really, but the long answer is where the ‘why’ is answered.
To be blunt, Fireteam Elite 2 doesn’t feel like a step forward for the budding series; it feels more like an awkward shuffle, followed by a stumble backward. An awkward feeling stalks Fireteam Elite 2’s gameplay: it feels less like a full game and more like an expansion. Everything is the same as the first title, just with some tweaks and additions here and there.
Unlike the first game, Fireteam Elite 2 bumps the squad count from three to four, adding an extra class. This, by far, is the best addition to the game. As my Auntie used to say, ‘the more the merrier, especially if they have a smart gun’. With additional numbers in play, it could have produced an imbalance, but this isn’t the case. The number of Xenos on screen has increased, justifying the larger squad size and improving the game’s overall pace. More foes and more chaos give the various classes time to shine, including the brand-new Specialist class.
This additional class lets players mix and match aspects of the pre-existing classes, all of which fall into the typical crowd control, damage, and support archetypes. It’s a neat idea that fits the game’s makeup while giving returning and new players an interesting avenue. You could argue it might undermine the established classes somewhat, but this isn’t a PVP game, so frankly, who cares?
With more players and a fancy new playable class, it’s only fair the Giger horrors get some upgrades. A few new additions join the enemy lineup, including the ambushing Prowler, the tanky Warden, and some pale fellas akin to those seen in the newer Alien but not Alien films that then became Alien films. New enemies are nice to see, but they don’t quite feel as threatening as they should. When firing into waves of common foes, it’s not rare to kill a special Xeno in the process and not even realize it. Sometimes, they’re even comical. The big chap, from the original film, looks intimidating, but their actions in-game include running up to you, sort of choking you, then running away. It’s hilarious to witness.
An unfortunate trend set by the first game is the redeployment of Synthetic enemies. They were boring to fight in the first game, and now they’re even more of a chore. The enemy AI works for hordes of creatures charging at you; it doesn’t work for more tactical foes. Synthetics will take and break cover often, sometimes just standing in the open like someone who’s perplexed by how to play video games. Melee synthetics don’t suffer as badly, mainly because they simply bum-rush you, often dressed like the comic horrors known as Minions. At its best, it feels like a throwback to the awkward 360-era of trend-hopping cover shooters; at its worst, it’s just boring.
Shooting waves and waves of enemies isn’t repetitive by default, but it can become so if the process isn’t handled well. It’s not that complexity is required for quality; Left 4 Dead proves that.
Aliens Fireteam Elite 2 doesn’t offer gameplay complexity, which it benefits from, but it fails to restrain itself when it comes to equipment. Like the first game, each weapon has perks you can equip. These perks appear as blocks of different sizes that must fit within a space defined by the chosen weapon. It’s a fun system from the first game, and it’s fun here, but it gets to the point where choosing between 7% of this and 4% of that feels…silly.
This silliness continues with the unlocks. Aliens Fireteam Elite 2 enjoys playing on the idea of ‘remember this?’ from the films, which is expected and fine, until they start locking things behind walls. The iconic Pulse rifle from the films is locked behind a progression path, while something as notable as Ripley’s flamer/pulse combo is unlocked via a microtransaction. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth, like a cash grab that would have made late-2000s Capcom blush.
While my words may have a negative taint, this is Alien: Fireteam Elite 2 at its core. A fun game, a good game, but its sequel doesn’t feel much like a game. Instead, it feels like an expansion. Yes, the number of enemies on screen has improved, but that’s about it. It has several annoying bugs; the missions are fairly repetitive, and many of the issues from the first game still largely remain.
If you want more of what you played in the original, you’re in luck. For everyone else, it’s a hard sell.
Poor
The Final Word
The most disappointing aspect of Fireteam Elite 2 is the hope it built on the original. Instead, it’s more of the same, with more synths and unskippable cutscenes filled with utter guff.
