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{{future game}} {{Short description|2013 video game}}
{{about|the 2013 video game}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox VG
{{good article}}
|title = Aliens: Colonial Marines
{{Infobox video game
|image = ]
| title = Aliens: Colonial Marines
|developer = ]
| image = AliensColonialMarinesBox.png
|publisher = ]
| developer = ]{{efn|Additional work by ], ], and ]}}
|distributor =
| publisher = ]
|designer =
| producer = Brian Burleson<ref name="Gearbox credits"/>
|engine=]
| designer = John Mulkey<ref name="Gearbox credits"/>
|version =
| programmer = {{Unbulleted list|Chris R. Guthery|Charles Kostick|Chase Sensky<ref name="Gearbox credits"/>}}
|released = Late ]<ref name=Sega>. SEGA of America press release.</ref>
| artist = Brian Cozzens<ref name="Gearbox credits"/>
|genre = ]
| writer = ]<ref name="Gearbox credits"/>
|modes = ], ]
| composer = ]
|ratings = ]: Rating Pending (RP)
| series = '']''
|platforms= ], ], ]
|media = ], ] | engine = ]
| platforms = {{Unbulleted list|]|]|]}}
|requirements =
| released = February 12, 2013
|input = ], ], ], ], ]
| genre = ]
| modes = ], ]
}} }}


'''''Aliens: Colonial Marines''''' is an upcoming ] set in the ], developed by ] and published by ]. The game is in development for the ], ], and ]. Publishers ] initially set a ] release date<ref>. ''GameSpot.com'', ], ]</ref>, but was revised to the holiday season of 2008.<ref name=Sega /> '''''Aliens: Colonial Marines''''' is a 2013 ] developed by ] and published by ] for ], ], and ]. Based on the '']'' universe and set shortly after the 1986 film '']'', the game follows a group of Colonial Marines, a fictional military unit, as they confront the Weyland-Yutani corporation in an effort to rescue survivors from the ''Sulaco'' spaceship. It features a ] mode that supports both ] and ] gameplay, and a ] mode in which players compete in different scenarios.


''Colonial Marines'' was developed over six years and suffered from a tumultuous development cycle. As Gearbox decided to focus on projects such as '']'' and '']'' and outsourced a significant part of ''Colonial Marines'' to other studios. The ''Aliens'' concept artist ] was hired to design locations. Four ] packs added multiplayer maps, a new cooperative mode, and a campaign mode that takes place before the campaign of the base game.
==Overview==

The game takes place just after the events of '']'', involving a ] team investigating the '']'' (which has been abandoned and left floating in space), searching for ], ], ], ], and the rest of the missing ]. Other key areas include ] and the ] from the first '']'' movie.<ref name=gameinfpre47>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 47</ref> The game's plot is being penned by '']'' writers Bradley Thompson and ].<ref>. ''Joystiq.com'', ], ].</ref>
''Colonial Marines'' sold more than one million copies in the United States and Europe, but received unfavorable reviews from critics, who criticized its technical problems, low-quality graphics, short length, and weak ] of enemies. It is considered to be ]. The competitive multiplayer mode was highlighted as its strongest aspect. ''Colonial Marines'' drew controversy for featuring a lower graphical quality than that of the press ]. This led two players to file a ] for ], but it lost class-action status by 2015.


==Gameplay== ==Gameplay==
] bar is displayed at the bottom left corner, while ammunition is shown at the bottom right corner.]]
].]]
The player controls four colonial marines, each with their own unique personality. Each marine is represented by a different class; one marine, for instance, mans the ] as Pvt. Vasquez did in '']''; the other primary weapons include the ] and the ]. Each marine carries four weapons: their primary weapon, which they are defined by, their secondary weapon, grenades, and a sidearm. The player may brandish the sidearm while using the motion tracker.<ref name=gameinfpre49>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 49</ref> The player controls one marine at a time, and issues orders to the others using context-sensitive commands; the player may control any marine at any given time.<ref name=gameinfpre51>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 51</ref> The game will feature ''no'' ] whatsoever.<ref name=gameinfpre53>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 53</ref>


''Aliens: Colonial Marines'' is a ] based on the '']'' science fiction horror film series.<ref name="GI review"/> The ] mode, which can be played by a ] player or ] by up to four players,<ref name="GSpot review"/> features 11 missions that involve players moving from one ] to another while fighting opponents controlled by the ].<ref name="EuroG review"/> Opponents consist of either ] creatures, also known as Xenomorphs, or hostile human ]. Xenomorphs are fast and primarily attack with their claws or by spitting ], while mercenaries are slower and use firearms.<ref name="BradyGames Enemies"/>
] will seldom perform a frontal attack, choosing to use the ducts and flanking maneuvers, forcing the player to use tactical combat as opposed to typical first-person shooter "run and gun" tactics. At certain points during the game, the player will be required to bunker in a location and prepare for a xenomorph onslaught, using tactical positioning and turrets to ward off an attack.<ref name=gameinfpre51>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 51</ref>


As the fictional Colonial Marines military unit depicted in ]'s 1986 film '']'',<ref name="Edge review p1"/> players have access to weapons such as ]s, ]s, ]s, pulse rifles, ]s, robotic ]s, and ]s, which automatically track and target opponents.<ref name="BradyGames Arsenal"/> They may also use ] torches to seal doors and ] to detect unseen enemies.<ref name="OPMUK review"/> Ammunition can be found on defeated mercenaries or from certain locations in the mission area.<ref name="BradyGames Items"/> The Colonial Marines are protected by a ] bar that is divided into segments. If a segment is partially depleted, it will automatically regenerate over time. ] throughout the missions may be acquired to restore lost health segments. Players may also collect pieces of armor that protect the health bar with a secondary meter that does not automatically regenerate.<ref name="BradyGames Items"/> Players have a limited time to revive a player whose health has been fully depleted. If they fail, the downed player cannot return until the surviving players reach the next checkpoint.<ref name="BradyGames Multiplayer"/>
The game will use quicktime events during cutscenes to dramatically illustrate the power and intensity of one-on-one xenomorph encounters. However, the conclusion of a given event is not scripted; a xenomorph may choose to attack or flee when confronted by more than one marine. Quicktime gameplay is also used when a ] latches onto a player, who must kill the creature before they are effectively incapacitated and "killed" by it.<ref name=gameinfpre54>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 54</ref>


In addition to the campaign mode, ''Colonial Marines'' features a competitive ] mode where two teams of up to five players face each other in four different scenarios.<ref name="GSpot review"/> Each scenario involves one team playing as Colonial Marines and the other as Aliens.<ref name="GSpot review"/> After a time limit has been reached, players switch roles and play once more on the same ]. Scenarios include ], where both teams must kill as many opposing players as possible; Extermination, where Colonial Marines must detonate bombs in egg-infested areas protected by Aliens; Escape, which involves Colonial Marines completing objectives to reach a destination while being assaulted by Aliens; and Survivor, where Colonial Marines must survive attacks from Aliens with limited health and ammunition resources for as long as possible.<ref name="BradyGames Multiplayer"/> Unlike Colonial Marines, Alien players play from a ] perspective and cannot use firearms, but have the ability to climb walls, run on ceilings, deliver attacks with their claws, and unleash streams of acid.<ref name="Destruct review"/>
Xenomorphs themselves will have subtle classes. The following classes are confirmed:<ref name=gameinfpre54>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 54</ref>
:''']''': the eight legged parasite that attaches itself to the victims face and lays an embryo within the living host, and dying shortly afterwards
:'''Warrior''': typical of the attacking xenomorphs in ''Aliens''
:'''Scout''': a faster, more stealthy xenomorph who spies on Marine activity
:'''Drone''': a new servant xenomorph who carries and positions eggs
:''']''': a game boss


Players earn ]s by overcoming opponents, completing challenges,<ref name="Destruct review"/> and finding collectibles—Audio Logs, ]s, and Legendary Weapons, all of which are related to characters who appear in the film series.<ref name="BradyGames Items"/> Challenges range from killing opponents in a particular way to winning multiplayer matches and completing campaign missions under a difficulty setting.<ref name="BradyGames Challenges"/> Players have two ranks, one for their Colonial Marine ] and another for their Alien character. When a sufficient amount of experience has been obtained, their characters rank up. Colonial Marine ranks unlock weapon upgrades for use in both the campaign and the competitive multiplayer modes. These include alternate fire attachments, ]s, and larger capacity ]. In contrast, Alien ranks unlock new combat abilities for Alien characters.<ref name="BradyGames XP"/> Completing challenges also unlocks appearance options for both Colonial Marine and Alien characters,<ref name="BradyGames Challenges"/> and new ] that are exclusive to Colonial Marines in the competitive multiplayer mode.<ref name="BradyGames Multiplayer"/>
==Multiplayer==
The game will allow "jump in, jump out" co-op multiplayer on same machine and online play. No other multiplayer modes have been announced yet,<ref name=gameinfpre52>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 52</ref> but ''Game Informer'' noted that development team members discussed '']'' as possible inspiration for competitive online play.<ref name=gameinfpre53>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 53</ref>


==Plot==
==History and development==
17 weeks after the events of ''Aliens'', the ''Sephora'' spaceship sends a full battalion of Colonial Marines to investigate the ''Sulaco'' spaceship, now in orbit around the LV-426 ]. A massive Xenomorph infestation is discovered inside the ''Sulaco'' and several Marines are killed in the initial onslaught. Corporal Christopher Winter, private Peter O'Neal, and private Bella Clarison discover that hostile mercenaries working for the Weyland-Yutani corporation are in command of the ''Sulaco'' and have been breeding Xenomorphs on board for study. Shortly before both ships are destroyed in the ensuing confrontation, the Marines, along with commander Captain Cruz, ''Sephora'' ] Bishop, and pilot lieutenant Lisa Reid, escape aboard her dropship and take shelter in the ruins of the Hadley's Hope colony complex on LV-426.
===Aliens: Colonial Marines (2001)===

{{Infobox VG
Although the Marines learn that Clarison has been attacked by a ] and needs medical treatment, Cruz orders Winter to travel to a nearby Weyland-Yutani research facility set up near a derelict Xenomorph spacecraft and recover a manifest that identifies an unknown prisoner from the ''Sulaco''. In an attempt at saving Clarison, Winter and O'Neal accept the mission and escort her to the facility, where they intend to convince surviving personnel to remove the Xenomorph ] from her body. However, upon arrival, an interrogated Weyland-Yutani medical officer explains to them that Clarison's life cannot be saved because the creature's invasive ] is ]ous and will eventually kill her even if the embryo is successfully extracted. Clarison dies when a ] hatches from her.
|title = Aliens: Colonial Marines

|developer = Check Six Games
Winter and O'Neal recover the manifest they were sent to find and rescue the prisoner, who is revealed to be corporal ]. Hicks explains that Weyland-Yutani intercepted and boarded the ''Sulaco'' prior to its arrival at the Fiorina 161 planet. A fire in the hypersleep bay subsequently caused the ''Sulaco'' survivors ], Newt, and ] to be jettisoned from the ship, along with the body of an unidentified man who was mistaken for the corporal. Hicks himself was captured by Weyland-Yutani personnel and subjected to torture during interrogation, overseen by android Michael Weyland in an attempt to learn more about the Xenomorphs' origins and to gain control of the ''Sulaco''{{'}}s weapon systems. From Hicks, the Marines also learn that an ]-capable ship is docked at the research facility, representing the last chance for the Marines to escape from the moon.
|publisher = ]/]

|distributor =
After gathering the remaining ''Sephora'' personnel on the colony, Cruz orders an all-out assault on the Weyland-Yutani complex in the hopes of capturing the FTL vessel. Winter and Hicks spearhead the advance, but the ship leaves shortly before they can reach it. In a last desperate attempt, Cruz pilots a dropship up to the escaping vessel and crashes into its hangar. Winter is confronted by a Xenomorph queen in the hangar bay, and attempts to eject her using a cargo launching system, but fails when she climbs back aboard. Cruz sacrifices himself when he launches the crippled dropship directly into the queen, propelling both out of the vessel. Winter, O'Neal, Reid, Bishop, and Hicks confront Weyland, who is ultimately executed by Hicks. In search of useful intelligence, Bishop connects to the destroyed android and states that he has "everything".
|designer =

|version =
==Development==
|released = Cancelled
===Design===
|genre = ]
] was hired to design areas of the game.]]
|modes = ], ]
''Colonial Marines'' was conceived by ] after an encounter between the company's creative director, Bryan Martell, and the director of the original '']'' film, ].<ref name="VB origins"/> When '']'' was released in 2005, Gearbox was interested in working with an existing ] and had previously considered Scott's 1982 film '']'' and ]'s 1995 film '']'' as candidates.<ref name="VB origins"/> Martell's discussion with Scott on the ''Alien'' universe inspired him to approach ] about the licensing opportunities.<ref name="Trends origins"/> ], who bought the rights to publish games based on the franchise in December 2006,<ref name="Gamasutra license"/> gave Gearbox complete freedom to present them with an idea for a game.<ref name="Trends origins"/> Because Gearbox had experience with first-person shooters and the development team was composed of people who were fans of ''Aliens'', the company proposed a first-person shooter that would be a direct sequel to it.<ref name="Trends origins"/>
|platforms= ]

|media = ]
Although the final script was written by Gearbox writer ], ] and ], writers of the 2004 television series '']'', collaborated with Gearbox during the ] to develop the story and characters.<ref name="Gamasutra Pitchford"/> The game takes place shortly after the 1992 ''Aliens'' sequel '']'', but addresses the events that lead to it. As a result, ''Colonial Marines'' is considered part of the series' ].<ref name="Kotaku canon"/> Several locations of ''Aliens'' like the ''Sulaco'' spaceship and the Hadley's Hope colony were recreated for the game.<ref name="Kotaku canon"/> To keep the same level of authenticity, concept artist ], who collaborated with Cameron on the film to design the ''Sulaco'', was hired to recreate its "mechanical mood" and design areas of the spaceship that did not appear in the film.<ref name="THR Mead"/><ref name="GI reveal"/> Entertainment designer was hired by Gearbox in late 2007 to take over the principle conceptual design workload after Syd Mead completed his work. Due to his industrial design experience and film industry work he helped the studio maintain a consistent aesthetic that Syd Mead and ] established for the film. The development team also contacted ] to get color ] details about the film's ].<ref name="GI reveal"/>
|requirements =

|input = ]
Originally, ''Colonial Marines'' was intended to feature squad-based gameplay, allowing the player to issue orders to Colonial Marines controlled by the artificial intelligence using ] commands. These would include hacking doors, sealing air vents, and setting up sentry turrets. In cooperative mode, players would then be able to directly control these Marines, who would have their own strengths and weaknesses.<ref name="GI reveal"/> However, this idea was ultimately dropped to make the gameplay more accessible.<ref name="OXM interview"/> Gearbox developed the game for ] and the new ] and ] consoles, stating that their technology would "do justice".<ref name="GI reveal"/>

===Production===
Although Gearbox is credited as the primary developer of ''Colonial Marines'', multiple development studios contributed to production.<ref name="EuroG developers"/> Initial work on ''Colonial Marines'', internally codenamed ''Pecan'',<ref name="GSpot borderlands"/> began in 2007 with the creation of a ] by ],<ref name="Gamasutra Pitchford"/> who also helped Gearbox with the networking and multiplayer aspects.<ref name="IGN future"/> Between 2007 and 2010, Gearbox did not focus on the development of the game, instead preferring to work on other projects like '']'' and '']'', which took over a decade to develop.<ref name="Kotaku disaster"/> ''Colonial Marines'' was built using ]' ],<ref name="EuroG faceoff"/> but Gearbox spent a considerable amount of preproduction time developing a custom real-time lighting and shadow renderer that is "plugged" into the engine to capture the feel of ''Aliens''.<ref name="1Up E32011"/><ref name="Edge preview"/> ], a company that handled the multiplayer of the 2001 first-person shooter '']'',<ref name="GSpot train wreck"/> built multiplayer maps.<ref name="IGN future"/>

''Borderlands'' was released in 2009 and was a critical and commercial success. Gearbox immediately started work on '']'', and outsourced primary development on ''Colonial Marines'' to ], who was developing '']'' at the time.<ref name="Kotaku disaster"/> In late 2010, when TimeGate started to focus their work on ''Colonial Marines'', the company realized that very little progress had been made. According to one source, the game was simply a collection of unrelated assets that included a lighting and shadow renderer.<ref name="Kotaku disaster"/> Although TimeGate handled primary development on the game until ''Borderlands 2'' was almost complete in mid-2012, their work had to constantly be approved by both Gearbox and Sega. Because narrative designers were still writing the script of the campaign mode, entire scenes and missions were discarded due to story changes. One of these involved the player escorting a scientist who would be a secret agent working for the Weyland-Yutani corporation.<ref name="Kotaku disaster"/>

There were disagreements on the design. Sega wanted ''Colonial Marines'' to be more similar to a '']'' game, with fewer Aliens and more Marines to shoot at, a view Gearbox and TimeGate disagreed with.<ref name="Kotaku disaster"/> Developers also struggled to ] the game after spending a significant amount of time increasing its graphical fidelity for a press ], which ran on high-end computers not normally meant for general use. The game's shader and particle fidelity were then decreased significantly before release, and textures had to be reduced in size to fit into the memory restraints of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.<ref name="Kotaku disaster"/>

When Gearbox took the project back in mid-2012, the company was not satisfied with TimeGate's work, partially because the game could not run on the PlayStation 3.<ref name="Kotaku disaster"/> With a release date set for February 2013,<ref name="EuroG release date"/> asking Sega for an extension was not an option because the game had already been delayed several times. This resulted in Gearbox only having nine months to revise TimeGate's work and finish the game.<ref name="Kotaku disaster"/> How much of the game was actually made by Gearbox was questioned by TimeGate.<ref name="EuroG developers"/> According to Gearbox CEO ], TimeGate "contributed 20-25 percent" of the development time.<ref name="IGN future"/> However, without considering Gearbox's preproduction time, Pitchford said that TimeGate's effort was equivalent to theirs.<ref name="IGN future"/> A moderator on the official TimeGate forum revealed that the studio worked on the weapons, characters, Aliens, story, and multiplayer component, while some TimeGate developers estimated that 50 percent of the campaign mode in the released game was made by them.<ref name="EuroG developers"/>

Several actors from the films were involved.<ref name="OPMUK cast"/> ] reprised his role as corporal Dwayne Hicks,<ref name="GI Biehn"/> while ] voiced the androids Bishop and Michael Weyland.<ref name="Polygon Henriksen"/> Henriksen remarked that it was interesting for him to voice a character that he had not touched in more than 25 years.<ref name="Polygon Henriksen"/> In contrast, Biehn commented negatively on his experience in voicing his character, stating that there was a lack of passion from the people who were in charge of the project.<ref name="GI Biehn"/> The soundtrack was composed by ], who is best known for his work on numerous independent films and the '']'' series.<ref name="Gamasutra Riepl"/> Because the story is canonical, Riepl's score was influenced by ]'s work on ''Alien'' and ]'s work on ''Aliens''.<ref name="Dread Central interview"/> The soundtrack was recorded at ] in ].<ref name="Ocean Way"/>

==Marketing and release==
] in Los Angeles.]]
A first-person shooter based on the ''Alien'' universe was confirmed to be in pre-production shortly after Sega acquired the license in December 2006.<ref name="Gamasutra license"/> ''Colonial Marines'' was announced by '']'' in its March 2008 issue, where its premise and intended gameplay features were revealed.<ref name="GI reveal"/> It shares a title with an unrelated 2002 ] project by ] and ] that would feature a similar setting and subject matter.<ref name="GSpot reveal"/><ref name="GI reveal"/> Originally intended to be released in 2009,<ref name="GI reveal"/> ''Colonial Marines'' was delayed after Gearbox laid off several employees in November 2008.<ref name="IGN not canceled"/> This led some to ask whether the game had been canceled.<ref name="IGN not canceled"/> In the following years, few other announcements were made,<ref name="IGN still alive"/> although Gearbox did show some screenshots at the 2010 ].<ref name="Kotaku PAX"/>

At the ] ] in Los Angeles, after confirming that ''Colonial Marines'' would be released in spring 2012,<ref name="IGN Spring 2012"/> Gearbox unveiled a teaser trailer and revealed that a ] version was in development.<ref name="IGN teaser trailer"/><ref name="IGN Wii U confirmed"/> A live gameplay demo played by a Gearbox representative was also showcased at the event.<ref name="GSpot live demo"/> In January 2012, Sega announced that the game had been delayed to a fall 2012 release, stating that the company did not want to "sacrifice the creative process just for the sake of following a ."<ref name="EuroG Fall 2012"/> In May 2012, it was delayed one last time, with Gearbox stating that ''Colonial Marines'' would launch for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 on February 12, 2013, while the Wii U version would follow later.<ref name="EuroG release date"/> In the months leading up to the game's release, more trailers and demos were released.<ref name="EuroG preorder trailer"/><ref name="PCGamer survivor trailer"/><ref name="Trends E3 2012"/>

Prior to its release, ''Colonial Marines'' was criticized for not featuring any playable female character. When a petition was formed to change this, Gearbox included them in both the cooperative and multiplayer modes.<ref name="EuroG petition"/> In addition to the standard edition, a ] was made available for purchase. The collector's edition included a Powerloader figurine inspired by the film, a Colonial Marines dossier, character customization options, exclusive multiplayer weapons, and a firing range game level.<ref name="GSpot CE"/> Players who pre-ordered could also receive some of the collector's edition content as a bonus.<ref name="GSpot CE"/> Shortly after the game's release, Gearbox released a ] that fixed numerous campaign and multiplayer ] and offered various visual improvements.<ref name="EuroG patch"/> The Wii U version, which was being handled by Demiurge,<ref name="Gamasutra Pitchford"/> was canceled in April 2013.<ref name="GSpot no Wii U"/>

===Downloadable content===
''Colonial Marines'' supports additional in-game content in the form of ] packs. Between March and July 2013, four downloadable content packs were released. A ] for these packs could be purchased before the game was released.<ref name="Polygon pass"/> The first, ''Bug Hunt'', was released on March 19, 2013, and adds a new cooperative mode that involves up to four players fighting increasingly larger waves of Xenomorphs and hostile soldiers across three new maps. Players earn in-game money by killing opponents, which can then be spent on different options like buying ammunition or opening up new areas of the map to increase their chances of survival.<ref name="Engadget DLC1"/> The second pack, ''Reconnaissance Pack'', was released on May 7, 2013, and extends the game's competitive multiplayer mode with four maps and more customization options for Xenomorph characters,<ref name="MC DLC2"/> while the third pack, ''Movie Map Pack'', was released on June 11, 2013, and adds four maps set in locations from the first three ''Alien'' films.<ref name="MC DLC3"/>

The fourth and final pack, ''Stasis Interrupted'', was released on July 23, 2013, and adds a new campaign mode that takes place before the campaign of the base game, exploring what happened to Hicks between ''Aliens'' and ''Alien 3''.<ref name="GSpot DLC4"/> The campaign features four "interlocking" missions where players must play as three different characters.<ref name="GSpot DLC4"/> ''Stasis Interrupted'' also adds several new ] for players to unlock, which were initially leaked via a list of PlayStation 3 ].<ref name="EuroG DLC4 leak"/> According to a report, both Demiurge and Nerve were in charge of developing the downloadable content packs,<ref name="GSpot borderlands"/> but it was not confirmed if they contributed to the development of ''Stasis Interrupted''.<ref name="Metro DLC4"/>

==Reception==
===Critical response===
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 45/100 <small>(PC)</small><ref name="MC PC"/><br />43/100 <small>(PS3)</small><ref name="MC PS3"/><br />48/100 <small>(X360)</small><ref name="MC X360"/>
| 1UP = D<ref name="1UP">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/aliens-colonial-marines-review-hope.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204022008/http://www.1up.com/reviews/aliens-colonial-marines-review-hope.html |archive-date=2021-12-04 |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Review: No Hope Left |first=Jose |last=Otero |publisher=] |date=February 14, 2013 |access-date=September 8, 2022}}</ref>
| Destruct = 2.5/10<ref name="Destruct review"/>
| Edge = 5/10<ref name="Edge review p2"/>
| EGM = 9/10<ref name="EGM review"/>
| EuroG = 3/10<ref name="EuroG review"/>
| GI = 4/10<ref name="GI review"/>
| GSpot = 4.5/10<ref name="GSpot review"/>
| GT = 5.9/10<ref name="GT review"/>
| IGN = 5/10 <small>(PC)</small><ref name="IGN PC review"/><br />4.5/10 <small>(PS3, X360)</small><ref name="IGN PS3 X360 review"/>
| Joystiq = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref name="Joystiq review"/>
| OPMUK = 6/10<ref name="OPMUK review"/>
| PCGUK = 48/100<ref name="PCGUK review"/>
| rev1 = '']''
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="The Guardian review"/>
}} }}
]


''Colonial Marines'' received unfavorable reviews from critics,<ref name="MC X360"/> who criticized its uninspiring gameplay, technical issues, low-quality graphics, and superficial thrills, especially when compared to Cameron's film.<ref name="IGN PS3 X360 review"/><ref name="GSpot review"/><ref name="GI review"/><ref name="GT review"/><ref name="Joystiq review"/> Writing for '']'', editor Tristan Ogilvie remarked that, although ''Colonial Marines'' looks and sounds like ''Aliens'', it does not feel like it and does not bring anything new to the first-person shooter genre.<ref name="IGN PC review"/> Kevin VanOrd of '']'' described it as "a shallow bit of science-fiction fluff with cheap production values and an indifferent attitude."<ref name="GSpot review"/> Also in agreement, Jose Otero of ] stated: "The weapons and sounds of ACM feel authentic, but the bland look of the game will make you think it shipped as an unfinished product."<ref name="1UP"/> '']'', however, praised the game for its respect to the source material, describing ''Colonial Marines'' as "easily the best gaming representation of the franchise to date."<ref name="EGM review"/>
''Aliens: Colonial Marines'' was originally the title for a game planned for release on the ] in fall 2001, prior to being cancelled by ] and ] for unknown reasons. The original version of the game was to be developed by Check Six Games. However, while both games share the same subject matter and setting, EA's canceled game is not related to this game.<ref name=gamec>. ''GameInformer.com'', ], ].</ref><ref name=gameinfpre55>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 55</ref> The original version of the game was to take place between ] and ], when a rescue team of colonial marines and a salvage team go on a search-and-rescue mission for the missing ] ship, ''Sulaco''.


''Colonial Marines'' was criticized for having low-] textures, low-quality lighting, poor character models and animations, and uncontrolled ] and ].<ref name="IGN PS3 X360 review"/><ref name="EuroG review"/><ref name="GSpot review"/> '']'' said it reuses graphical assets often, resulting in many levels having "identical corridors and murky exteriors".<ref name="EuroG review"/> However, the ''Aliens'' aesthetic was praised by some reviewers,<ref name="Edge review p1"/><ref name="EGM review"/><ref name="The Guardian review"/> with '']'' noting that it was reproduced faithfully in the game and that it was still attractive years after the film was released.<ref name="Edge review p1"/> The game's numerous bugs frustrated critics.<ref name="OPMUK review"/><ref name="Destruct review"/><ref name="EuroG review"/> These included poor collision detection and ]y artificial intelligence, causing enemies to ] or fail to recognize each other.<ref name="Destruct review"/><ref name="EuroG review"/> Technically, the PC version was considered more polished than the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions.<ref name="IGN PC review"/><ref name="IGN PS3 X360 review"/><ref name="The Guardian review"/>
===Sega===
On ], ], Sega announced they had purchased the electronic rights to the ''Alien'' franchise from ].<ref></ref> A few days later on ], ] and Sega announced that they were working on a completely new game set in the '']'' universe.<ref name=gameinfpre47>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 47</ref> In February 2008, ''Aliens: Colonial Marines'' was announced as the title of the game appearing on the cover of '']'' magazine.<ref name=gamec>. ''GameInformer.com'', ], ].</ref>


The story drew criticism for its lack of a consistent continuity with the ''Alien'' films.<ref name="GameSpy lore"/> ''Edge'' remarked that the Colonial Marines are in an inappropriate context because in the film they are depicted as Weyland-Yutani's private army and tasked with fighting Alien creatures. However, in the game, the Colonial Marines fight Weyland-Yutani's other private military armies.<ref name="Edge review p2"/> '']'' editor ] criticized the story for its archetypal characters and immature dialogue, stating that the game fails to understand the essence of ''Aliens''.<ref name="Destruct review"/> Sterling explained that the film "dissected its posturing 'manly man' stereotypes, and showcased how utterly frail a cowboy mentality can be when everything falls apart", while ''Colonial Marines'' "revels in its own ], submerged gleefully in a pool of dank ]."<ref name="Destruct review"/>
The development team took great pains to recreate the vehicles and settings of the ''Alien'' scenes, recreating the exterior and interior of the ''Sulaco'' and LV-426.<ref name=gameinfpre47>'']'', March 2008, Issue 79, p. 47</ref>

Journalists criticized the gameplay for the weak artificial intelligence of enemies.<ref name="IGN PS3 X360 review"/><ref name="GI review"/><ref name="GT review"/><ref name="Joystiq review"/><ref name="PCGUK review"/> They remarked that Xenomorphs simply rush toward players, making the motion tracker useless.<ref name="EuroG review"/><ref name="Joystiq review"/><ref name="GSpot review"/> According to '']'', "there's never really the sense that you're being stalked by an intelligent enemy, and you'll always get a warning ping anyway."<ref name="GT review"/> The setting and level design were praised by ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'',<ref name="EGM review"/> but ''GameSpot'' noted that the levels were clearly not designed for cooperative gameplay.<ref name="GSpot review"/> VanOrd explained that additional players do not take the role of companions that are controlled by the artificial intelligence, but are simply added to the game, resulting in crowded matches with players fighting for space and trying to shoot enemies.<ref name="GSpot review"/> The Survivor and Escape multiplayer scenarios were highlighted as the strongest aspects of the game.<ref name="PCGUK review"/><ref name="IGN PS3 X360 review"/><ref name="GSpot review"/><ref name="EuroG review"/><ref name="OPMUK review"/> '']'' said that they encourage Colonial Marine players to coordinate their actions with motion trackers as Alien players try to hunt them intelligently.<ref name="PCGUK review"/> However, the longevity of the multiplayer mode was questioned due to the limited randomization it provides and the lack of computer-controlled ].<ref name="PCGUK review"/>

===Sales===
In the United Kingdom, ''Colonial Marines'' topped the all formats charts in its first week of release.<ref name="Metro UK charts"/> On both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 individual charts, it also reached the top position.<ref name="Metro UK charts"/> According to ], it was the biggest release of the year in the United Kingdom and held the second highest first-week sales for an ''Alien'' game since Sega's 2010 title '']''.<ref name="EuroG biggest launch"/> In the United States, ''Colonial Marines'' reached No. 6 on the all formats charts for February 2013.<ref name="US Feb 2013 charts"/> As of March 31, 2013, as stated in Sega's end-of-fiscal-year report, ''Colonial Marines'' had sold 1.31 million units in the United States and Europe.<ref name="EuroG total sales"/>

===Controversy and lawsuit===
Upon release, ''Colonial Marines'' drew a significant controversy.<ref name="Destructoid lie"/> According to a report, Gearbox had been moving people and resources off ''Colonial Marines'' onto ''Borderlands'' and ''Duke Nukem Forever'' while still collecting full payments from Sega as if they were working on the game.<ref name="Destructoid GBX stole"/> When Sega discovered this misconduct, they temporarily canceled ''Colonial Marines'', leading to the round of layoffs at Gearbox in late 2008.<ref name="Destructoid lie"/> Gearbox outsourced a significant portion of the development to other developers to compensate for their mismanagement.<ref name="Destructoid who"/> While Sega initially denied such outsourcing,<ref name="EuroG developers"/> sources claimed otherwise, suggesting that the game was rushed through redesigns, certification, and shipping, despite being largely unfinished.<ref name="Destructoid who"/> It drew additional controversy when sequences from press demos were compared to the same sequences in the final game, revealing that the finished game is significantly lower in graphical quality.<ref name="EuroG comparison"/>

In April 2013, two players filed a ], claiming that Gearbox and Sega had ] the game by showing demos at trade shows that did not resemble the final product. The demos, described as "actual gameplay" by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, were said to feature graphical fidelity, artificial intelligence, and levels not featured in the game.<ref name="Polygon lawsuit"/> Although Sega suggested settling the lawsuit on their part and agreed to pay US$1.25 million, they denied any illegal behavior.<ref name="Polygon lawsuit"/> However, Gearbox filed a request to have claims against them dropped, stating that the company, as a software developer, did not have responsibility for marketing decisions.<ref name="EuroG GBX counter"/> Gearbox officials added that the company supplemented Sega's development budget with its own money to help Sega finish the game and that they had not received any royalty from its sales.<ref name="EuroG GBX counter"/> The lawsuit lost class-action status and Gearbox was dropped from the case in May 2015.<ref name="Polygon class status"/> Pitchford said that he lost between US$10 and US$15 million of his own money on ''Colonial Marines'' and refuted the accusations against the studio.<ref name="IGN millions lost"/> In 2017, a ] discovered a small typographical error in the code and that fixing this error notably improved the artificial intelligence of enemies.<ref name="AI fix"/>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{reflist|refs=


<!--CITE BOOK-->
==External links==
* at ]
* at ]
* at ]


<ref name="BradyGames Arsenal">{{Cite book |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Official Strategy Guide |chapter=Arsenal |author=Tim Bogenn |date=February 2013 |publisher=] |pages=9–31 |isbn=9780744013849}}</ref>
'''Cancelled PS2 game'''
* at ]
* at ]
* at ]
* at AvPGalaxy.net


<ref name="BradyGames Items">{{Cite book |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Official Strategy Guide |chapter=Items |author=Tim Bogenn |date=February 2013 |publisher=] |pages=32–35 |isbn=9780744013849}}</ref>
{{alien}}


<ref name="BradyGames Enemies">{{Cite book |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Official Strategy Guide |chapter=Enemies |author=Tim Bogenn |date=February 2013 |publisher=] |pages=36–41 |isbn=9780744013849}}</ref>
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]


<ref name="BradyGames Challenges">{{Cite book |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Official Strategy Guide |chapter=Challenges & Rewards |author=Tim Bogenn |date=February 2013 |publisher=] |pages=170–174 |isbn=9780744013849}}</ref>


<ref name="BradyGames XP">{{Cite book |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Official Strategy Guide |chapter=XP Charts & Unlocks |author=Tim Bogenn |date=February 2013 |publisher=] |pages=175–177 |isbn=9780744013849}}</ref>
]

<ref name="BradyGames Multiplayer">{{Cite book |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Official Strategy Guide |chapter=Multiplayer |author=Tim Bogenn |date=February 2013 |publisher=] |pages=178–215 |isbn=9780744013849}}</ref>

<!--CITE MAGAZINE-->

<ref name="GI reveal">{{Cite magazine |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines |magazine=] |publisher=] |issue=179 |pages=46–55 |date=March 2008}}</ref>

<!--CITE WEB-->

<ref name="Gearbox credits">{{Cite web |url=http://gearboxsoftware.com/acm/credits/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Credits |website=] |access-date=May 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820190825/http://gearboxsoftware.com/acm/credits/ |archive-date=August 20, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="VB origins">{{Cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2013/02/09/origin-stories-how-gearbox-got-to-make-aliens-colonial-marines/ |title=Origin Stories: How Gearbox got to make Aliens: Colonial Marines |website=] |author=Rus McLaughlin |date=February 9, 2013 |access-date=April 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108212304/https://venturebeat.com/2013/02/09/origin-stories-how-gearbox-got-to-make-aliens-colonial-marines/ |archive-date=January 8, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Trends origins">{{Cite web |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/the-ever-shrinking-divide-between-film-and-games-narrows-further-with-aliens-colonial-marines/ |title=Game or movie? How Aliens: Colonial Marines will further blur the line between both media |website=] |author=Ryan Fleming |date=February 10, 2013 |access-date=April 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629231335/https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/the-ever-shrinking-divide-between-film-and-games-narrows-further-with-aliens-colonial-marines/ |archive-date=June 29, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="OXM interview">{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.oxm.co.uk/32305/interviews/gearbox-talks-aliens-colonial-marines/ |title=Gearbox talks Aliens: Colonial Marines |magazine=] |date=August 10, 2011 |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818133907/http://www.oxm.co.uk/32305/interviews/gearbox-talks-aliens-colonial-marines/ |archive-date=August 18, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="OPMUK cast">{{Cite web |url=http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/2012/02/10/aliens-colonial-marines-ps3-original-cast-members-confirmed-release-delay-explained/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines – original cast members confirmed, release delay explained |author=Phil Iwaniuk |website=] |date=February 10, 2012 |access-date=February 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213055742/http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/2012/02/10/aliens-colonial-marines-ps3-original-cast-members-confirmed-release-delay-explained/ |archive-date=February 13, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Polygon Henriksen">{{Cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2012/10/14/3500562/aliens-colonial-marines-fills-in-story-gaps-left-by-alien-3-says |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines fills in story gaps left by Alien 3, says Gearbox |author=Alexa Ray Corriea |website=] |date=October 14, 2012 |access-date=April 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610154227/https://www.polygon.com/2012/10/14/3500562/aliens-colonial-marines-fills-in-story-gaps-left-by-alien-3-says |archive-date=June 10, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="THR Mead">{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/visual-futurist-syd-mead-discusses-414326 |title=Visual Futurist Syd Mead Discusses 'Aliens: Colonial Marines' and Video Games (Q&A) |website=] |author=John Gaudiosi |date=January 22, 2013 |access-date=April 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302032502/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/visual-futurist-syd-mead-discusses-414326 |archive-date=March 2, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="1Up E32011">{{Cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/previews/e3-aliens-colonial-marines-preview |title=E3 2011: Aliens: Colonial Marines is the Game Gearbox Was Born to Make |website=] |author=Mike Nelson |date=June 8, 2011 |access-date=September 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913194739/http://www.1up.com/previews/e3-aliens-colonial-marines-preview |archive-date=September 13, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Edge preview">{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/aliens-colonial-marines-preview/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines: is authenticity enough? |magazine=] |date=January 15, 2013 |access-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117061500/http://www.edge-online.com/features/aliens-colonial-marines-preview/ |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG developers">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-13-sega-gearbox-responsible-for-aliens-colonial-marines-although-other-studios-helped |title=Sega: Gearbox developed Aliens: Colonial Marines, other studios just 'helped' |website=] |author=Tom Phillips |date=February 13, 2013 |access-date=April 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708222248/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-13-sega-gearbox-responsible-for-aliens-colonial-marines-although-other-studios-helped |archive-date=July 8, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG faceoff">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-colonial-marines-face-off |title=Face-Off: Aliens: Colonial Marines |website=] |author=Thomas Morgan |date=February 13, 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215051354/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-colonial-marines-face-off |archive-date=February 15, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG release date">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-05-21-aliens-colonial-marines-delayed-to-2013-new-trailer-released |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines delayed to 2013, new trailer released |website=] |author=Wesley Yin-Poole |date=May 21, 2012 |access-date=April 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191454/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-05-21-aliens-colonial-marines-delayed-to-2013-new-trailer-released |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gamasutra Pitchford">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/171665/Gearboxs_Pitchford_on_Aliens_evolution.php |title=Gearbox's Pitchford on Aliens' evolution |website=] |author=Chris Morris |date=June 4, 2012 |access-date=April 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816064756/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/171665/Gearboxs_Pitchford_on_Aliens_evolution.php |archive-date=August 16, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gamasutra license">{{Cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/103006/Sega_Acquires_Alien_License.php |title=Sega Acquires Alien License |website=] |author=David Jenkins |date=December 11, 2006 |access-date=April 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510215942/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/103006/Sega_Acquires_Alien_License.php |archive-date=May 10, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gamasutra Riepl">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/186246/KEVIN_RIEPL_SCORES_ALIENS_COLONIAL_MARINES.php |title=Kevin Riepl Scores Aliens: Colonial Marines |website=] |date=February 7, 2013 |access-date=April 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130212100614/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/186246/KEVIN_RIEPL_SCORES_ALIENS_COLONIAL_MARINES.php |archive-date=February 12, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GSpot reveal">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/aliens-fps-red-faction-3-titled/1100-6186007/ |title=Aliens FPS, Red Faction 3 titled |website=] |author=Tor Thorsen |date=February 21, 2008 |access-date=April 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409204943/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/aliens-fps-red-faction-3-titled/1100-6186007/ |archive-date=April 9, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GSpot borderlands">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/did-aliens-colonial-marines-suffer-because-of-borderlands/1100-6403830/ |title=Did Aliens: Colonial Marines suffer because of Borderlands? |website=] |author=Martin Gaston |date=February 13, 2013 |access-date=April 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922185032/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/did-aliens-colonial-marines-suffer-because-of-borderlands/1100-6403830/ |archive-date=September 22, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GSpot train wreck">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/aliens-colonial-marines-development-was-a-total-train-wreck-says-ex-dev/1100-6403761/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines development was a 'total train wreck' says ex-dev |website=] |author=Martin Gaston |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022051027/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/aliens-colonial-marines-development-was-a-total-train-wreck-says-ex-dev/1100-6403761/ |archive-date=October 22, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GI Biehn">{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/07/25/the-80s-strike-back-the-complete-story-behind-blood-dragon.aspx?PostPageIndex=2 |title=The '80s Strike Back: The Complete Story Behind Blood Dragon |magazine=] |author=Tim Turi |date=July 26, 2013 |access-date=April 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616235020/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/07/25/the-80s-strike-back-the-complete-story-behind-blood-dragon.aspx?PostPageIndex=2 |archive-date=June 16, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku canon">{{Cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/5907653/the-authorized-story-of-the-next-aliens-video-game-will-change-the-way-we-see-aliens-and-alien-3 |title=The Authorized Story of the Next Aliens Video Game Will Change the Way We See Aliens and Alien3 |website=] |author=Stephen Totilo |date=May 4, 2012 |access-date=April 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002044426/https://kotaku.com/5907653/the-authorized-story-of-the-next-aliens-video-game-will-change-the-way-we-see-aliens-and-alien-3 |archive-date=October 2, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku disaster">{{Cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/5986694/from-dream-to-disaster-the-story-of-aliens-colonial-marines |title=From Dream To Disaster: The Story Of Aliens: Colonial Marines |website=] |author=Jason Schreier |author-link=Jason Schreier|date=February 25, 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308140821/https://kotaku.com/5986694/from-dream-to-disaster-the-story-of-aliens-colonial-marines |archive-date=March 8, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN future">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/11/the-future-according-to-randy-pitchford |title=The Future According to Randy Pitchford |website=] |author=Andrew Goldfarb |date=February 11, 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023085621/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/11/the-future-according-to-randy-pitchford |archive-date=October 23, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Dread Central interview">{{Cite web |url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/33564/exclusive-interview-composer-kevin-riepl-discusses-aliens-colonial-marines-and-resistance-burning-skies/ |title=Exclusive Interview: Composer Kevin Riepl Discusses Aliens Colonial Marines and Resistance: Burning Skies |website=] |author=Amanda Dyar |date=May 9, 2012 |access-date=April 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121050837/http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/33564/exclusive-interview-composer-kevin-riepl-discusses-aliens-colonial-marines-and-resistance-burning-skies/ |archive-date=November 21, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Ocean Way">{{Cite web |url=http://www.oceanwaystudios.com/archives/879 |title=Scored at Ocean Way: Aliens: Colonial Marines |website=Ocean Way Studios |author=Ashley Job |date=October 22, 2012 |access-date=April 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109004342/http://www.oceanwaystudios.com/archives/879 |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Edge review p1">{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.edge-online.com/review/aliens-colonial-marines-review/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines review (page 1) |magazine=] |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=February 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215041846/http://www.edge-online.com/review/aliens-colonial-marines-review/ |archive-date=February 15, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Edge review p2">{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.edge-online.com/review/aliens-colonial-marines-review/2 |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines review (page 2) |magazine=] |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=February 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215041851/http://www.edge-online.com/review/aliens-colonial-marines-review/2 |archive-date=February 15, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GSpot review">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/aliens-colonial-marines-review/1900-6403683/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Review |author=Kevin VanOrd |website=] |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=March 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028212200/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/aliens-colonial-marines-review/1900-6403683/ |archive-date=October 28, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG review">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-12-aliens-colonial-marines-review |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines review |author=Dan Whitehead |website=] |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=March 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107033723/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-12-aliens-colonial-marines-review |archive-date=January 7, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GI review">{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/games/aliens_colonial_marines/b/xbox360/archive/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-review.aspx |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines |author=Jeff Cork |magazine=] |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=March 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102101025/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/aliens_colonial_marines/b/xbox360/archive/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-review.aspx |archive-date=November 2, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="OPMUK review">{{Cite web |url=http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/review/aliens-colonial-marines-ps3-review-i-got-signals-i-got-readings-in-front-and-behind/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines PS3 review – I got signals. I got readings, in front and behind |author=Leon Hurley |website=] |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=April 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413051229/http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/review/aliens-colonial-marines-ps3-review-i-got-signals-i-got-readings-in-front-and-behind/ |archive-date=April 13, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Destruct review">{{Cite web |url=https://www.destructoid.com/review-aliens-colonial-marines-244276.phtml |title=Review: Aliens: Colonial Marines |author=Jim Sterling |author-link=Jim Sterling |website=] |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=April 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215045925/https://www.destructoid.com/review-aliens-colonial-marines-244276.phtml |archive-date=February 15, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="The Guardian review">{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2013/feb/12/alien-colonial-marines-game-review |title=Alien Colonial Marines – review |website=] |author=Nick Cowen |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617195244/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2013/feb/12/alien-colonial-marines-game-review |archive-date=June 17, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GSpot no Wii U">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/aliens-colonial-marines-for-wii-u-canceled/1100-6406489/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines for Wii U canceled |website=] |author=Eddie Makuch |date=April 5, 2013 |access-date=April 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107103524/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/aliens-colonial-marines-for-wii-u-canceled/1100-6406489/ |archive-date=November 7, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GSpot live demo">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2011-aliens-colonial-marines-demo-preview/1100-6318046/ |title=E3 2011: Aliens: Colonial Marines Demo Preview |website=] |author=Kurtis Seid |date=June 9, 2011 |access-date=April 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023092607/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2011-aliens-colonial-marines-demo-preview/1100-6318046/ |archive-date=October 23, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GSpot CE">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/aliens-cm-collectors-edition-packs-in-powerloader-figurine/1100-6379510/ |title=Aliens: CM collector's edition packs in Powerloader figurine |website=] |author=Eddie Makuch |date=June 1, 2012 |access-date=April 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119030021/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/aliens-cm-collectors-edition-packs-in-powerloader-figurine/1100-6379510/ |archive-date=January 19, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN not canceled">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/25/aliens-colonial-marines-not-cancelled |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Not Cancelled |website=] |author=Jimmy Thang |date=November 24, 2008 |access-date=April 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929164907/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/25/aliens-colonial-marines-not-cancelled |archive-date=September 29, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN still alive">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/06/aliens-colonial-marines-still-alive-2 |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Still Alive |website=] |author=Martin Robinson |date=September 6, 2010 |access-date=April 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422200948/http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/06/aliens-colonial-marines-still-alive-2 |archive-date=April 22, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN teaser trailer">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/09/e3-2011-aliens-colonial-marines-love-and-a-power-loader |title=E3 2011: Aliens: Colonial Marines - Love and a Power Loader |website=] |author=Arthur Gies |date=June 8, 2011 |access-date=April 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004163534/http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/09/e3-2011-aliens-colonial-marines-love-and-a-power-loader |archive-date=October 4, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Spring 2012">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/01/aliens-colonial-marines-hits-spring-2012 |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines Hits Spring 2012 |website=] |author=Jim Reilly |date=June 1, 2011 |access-date=April 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106112107/http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/01/aliens-colonial-marines-hits-spring-2012 |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Wii U confirmed">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/08/e3-2011-aliens-colonial-marines-confirmed-for-wii-u |title=E3 2011: Aliens: Colonial Marines Confirmed for Wii U |website=] |author=Samuel Claiborn |date=June 8, 2011 |access-date=April 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202012311/http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/08/e3-2011-aliens-colonial-marines-confirmed-for-wii-u |archive-date=February 2, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG Fall 2012">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-26-aliens-colonial-marines-delayed-until-autumn |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines delayed until Autumn |website=] |author=Fred Dutton |date=January 26, 2012 |access-date=April 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708214554/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-26-aliens-colonial-marines-delayed-until-autumn |archive-date=July 8, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG patch">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-08-aliens-colonial-marines-has-been-patched-on-xbox-360 |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines has been patched on Xbox 360, PS3 |website=] |author=Jeffrey Matulef |date=March 21, 2013 |access-date=April 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130415020941/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-08-aliens-colonial-marines-has-been-patched-on-xbox-360 |archive-date=April 15, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG preorder trailer">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-09-13-new-colonial-marines-trailer-showcases-pre-order-bonuses |title=New Colonial Marines trailer showcases pre-order bonuses |website=] |author=Dan Whitehead |date=September 13, 2012 |access-date=April 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708215047/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-09-13-new-colonial-marines-trailer-showcases-pre-order-bonuses |archive-date=July 8, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG petition">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-09-03-aliens-colonial-marines-will-feature-playable-female-characters-in-competitive-multiplayer-and-co-op |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines will feature playable female characters in competitive multiplayer and co-op |website=] |author=Jeffrey Matulef |date=September 3, 2012 |access-date=April 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816192354/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-09-03-aliens-colonial-marines-will-feature-playable-female-characters-in-competitive-multiplayer-and-co-op |archive-date=August 16, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku PAX">{{Cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/5630732/a-brief-surprise-glimpse-at-aliens-colonial-marines/ |title=A Brief, Surprise Glimpse At Aliens Colonial Marines |website=] |author=Stephen Totilo |date=September 5, 2010 |access-date=April 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212011156/https://kotaku.com/5630732/a-brief-surprise-glimpse-at-aliens-colonial-marines/ |archive-date=December 12, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="PCGamer survivor trailer">{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/aliens-colonial-marines-1/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines survivor multiplayer trailer goes badly for all humans involved |website=] |author=Tom Senior |date=November 21, 2012 |access-date=April 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151220132730/https://www.pcgamer.com/aliens-colonial-marines-1/ |archive-date=December 20, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Trends E3 2012">{{Cite web |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/e3-2012-hands-on-with-aliens-colonial-marines-multiplayer-we-go-head-to-head-with-gearbox/ |title=E3 2012: Hands on with Aliens: Colonial Marines multiplayer, we go head to head with Gearbox |website=] |author=Ryan Fleming |date=June 6, 2012 |access-date=April 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120613185959/https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/e3-2012-hands-on-with-aliens-colonial-marines-multiplayer-we-go-head-to-head-with-gearbox/ |archive-date=June 13, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Polygon pass">{{Cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/1/30/3934034/aliens-colonial-marines-will-have-29-99-pc-season-pass-four-dlc-packs |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines will have $29.99 PC Season Pass, four DLC packs |website=] |author=Megan Farokhmanesh |date=January 30, 2013 |access-date=April 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809001729/https://www.polygon.com/2013/1/30/3934034/aliens-colonial-marines-will-have-29-99-pc-season-pass-four-dlc-packs |archive-date=August 9, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Engadget DLC1">{{Cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/aliens-colonial-marines-gets-new-mode-with-bug-hunt-dlc-today/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines gets new mode with Bug Hunt DLC today |website=] |author=Mike Schramm |date=March 19, 2013 |access-date=April 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150727102352/https://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/aliens-colonial-marines-gets-new-mode-with-bug-hunt-dlc-today/ |archive-date=July 27, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MC DLC2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/aliens-colonial-marines-reconnaissance-pack/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines - Reconnaissance Pack |website=] |access-date=April 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625172847/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/aliens-colonial-marines---reconnaissance-pack |archive-date=June 25, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MC DLC3">{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/aliens-colonial-marines-movie-map-pack/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines - Movie Map Pack |website=] |access-date=April 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130182552/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/aliens-colonial-marines---movie-map-pack |archive-date=January 30, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GSpot DLC4">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/final-aliens-colonial-marines-dlc-out-now/1100-6411913/ |title=Final Aliens: Colonial Marines DLC out now |website=] |author=Eddie Makuch |date=July 23, 2013 |access-date=April 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140205142010/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/final-aliens-colonial-marines-dlc-out-now/1100-6411913/ |archive-date=February 5, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG DLC4 leak">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-08-aliens-colonial-marines-to-get-new-campaign-dlc |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines to get new campaign DLC |website=] |author=Tom Phillips |date=July 23, 2013 |access-date=April 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127115704/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-08-aliens-colonial-marines-to-get-new-campaign-dlc |archive-date=November 27, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Metro DLC4">{{Cite web |url=http://metro.co.uk/2013/07/08/aliens-colonial-marines-to-get-new-single-player-dlc-3872909/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines to get new single-player DLC |website=] |date=July 8, 2013 |access-date=April 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105143839/http://metro.co.uk/2013/07/08/aliens-colonial-marines-to-get-new-single-player-dlc-3872909/ |archive-date=November 5, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Destructoid lie">{{Cite web |url=https://www.destructoid.com/developer-gearbox-lied-to-sega-2k-over-colonial-marines-245986.phtml |title=Developer: Gearbox lied to SEGA, 2K over Colonial Marines |website=] |author=Jim Sterling |author-link=Jim Sterling |date=February 19, 2013 |access-date=April 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316203800/https://www.destructoid.com/developer-gearbox-lied-to-sega-2k-over-colonial-marines-245986.phtml |archive-date=March 16, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Destructoid GBX stole">{{Cite web |url=https://www.destructoid.com/gearbox-embezzled-aliens-colonial-marines-money-246558.phtml |title=Anonymous whistle blower claims Gearbox stole from SEGA |website=] |author=Jim Sterling |author-link=Jim Sterling |date=February 24, 2013 |access-date=April 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202200152/https://www.destructoid.com/gearbox-embezzled-aliens-colonial-marines-money-246558.phtml |archive-date=December 2, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MC PC">{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/aliens-colonial-marines/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines (PC) |website=] |access-date=May 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513193559/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/aliens-colonial-marines |archive-date=May 13, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MC PS3">{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/aliens-colonial-marines/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines (PlayStation 3) |website=] |access-date=May 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027054836/http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/aliens-colonial-marines |archive-date=October 27, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MC X360">{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/aliens-colonial-marines/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines (Xbox 360) |website=] |access-date=May 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124085616/http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/aliens-colonial-marines |archive-date=January 24, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN PC review">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-pc-review |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines PC Review |website=] |author=Tristan Ogilvie |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=May 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027024027/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-pc-review |archive-date=October 27, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN PS3 X360 review">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-360ps3-review |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines 360/PS3 Review |website=] |author=Tristan Ogilvie |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=May 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107033728/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-360ps3-review |archive-date=January 7, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GT review">{{Cite web |url=http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/3qx4ie/aliens--colonial-marines-review |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines - Review |website=] |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=February 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215042918/http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/3qx4ie/aliens--colonial-marines-review |archive-date=February 15, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="EGM review">{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-aliens-colonial-marines/ |title=EGM Review: Aliens: Colonial Marines |magazine=] |author=Brandon Justice |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=May 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130213220605/http://www.egmnow.com/articles/reviews/egm-review-aliens-colonial-marines/ |archive-date=February 13, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Joystiq review">{{Cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-review/ |title=Aliens Colonial Marines review: Bore to the corps |website=] |author=Xav de Matos |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=February 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218083132/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/aliens-colonial-marines-review/ |archive-date=December 18, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="PCGUK review">{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/aliens-colonial-marines-review/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines review |website=] |author=Chris Thursten |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=May 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203020735/https://www.pcgamer.com/aliens-colonial-marines-review/ |archive-date=February 3, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpy lore">{{Cite web |url=http://au.pc.gamespy.com/pc/sega-alien-shooter/1227452p1.html |title=How Aliens: Colonial Marines Seriously Screws Up Alien Lore |website=] |author=Mike Sharkey |date=February 20, 2013 |access-date=May 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113012111/http://au.pc.gamespy.com/pc/sega-alien-shooter/1227452p1.html |archive-date=January 13, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Destructoid who">{{Cite web |url=https://www.destructoid.com/so-who-the-hell-did-make-aliens-colonial-marines--244939.phtml |title=So ... who the hell DID make Aliens: Colonial Marines? |website=] |author=Jim Sterling |author-link=Jim Sterling |date=February 14, 2013 |access-date=April 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407230830/https://www.destructoid.com/so-who-the-hell-did-make-aliens-colonial-marines--244939.phtml |archive-date=April 7, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG comparison">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-13-aliens-colonial-marines-demo-looked-much-prettier-than-the-final-game |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines' demo looked much prettier than the final game |website=] |author=Jeffrey Matulef |date=February 19, 2013 |access-date=May 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408125029/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-13-aliens-colonial-marines-demo-looked-much-prettier-than-the-final-game |archive-date=April 8, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Polygon lawsuit">{{Cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/8/11/5993509/aliens-colonial-marines-class-action-settlement |title=Sega to tentatively pay out $1.25M in Aliens suit while Gearbox fights on |website=] |author=Brian Crecente |date=August 11, 2014 |access-date=April 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111044452/https://www.polygon.com/2014/8/11/5993509/aliens-colonial-marines-class-action-settlement |archive-date=January 11, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG GBX counter">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-07-31-gearbox-explains-why-it-should-be-dropped-from-aliens-class-action-lawsuit |title=Gearbox explains why it should be dropped from Aliens lawsuit |website=] |author=Jeffrey Matulef |date=July 31, 2014 |access-date=April 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051834/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-07-31-gearbox-explains-why-it-should-be-dropped-from-aliens-class-action-lawsuit |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Polygon class status">{{Cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/5/28/8683827/aliens-colonial-marines-lawsuit-loses-class-status-gearbox-dropped |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines lawsuit loses class status, Gearbox dropped from suit |website=] |author=Brian Crecente |date=May 28, 2015 |access-date=April 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310055855/https://www.polygon.com/2015/5/28/8683827/aliens-colonial-marines-lawsuit-loses-class-status-gearbox-dropped |archive-date=March 10, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN millions lost">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/07/17/randy-pitchford-address-alien-colonial-marines-claims |title=Randy Pitchford Addresses Alien: Colonial Marines Claims |website=] |author=Luke Karmali |date=July 17, 2015 |access-date=May 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524153914/http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/07/17/randy-pitchford-address-alien-colonial-marines-claims |archive-date=May 24, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Metro UK charts">{{Cite web |url=http://metro.co.uk/2013/02/18/aliens-colonial-marines-is-biggest-launch-of-2013-in-uk-charts-3482519/ |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines is biggest launch of 2013 in UK charts |website=] |date=February 18, 2013 |access-date=May 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330214153/http://metro.co.uk/2013/02/18/aliens-colonial-marines-is-biggest-launch-of-2013-in-uk-charts-3482519/ |archive-date=March 30, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG biggest launch">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-18-uk-charts-aliens-colonial-marines-is-top |title=UK chart: Aliens: Colonial Marines enjoys biggest launch of 2013 |website=] |author=Robert Purchese |date=February 18, 2013 |access-date=May 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304100259/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-18-uk-charts-aliens-colonial-marines-is-top |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="US Feb 2013 charts">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-03-14-game-sales-at-us-retail-drop-25-percent-in-february |title=Game sales at US retail drop 25% in February |website=] |author=James Brightman |date=March 14, 2013 |access-date=May 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708234442/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-03-14-game-sales-at-us-retail-drop-25-percent-in-february |archive-date=July 8, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EuroG total sales">{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-10-aliens-colonial-marines-managed-1-31-million-sales |title=Aliens: Colonial Marines managed 1.31 million sales |website=] |author=Robert Purchese |date=May 10, 2013 |access-date=May 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109181907/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-10-aliens-colonial-marines-managed-1-31-million-sales |archive-date=January 9, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="AI fix">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/322076/Colonial_Marines_modder_finds_big_AI_fix_by_changing_one_letter_of_code.php |title=Colonial Marines modder finds big AI fix by changing one letter of code |website=] |author=Alex Wawro |date=July 13, 2018 |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180714221351/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/322076/Colonial_Marines_modder_finds_big_AI_fix_by_changing_one_letter_of_code.php |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501020904/http://www.sega.com/alienscolonialmarines/ |date=May 1, 2014 }} at ]
* at ]
* {{IMDb title|id=tt1277125}}

{{Portal bar|Speculative fiction/Horror|Space|Speculative fiction|Video games}}
{{Alien (franchise)}}
{{Gearbox Software}}

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Latest revision as of 21:00, 6 December 2024

2013 video game This article is about the 2013 video game. For other uses, see Aliens: Colonial Marines (disambiguation).

2013 video game
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Developer(s)Gearbox Software
Publisher(s)Sega
Producer(s)Brian Burleson
Designer(s)John Mulkey
Programmer(s)
  • Chris R. Guthery
  • Charles Kostick
  • Chase Sensky
Artist(s)Brian Cozzens
Writer(s)Mikey Neumann
Composer(s)Kevin Riepl
SeriesAlien
EngineUnreal Engine 3
Platform(s)
ReleaseFebruary 12, 2013
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Aliens: Colonial Marines is a 2013 first-person shooter developed by Gearbox Software and published by Sega for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. Based on the Alien universe and set shortly after the 1986 film Aliens, the game follows a group of Colonial Marines, a fictional military unit, as they confront the Weyland-Yutani corporation in an effort to rescue survivors from the Sulaco spaceship. It features a campaign mode that supports both single-player and cooperative gameplay, and a multiplayer mode in which players compete in different scenarios.

Colonial Marines was developed over six years and suffered from a tumultuous development cycle. As Gearbox decided to focus on projects such as Duke Nukem Forever and Borderlands 2 and outsourced a significant part of Colonial Marines to other studios. The Aliens concept artist Syd Mead was hired to design locations. Four downloadable content packs added multiplayer maps, a new cooperative mode, and a campaign mode that takes place before the campaign of the base game.

Colonial Marines sold more than one million copies in the United States and Europe, but received unfavorable reviews from critics, who criticized its technical problems, low-quality graphics, short length, and weak artificial intelligence of enemies. It is considered to be one of the worst video games ever made. The competitive multiplayer mode was highlighted as its strongest aspect. Colonial Marines drew controversy for featuring a lower graphical quality than that of the press demos. This led two players to file a lawsuit for false advertising, but it lost class-action status by 2015.

Gameplay

The player holding the pulse rifle in one mission. The health bar is displayed at the bottom left corner, while ammunition is shown at the bottom right corner.

Aliens: Colonial Marines is a first-person shooter based on the Alien science fiction horror film series. The campaign mode, which can be played by a single player or cooperatively by up to four players, features 11 missions that involve players moving from one checkpoint to another while fighting opponents controlled by the artificial intelligence. Opponents consist of either Alien creatures, also known as Xenomorphs, or hostile human mercenaries. Xenomorphs are fast and primarily attack with their claws or by spitting acid, while mercenaries are slower and use firearms.

As the fictional Colonial Marines military unit depicted in James Cameron's 1986 film Aliens, players have access to weapons such as pistols, shotguns, grenades, pulse rifles, flamethrowers, robotic sentry turrets, and smartguns, which automatically track and target opponents. They may also use welding torches to seal doors and motion trackers to detect unseen enemies. Ammunition can be found on defeated mercenaries or from certain locations in the mission area. The Colonial Marines are protected by a health bar that is divided into segments. If a segment is partially depleted, it will automatically regenerate over time. Med-Packs throughout the missions may be acquired to restore lost health segments. Players may also collect pieces of armor that protect the health bar with a secondary meter that does not automatically regenerate. Players have a limited time to revive a player whose health has been fully depleted. If they fail, the downed player cannot return until the surviving players reach the next checkpoint.

In addition to the campaign mode, Colonial Marines features a competitive multiplayer mode where two teams of up to five players face each other in four different scenarios. Each scenario involves one team playing as Colonial Marines and the other as Aliens. After a time limit has been reached, players switch roles and play once more on the same map. Scenarios include Team Deathmatch, where both teams must kill as many opposing players as possible; Extermination, where Colonial Marines must detonate bombs in egg-infested areas protected by Aliens; Escape, which involves Colonial Marines completing objectives to reach a destination while being assaulted by Aliens; and Survivor, where Colonial Marines must survive attacks from Aliens with limited health and ammunition resources for as long as possible. Unlike Colonial Marines, Alien players play from a third-person perspective and cannot use firearms, but have the ability to climb walls, run on ceilings, deliver attacks with their claws, and unleash streams of acid.

Players earn experience points by overcoming opponents, completing challenges, and finding collectibles—Audio Logs, Dog Tags, and Legendary Weapons, all of which are related to characters who appear in the film series. Challenges range from killing opponents in a particular way to winning multiplayer matches and completing campaign missions under a difficulty setting. Players have two ranks, one for their Colonial Marine character and another for their Alien character. When a sufficient amount of experience has been obtained, their characters rank up. Colonial Marine ranks unlock weapon upgrades for use in both the campaign and the competitive multiplayer modes. These include alternate fire attachments, telescopic sights, and larger capacity magazines. In contrast, Alien ranks unlock new combat abilities for Alien characters. Completing challenges also unlocks appearance options for both Colonial Marine and Alien characters, and new attributes that are exclusive to Colonial Marines in the competitive multiplayer mode.

Plot

17 weeks after the events of Aliens, the Sephora spaceship sends a full battalion of Colonial Marines to investigate the Sulaco spaceship, now in orbit around the LV-426 moon. A massive Xenomorph infestation is discovered inside the Sulaco and several Marines are killed in the initial onslaught. Corporal Christopher Winter, private Peter O'Neal, and private Bella Clarison discover that hostile mercenaries working for the Weyland-Yutani corporation are in command of the Sulaco and have been breeding Xenomorphs on board for study. Shortly before both ships are destroyed in the ensuing confrontation, the Marines, along with commander Captain Cruz, Sephora android Bishop, and pilot lieutenant Lisa Reid, escape aboard her dropship and take shelter in the ruins of the Hadley's Hope colony complex on LV-426.

Although the Marines learn that Clarison has been attacked by a facehugger and needs medical treatment, Cruz orders Winter to travel to a nearby Weyland-Yutani research facility set up near a derelict Xenomorph spacecraft and recover a manifest that identifies an unknown prisoner from the Sulaco. In an attempt at saving Clarison, Winter and O'Neal accept the mission and escort her to the facility, where they intend to convince surviving personnel to remove the Xenomorph embryo from her body. However, upon arrival, an interrogated Weyland-Yutani medical officer explains to them that Clarison's life cannot be saved because the creature's invasive placenta is cancerous and will eventually kill her even if the embryo is successfully extracted. Clarison dies when a chestburster hatches from her.

Winter and O'Neal recover the manifest they were sent to find and rescue the prisoner, who is revealed to be corporal Dwayne Hicks. Hicks explains that Weyland-Yutani intercepted and boarded the Sulaco prior to its arrival at the Fiorina 161 planet. A fire in the hypersleep bay subsequently caused the Sulaco survivors Ellen Ripley, Newt, and Bishop to be jettisoned from the ship, along with the body of an unidentified man who was mistaken for the corporal. Hicks himself was captured by Weyland-Yutani personnel and subjected to torture during interrogation, overseen by android Michael Weyland in an attempt to learn more about the Xenomorphs' origins and to gain control of the Sulaco's weapon systems. From Hicks, the Marines also learn that an FTL-capable ship is docked at the research facility, representing the last chance for the Marines to escape from the moon.

After gathering the remaining Sephora personnel on the colony, Cruz orders an all-out assault on the Weyland-Yutani complex in the hopes of capturing the FTL vessel. Winter and Hicks spearhead the advance, but the ship leaves shortly before they can reach it. In a last desperate attempt, Cruz pilots a dropship up to the escaping vessel and crashes into its hangar. Winter is confronted by a Xenomorph queen in the hangar bay, and attempts to eject her using a cargo launching system, but fails when she climbs back aboard. Cruz sacrifices himself when he launches the crippled dropship directly into the queen, propelling both out of the vessel. Winter, O'Neal, Reid, Bishop, and Hicks confront Weyland, who is ultimately executed by Hicks. In search of useful intelligence, Bishop connects to the destroyed android and states that he has "everything".

Development

Design

Visual futurist Syd Mead was hired to design areas of the game.

Colonial Marines was conceived by Gearbox Software after an encounter between the company's creative director, Bryan Martell, and the director of the original Alien film, Ridley Scott. When Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 was released in 2005, Gearbox was interested in working with an existing intellectual property and had previously considered Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner and Michael Mann's 1995 film Heat as candidates. Martell's discussion with Scott on the Alien universe inspired him to approach 20th Century Fox about the licensing opportunities. Sega, who bought the rights to publish games based on the franchise in December 2006, gave Gearbox complete freedom to present them with an idea for a game. Because Gearbox had experience with first-person shooters and the development team was composed of people who were fans of Aliens, the company proposed a first-person shooter that would be a direct sequel to it.

Although the final script was written by Gearbox writer Mikey Neumann, Bradley Thompson and David Weddle, writers of the 2004 television series Battlestar Galactica, collaborated with Gearbox during the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike to develop the story and characters. The game takes place shortly after the 1992 Aliens sequel Alien 3, but addresses the events that lead to it. As a result, Colonial Marines is considered part of the series' canon. Several locations of Aliens like the Sulaco spaceship and the Hadley's Hope colony were recreated for the game. To keep the same level of authenticity, concept artist Syd Mead, who collaborated with Cameron on the film to design the Sulaco, was hired to recreate its "mechanical mood" and design areas of the spaceship that did not appear in the film. Entertainment designer Lorin Wood was hired by Gearbox in late 2007 to take over the principle conceptual design workload after Syd Mead completed his work. Due to his industrial design experience and film industry work he helped the studio maintain a consistent aesthetic that Syd Mead and Ron Cobb established for the film. The development team also contacted Kodak to get color channel details about the film's film stock.

Originally, Colonial Marines was intended to feature squad-based gameplay, allowing the player to issue orders to Colonial Marines controlled by the artificial intelligence using context-sensitive commands. These would include hacking doors, sealing air vents, and setting up sentry turrets. In cooperative mode, players would then be able to directly control these Marines, who would have their own strengths and weaknesses. However, this idea was ultimately dropped to make the gameplay more accessible. Gearbox developed the game for Windows and the new PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, stating that their technology would "do justice".

Production

Although Gearbox is credited as the primary developer of Colonial Marines, multiple development studios contributed to production. Initial work on Colonial Marines, internally codenamed Pecan, began in 2007 with the creation of a prototype by Demiurge Studios, who also helped Gearbox with the networking and multiplayer aspects. Between 2007 and 2010, Gearbox did not focus on the development of the game, instead preferring to work on other projects like Borderlands and Duke Nukem Forever, which took over a decade to develop. Colonial Marines was built using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3, but Gearbox spent a considerable amount of preproduction time developing a custom real-time lighting and shadow renderer that is "plugged" into the engine to capture the feel of Aliens. Nerve Software, a company that handled the multiplayer of the 2001 first-person shooter Return to Castle Wolfenstein, built multiplayer maps.

Borderlands was released in 2009 and was a critical and commercial success. Gearbox immediately started work on Borderlands 2, and outsourced primary development on Colonial Marines to TimeGate Studios, who was developing Section 8: Prejudice at the time. In late 2010, when TimeGate started to focus their work on Colonial Marines, the company realized that very little progress had been made. According to one source, the game was simply a collection of unrelated assets that included a lighting and shadow renderer. Although TimeGate handled primary development on the game until Borderlands 2 was almost complete in mid-2012, their work had to constantly be approved by both Gearbox and Sega. Because narrative designers were still writing the script of the campaign mode, entire scenes and missions were discarded due to story changes. One of these involved the player escorting a scientist who would be a secret agent working for the Weyland-Yutani corporation.

There were disagreements on the design. Sega wanted Colonial Marines to be more similar to a Call of Duty game, with fewer Aliens and more Marines to shoot at, a view Gearbox and TimeGate disagreed with. Developers also struggled to optimize the game after spending a significant amount of time increasing its graphical fidelity for a press demo, which ran on high-end computers not normally meant for general use. The game's shader and particle fidelity were then decreased significantly before release, and textures had to be reduced in size to fit into the memory restraints of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

When Gearbox took the project back in mid-2012, the company was not satisfied with TimeGate's work, partially because the game could not run on the PlayStation 3. With a release date set for February 2013, asking Sega for an extension was not an option because the game had already been delayed several times. This resulted in Gearbox only having nine months to revise TimeGate's work and finish the game. How much of the game was actually made by Gearbox was questioned by TimeGate. According to Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, TimeGate "contributed 20-25 percent" of the development time. However, without considering Gearbox's preproduction time, Pitchford said that TimeGate's effort was equivalent to theirs. A moderator on the official TimeGate forum revealed that the studio worked on the weapons, characters, Aliens, story, and multiplayer component, while some TimeGate developers estimated that 50 percent of the campaign mode in the released game was made by them.

Several actors from the films were involved. Michael Biehn reprised his role as corporal Dwayne Hicks, while Lance Henriksen voiced the androids Bishop and Michael Weyland. Henriksen remarked that it was interesting for him to voice a character that he had not touched in more than 25 years. In contrast, Biehn commented negatively on his experience in voicing his character, stating that there was a lack of passion from the people who were in charge of the project. The soundtrack was composed by Kevin Riepl, who is best known for his work on numerous independent films and the Gears of War series. Because the story is canonical, Riepl's score was influenced by Jerry Goldsmith's work on Alien and James Horner's work on Aliens. The soundtrack was recorded at Ocean Way in Nashville, Tennessee.

Marketing and release

Colonial Marines was presented at E3 2011 in Los Angeles.

A first-person shooter based on the Alien universe was confirmed to be in pre-production shortly after Sega acquired the license in December 2006. Colonial Marines was announced by Game Informer in its March 2008 issue, where its premise and intended gameplay features were revealed. It shares a title with an unrelated 2002 PlayStation 2 project by Electronic Arts and Fox Interactive that would feature a similar setting and subject matter. Originally intended to be released in 2009, Colonial Marines was delayed after Gearbox laid off several employees in November 2008. This led some to ask whether the game had been canceled. In the following years, few other announcements were made, although Gearbox did show some screenshots at the 2010 Penny Arcade Expo.

At the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, after confirming that Colonial Marines would be released in spring 2012, Gearbox unveiled a teaser trailer and revealed that a Wii U version was in development. A live gameplay demo played by a Gearbox representative was also showcased at the event. In January 2012, Sega announced that the game had been delayed to a fall 2012 release, stating that the company did not want to "sacrifice the creative process just for the sake of following a ." In May 2012, it was delayed one last time, with Gearbox stating that Colonial Marines would launch for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 on February 12, 2013, while the Wii U version would follow later. In the months leading up to the game's release, more trailers and demos were released.

Prior to its release, Colonial Marines was criticized for not featuring any playable female character. When a petition was formed to change this, Gearbox included them in both the cooperative and multiplayer modes. In addition to the standard edition, a collector's edition was made available for purchase. The collector's edition included a Powerloader figurine inspired by the film, a Colonial Marines dossier, character customization options, exclusive multiplayer weapons, and a firing range game level. Players who pre-ordered could also receive some of the collector's edition content as a bonus. Shortly after the game's release, Gearbox released a patch that fixed numerous campaign and multiplayer bugs and offered various visual improvements. The Wii U version, which was being handled by Demiurge, was canceled in April 2013.

Downloadable content

Colonial Marines supports additional in-game content in the form of downloadable content packs. Between March and July 2013, four downloadable content packs were released. A season pass for these packs could be purchased before the game was released. The first, Bug Hunt, was released on March 19, 2013, and adds a new cooperative mode that involves up to four players fighting increasingly larger waves of Xenomorphs and hostile soldiers across three new maps. Players earn in-game money by killing opponents, which can then be spent on different options like buying ammunition or opening up new areas of the map to increase their chances of survival. The second pack, Reconnaissance Pack, was released on May 7, 2013, and extends the game's competitive multiplayer mode with four maps and more customization options for Xenomorph characters, while the third pack, Movie Map Pack, was released on June 11, 2013, and adds four maps set in locations from the first three Alien films.

The fourth and final pack, Stasis Interrupted, was released on July 23, 2013, and adds a new campaign mode that takes place before the campaign of the base game, exploring what happened to Hicks between Aliens and Alien 3. The campaign features four "interlocking" missions where players must play as three different characters. Stasis Interrupted also adds several new achievements for players to unlock, which were initially leaked via a list of PlayStation 3 Trophies. According to a report, both Demiurge and Nerve were in charge of developing the downloadable content packs, but it was not confirmed if they contributed to the development of Stasis Interrupted.

Reception

Critical response

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic45/100 (PC)
43/100 (PS3)
48/100 (X360)
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comD
Destructoid2.5/10
Edge5/10
Electronic Gaming Monthly9/10
Eurogamer3/10
Game Informer4/10
GameSpot4.5/10
GameTrailers5.9/10
IGN5/10 (PC)
4.5/10 (PS3, X360)
Joystiq
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK6/10
PC Gamer (UK)48/100
The Guardian

Colonial Marines received unfavorable reviews from critics, who criticized its uninspiring gameplay, technical issues, low-quality graphics, and superficial thrills, especially when compared to Cameron's film. Writing for IGN, editor Tristan Ogilvie remarked that, although Colonial Marines looks and sounds like Aliens, it does not feel like it and does not bring anything new to the first-person shooter genre. Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot described it as "a shallow bit of science-fiction fluff with cheap production values and an indifferent attitude." Also in agreement, Jose Otero of 1Up.com stated: "The weapons and sounds of ACM feel authentic, but the bland look of the game will make you think it shipped as an unfinished product." Electronic Gaming Monthly, however, praised the game for its respect to the source material, describing Colonial Marines as "easily the best gaming representation of the franchise to date."

Colonial Marines was criticized for having low-resolution textures, low-quality lighting, poor character models and animations, and uncontrolled aliasing and screen tearing. Eurogamer said it reuses graphical assets often, resulting in many levels having "identical corridors and murky exteriors". However, the Aliens aesthetic was praised by some reviewers, with Edge noting that it was reproduced faithfully in the game and that it was still attractive years after the film was released. The game's numerous bugs frustrated critics. These included poor collision detection and glitchy artificial intelligence, causing enemies to freeze or fail to recognize each other. Technically, the PC version was considered more polished than the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions.

The story drew criticism for its lack of a consistent continuity with the Alien films. Edge remarked that the Colonial Marines are in an inappropriate context because in the film they are depicted as Weyland-Yutani's private army and tasked with fighting Alien creatures. However, in the game, the Colonial Marines fight Weyland-Yutani's other private military armies. Destructoid editor James Sterling criticized the story for its archetypal characters and immature dialogue, stating that the game fails to understand the essence of Aliens. Sterling explained that the film "dissected its posturing 'manly man' stereotypes, and showcased how utterly frail a cowboy mentality can be when everything falls apart", while Colonial Marines "revels in its own testosterone, submerged gleefully in a pool of dank ultramasculinity."

Journalists criticized the gameplay for the weak artificial intelligence of enemies. They remarked that Xenomorphs simply rush toward players, making the motion tracker useless. According to GameTrailers, "there's never really the sense that you're being stalked by an intelligent enemy, and you'll always get a warning ping anyway." The setting and level design were praised by Electronic Gaming Monthly, but GameSpot noted that the levels were clearly not designed for cooperative gameplay. VanOrd explained that additional players do not take the role of companions that are controlled by the artificial intelligence, but are simply added to the game, resulting in crowded matches with players fighting for space and trying to shoot enemies. The Survivor and Escape multiplayer scenarios were highlighted as the strongest aspects of the game. PC Gamer said that they encourage Colonial Marine players to coordinate their actions with motion trackers as Alien players try to hunt them intelligently. However, the longevity of the multiplayer mode was questioned due to the limited randomization it provides and the lack of computer-controlled bots.

Sales

In the United Kingdom, Colonial Marines topped the all formats charts in its first week of release. On both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 individual charts, it also reached the top position. According to GfK Chart-Track, it was the biggest release of the year in the United Kingdom and held the second highest first-week sales for an Alien game since Sega's 2010 title Aliens vs. Predator. In the United States, Colonial Marines reached No. 6 on the all formats charts for February 2013. As of March 31, 2013, as stated in Sega's end-of-fiscal-year report, Colonial Marines had sold 1.31 million units in the United States and Europe.

Controversy and lawsuit

Upon release, Colonial Marines drew a significant controversy. According to a report, Gearbox had been moving people and resources off Colonial Marines onto Borderlands and Duke Nukem Forever while still collecting full payments from Sega as if they were working on the game. When Sega discovered this misconduct, they temporarily canceled Colonial Marines, leading to the round of layoffs at Gearbox in late 2008. Gearbox outsourced a significant portion of the development to other developers to compensate for their mismanagement. While Sega initially denied such outsourcing, sources claimed otherwise, suggesting that the game was rushed through redesigns, certification, and shipping, despite being largely unfinished. It drew additional controversy when sequences from press demos were compared to the same sequences in the final game, revealing that the finished game is significantly lower in graphical quality.

In April 2013, two players filed a lawsuit, claiming that Gearbox and Sega had falsely advertised the game by showing demos at trade shows that did not resemble the final product. The demos, described as "actual gameplay" by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, were said to feature graphical fidelity, artificial intelligence, and levels not featured in the game. Although Sega suggested settling the lawsuit on their part and agreed to pay US$1.25 million, they denied any illegal behavior. However, Gearbox filed a request to have claims against them dropped, stating that the company, as a software developer, did not have responsibility for marketing decisions. Gearbox officials added that the company supplemented Sega's development budget with its own money to help Sega finish the game and that they had not received any royalty from its sales. The lawsuit lost class-action status and Gearbox was dropped from the case in May 2015. Pitchford said that he lost between US$10 and US$15 million of his own money on Colonial Marines and refuted the accusations against the studio. In 2017, a modder discovered a small typographical error in the code and that fixing this error notably improved the artificial intelligence of enemies.

Notes

  1. Additional work by TimeGate Studios, Demiurge Studios, and Nerve Software

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