Alien: Resurrection

The Good
Few games have nailed the Alien(s) atmosphere as well as this sci-fi shooter. The AvP series on the PC still reigns supreme in this department, but consoles had lacked an accurate rendition of the Alien(s) universe until the release of this game.

The opening level is probably the best reason to own the game. It tracks the progress of the Ripley clone as she collects her weapons and evades marine guards who are slowly being picked off by xenomorph soldiers.

The game physically moves at a slow pace, which is an interesting choice of design. I personally find that it gives whoever you control in the game a weight that most FPS games lack as they send you flying through levels with no sense of being grounded.

The sound is something remarkable as it perfectly conveys the feeling of escaping a decaying and doomed military vessel as it fills with alien horror. The sterile announcements of the ship's computer mixes with the far-off screams of the dying to create a convincing environment of tension and heightened concern.

Once Ripley gets an acceptable firearm and the creatures start showing up, the game's pace quickens. When a couple of aliens show up you really won't be ready and you'll feel really lucky if you survive.

The Bad
Gamers were hearing about this game for years and it was shown as being a third-person adventure title. The release kept being being pushed further and further away until no one cared. It was released it painfully close to the end of the PsOne life cycle. Alien Resurrection could have really benefited from not being based on a movie that was already three years out of the public eye upon the release of the game. For instance, it could've been excellent as an original Alien(s) title with a new story.

Beyond the atmosphere and the generally frightening combat sequences with fully matured xenomorphs, the game is actually pretty boring. Its like having someone punch you in the stomach or throw a face-hugger into your bed whenever you are about to fall asleep.

You can play as multiple characters, but you won't really care. It would've been fine to just play as Ripley throughout the entire game.

The game is also far too long. There are ten levels of unbearable size. This hurts even more because most of the levels look exactly the same. I don't know anyone who actually beat this game because after five hours of continual showdowns between you and a couple of aliens, things get VERY tedious.

The Bottom Line
This is a fully 3-D shooter unlike the Alien Trilogy games which featured only simulated 3-D environments and sprite enemies. It utilizes both analog ticks on the original PS dual shock controller in the way that nearly all console FPS games do now and so it is easy to pick up and play for modern gamers. Although the game is very flawed, its a worthwhile addition to a collectors library because of its attention to atmosphere and its stellar opening level.