More Screens for Gearbox's Aliens: Colonial Marines Hint at New Features, Alien Types, etc.

SEGA has released new screenshots for the Gearbox shooter, Aliens: Colonial Marines and a fact sheet alongside it today, but it's more of a reference sheet for any reporters coming late to the party, offering up information we already know. The screens on the other hand, show a few new things that Gearbox has hinted at, but hasn't officially detailed.

For example...


In the first screen, it looks like players will have to guard a fellow marine while he makes repairs on some sort of junction box, likely for the door nearby. Whether this is game mode for multiplayer, or just part of the single player campaign, we can't be sure.


In both past games and movies, xenomorphs are typically seen in more claustrophobic environments, like dark corners and vents of abandoned stations and derelict ships. As this shot indicates, players will be taking the fight to the aliens in a much more open environment, and apparently when the area allows it, these guys can get more hangtime than LeBron, drastically altering the way you'll have to engage them.


Looking to the right of this shot of the multiplayer mode, an obviously female character can be made out. In early July, Aliens: Colonial Marines producer Brian Burleson revealed in a web chat that there would be no playable female characters in Gearbox's upcoming title, which started a bit of a controversy. One fan even went so far as to start a petition for fans so that Gearbox would include female characters, and it seems to have been something of a success. However, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford eventually told Kotaku that female characters would be a part of the multiplayer mode for Colonial Marines, but here's the thing. Pitchford alleges that this was always the plan, even going so far as to "correct" Burleson's quote, saying what he meant was that there were no playable characters in the E3 demo, which only featured team deathmatch.


Two of the aliens in this shot share the same type of crown that the queen has, but are far too small to be queens. Also new is the glowing portions on the side of the head. New alien type? Certainly looks like it. Gearbox had said they were looking at introducing new alien types to the game. Said Gearbox CEO / President, Randy Pitchford, "Hives of aliens can conceivably have different types of aliens working together, and maybe in the films we didnt see all the types. Maybe in the videogame we could see more of these types, so this inspired us to dream up more of how an alien hive would function and what other kind of xenos would be part of that function."


Ah yes, this is the Alien we've all come to know and pee our pants over, "the universe's ultimate alien killing machine," as the fact sheet describes, sporting dual mouths chock full of razor sharp teeth, and a powerful tail with a penetrating, spear-like tip.

Taking place after the events of the movie "Alien 3," players wil return to the LV-426 with another crew of marines, who are searching the planet for Ellen Ripley and fellow colonial marines. Other settings will include the derelict ship, and the U.S.S Sulaco.

Gearbox has announced that a Wii U version with plans to implement the famous motion tracker in the tablet controller is in the works.

Aliens: Colonial Marines will release for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on Feb. 12, 2013.