From VR to Flatscreens

Alien: Rogue Incursion made splashes in the VR space for its atmospheric first-person gameplay back in December 2024. Now in 2025, Survios is translating that tense VR experience onto more traditional screens. Rogue Incursion marks one of the rare occurrences where a VR exclusive gets the standardized treatment for PC and consoles.

Evolved Edition Enhancements

Of course, this non-VR release of the game has some specific enhancements and quirks that familiar and new players may be surprised and delighted to learn about … or not. The list of new additions and enhancements is pretty slim. Evolved Edition will hit a consistent 60 FPS for PC and PS5, providing flatscreen compatible framerates that the VR space couldn’t allow. Controller functionality is another big difference. Besides the obvious translation from motion inputs to buttons and sticks, the game supports full haptic feedback and rumble tech, which should substitute at least a bit of tactile immersion of virtual reality. It may not be much in the way of extras and non-VR bells and whistles, but these enhancements are still preferred to the bare minimum of a straight up port.

Graphics

VR games still carry a stigma when it comes to graphics—especially when translating those visuals from a headset to a flat screen. Dimensional depth tends to get lost in transition. So, how does Alien: Rogue Incursion tackle this common VR issue? Well, we’re not entirely sure, but the advanced tools within Unreal Engine 5 certainly help the transition some. Just look at the Evolved Edition trailers: objects and enemies don’t look out of proportion like other VR conversions. It won’t be the most visually impressive game this year, but it isn’t severely lacking in that department either.

Setting and Characters

Originally appearing in the Alien: Defiance comic, colonial marine Zula Hendricks sets out to investigate a distress signal on a remote planet, which sets up the premise of Rogue Incursion. The game is situated closer to the events of Aliens, taking place after Alien: Isolation.

Variety of Xenomorphs

You know how Alien Isolation was a respectful nod to Alien? Well, Rogue Incursion is something of an ode to its follow-up, Aliens. This is demonstrated by the variety of Xenomorphs that stalk the overrun settlement – a contrast to Alien: Isolation’s single xenomorph type. Players will encounter the typical warrior xenomorphs in addition to the smaller facehuggers and terrifying pratoreans. This enemy variety resulted in more strategic fights in the original VR game, which are said to be enhanced further with Evolved Edition.

Atmospheric Survival Tone Inspired by Alien: Isolation

But Rogue Incursion’s biggest draw by far is that it feels like a close cousin of Alien: Isolation. The tense slow-paced atmosphere is here, along with careful ammo conservation and stealth. Though, it should be noted that Rogue Incursion ramps things up a notch with a higher degree of action. Xenomorphs get gunned down without too much of a sweat compared to Isolation, leading to a feeling of control rather than fragility. But one thing is clear, the devs certainly took Alien: Isolation as a strong inspiration behind the game and its planned sequel. If you want an Alien: Isolation successor, this is the closest we’ve gotten.

Zula and Her Android Companion

If Isolation’s silence and solitude were too much, Rogue Incursion offsets it with an android companion named Davis. While the banter and communication isn’t constant, Davis provides periodic dialogue that makes the story more character-driven. Still, this isn’t the kind of quippy banter you might come to expect out of recent media. Rogue Incursion keeps things grounded and gritty.

Sound Management and Stealth

Contributing to that grounded feeling is the role sound takes in stealth. Like other survival horror titles, running around with boots stomping all over the place will draw out enemies faster. Cleverly placed objects cling and clang when stepped on or pushed, further alerting the xenomorphs to your location. Engaging in stealth requires the use of a xenomorph motion tracker and well-timed sneak attacks.

Weapons and Tools

But as mentioned before, this isn’t as strictly stealth-based as Alien: Isolation, thanks largely to the more generous weapon selection and ammo. Zula has a pulse rifle (which still doesn’t behave like it does in the films), a revolver, and a trusty shotgun for those close encounter kills.

Straightforward Combat

It doesn’t take many rounds to drop Xenomorphs—warriors, for instance, go down in two or three shotgun blasts. While the atmosphere still shines, this has less survival horror focus than Isolation. Zula’s defensive options are pretty limited though, with just a dodge and grenade throw at her disposal to distance enemies away a bit.

Deadly Xenomorph AI Behavior

The studio hyped up the unpredictable AI scripting of enemy xenomorphs quite a fair bit leading up to the VR game’s initial launch. However, when reality hit, it became clear that these were enemies like any other shooter. Yes, they route to different paths and don’t directly B-line it to the player all the time, but the ease with which they get gunned down prevents their routing from being meaningful. Thankfully, this has been addressed in vague terms for the non-VR release. Promotional material promises “deadlier Xenomorphs” this time around, showing some footage of Xenomorphs performing some aggressive leaping attacks.

Save System

If Xenomorphs are indeed tougher this time around, saving will be paramount. Saving is accomplished by reaching one of many panic rooms within the desolate facility. The game rarely autosaves, making the player rely on reaching panic rooms, which heightens the stakes that much more.

Brief Runtime

But you shouldn’t have to wait for too long before saving the game, as panic rooms are numerous and well-placed within the game. A game, which by the way, isn’t all that lengthy to begin with. Alien: Rogue Incursion takes roughly 7 hours on a casual playthrough, and with little to no additional content, that time stands with Evolved Edition.

Part 1 of 2

For those looking for more tense Alien gameplay after rolling the credits, not to worry. Rogue Incursion is only part 1 of a 2-part overarching narrative that the Survios studio has planned.

September 30^th Release Date

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition releases on September 30^th with a $29.99 price tag for the standard edition. The non-VR gamers finally get to experience another Alien: Isolation type experience with this game, but you’ll need an adequate PC or a PS5 to do so. There’s currently no word on an Xbox release, but let’s hope that’s in the works as well.

“The first Ridley Scott film was so frightening,” said Kojima. “There were facehuggers and monsters bursting from people’s chests, and at first nobody knew what it was all about.”

In comparison, Cameron had to work on a movie where the audience was already quite familiar with some of the scarier aspects of the original Alien. According to Kojima, Cameron was able to bring in a new layer of mystery and unfamiliarity by making the sequel an action movie.

“When James Cameron came to make the sequel, Aliens, he made a very smart decision to make the film not about horror, but about action,” he explained. “It gave the story a new dimension, which was unfamiliar.”

Kojima explained that this is the approach he wanted to take with the sequel to Death Stranding. Whereas the original had quite a bit of mystique to it, especially considering how strange and alien some of aspects of the game’s world feel, like DOOMs and BTs, since players will be more familiar with these things in the sequel, the game can feature more action.

“That is what I wanted to do with this sequel,” he said. “Everyone understands Death Stranding’s world, so now we’ve introduced battles to give it this new dimension.”

Previously, Kojima has also compared Death Stranding 2: On the Beach to Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, saying in an interview that “I felt that myself when I played the game.”

He has also revealed that internal audience reception to Death Stranding 2 has been quite positive. In an interview, he revealed that audience test reviews for the upcoming sequel have been even more positive than they were for the original Death Stranding. Kojima also spoke about how he takes different types of feedback into account. While gameplay elements might see some changes depending on feedback, he will never make changes to the game’s themes and stories.

“I do listen to criticism, if the controls need tweaking or if a camera pan is too slow or too fast. But I don’t alter themes or story based on feedback,” Kojima said. “Of course, I want people to play my game, so I must listen to them to a certain extent. But also, I’m not interested in making something that appeals to everyone.”

When it comes to making games with mass appeal, Kojima just doesn’t seem to be a fan of the idea. Rather, he said that he was more interested in making a game where 4 out of 10 players liked it, while the others hated it.

“In fact, I did a lot of monitoring tests for the original Death Stranding. I’d find that four out of ten people would love the game, but six would say it was a terrible game. For me, I think that’s a good balance. But with the playtests for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, everyone seems to be positive.”

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is coming to PS5 on June 26.

Survios has announced that the Aliens game will feature an original new storyline set between the original Alien, and its sequel, Aliens. The protagonist will be “a battle hardened veteran with a vendetta against the Xenomorphs”.

The Aliens game is being developed using Unreal Engine 5, and is set for PC, consoles, and VR.

As a studio Survios’ portfolio largely consists of VR titles, with games like Creed Champions: Big Rumble Boxing, Creed: Rise to Glory, and Puzzle Booble VR: Vacation Odyssey. Considering Creed: Rise to Glory and The Walking Dead: Onslaught are also part of Survios’ catalogue of games, the studio also clearly has experience in working on licensed IP.

The last major video game release in the Aliens franchise was Aliens: Fireteam Elite, which just announced its fourth season. Aliens: Fireteam Elite is also getting an expansion. Meanwhile, single player squad-based action game Aliens: Dark Descent is also in the works and due out in 2023.

The Alien franchise got one of its biggest games in years earlier this generation with the release of Alien: Isolation. While the game was beloved in some circles, it failed to really find an audience. But apparently, another game based on the franchise could have happened. It would have been from the studio behind LawBreakers, Boss Key Productions, and had a much more direct tie to the films’ canon.

As revealed on his official Twitter, Cliff Bleszinski (aka Cliffy B.) revealed that his now defunct studio was at one point in talks with Fox to make an FPS title based on the IP. It would have followed an adult Newt, with Ripley as your guide. Presumably, that means it would have taken place after Aliens and invalidated everything after that.

But Boss Key Productions is no more, after LawBreakers was something of an infamous flop, and now that Disney owns Fox, it probably would mean any kind of interest would have to go through a new party. An MMO based on the series is apparently in development, so there’s still something in the pipeline at the very least.

https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/1226905493463076869?s=20

SEGA today announced Aliens: Infestation for the DS, bringing the experience of the Aliens film series to the system. Players will be able to recruit and play as 19 different marines, each with their own unique dialogue, and explore varied environments including the Sulaco, the Derelict ship, and LV-426. Aliens: Infestation is an action-heavy side-scrolling exploration game and will be part of the ALIENS expanded universe.

Developed by WayForward in collaboration with Gearbox Software, Aliens: Infestation will pit players against the overwhelming Xenomorph hive using a vast selection of iconic weapons and tools from the series. Featuring character designs by popular comic artist Chris Bachalo and equipped with an upgrade and collectibles system, Aliens: Infestation will allow players to explore large-scale versions of some of the most fan-beloved environments of the iconic films.

“In contrast to our other Aliens title in the works at the moment, Aliens: Infestation delivers a game that focuses more on exploration of the expanded universe,” comments Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing, SEGA West. “WayForward really put all their passion into making Aliens: Infestation the definitive Aliens experience that you can fit in your pocket.”

Aliens: Infestation will be available September 2011 on Nintendo DS.

Many games these days have aliens as their main enemies such as Halo, Resistance, Gears of War, and more.

Here I will cover our top 5 alien species in video games!

Number 5 – The Covenant

Franchise – Halo

The Covenant

When it comes to Aliens and video games, the Halo franchise instantly comes up; these aliens are known as the Covenant.

First introduced in the first Halo game for the Xbox, The Covenant are a religious group that consists of an alliance of many different alien races.

The Covenant are organized by strength with Grunts at the bottom of the totem and with Elites or Brutes at the top depending on which game you are playing.

The Covenant alliance:

• Grunts
• Drones
• Jackals
• Hunters
• Elites
• Brutes
• Engineers

Number 4 – The Protoss

Franchise – Starcraft

The Protoss were first introduced in the 3rd campaign of Starcraft. These humanoids are the most technologically advanced race in the series.  Despite their small size, they are physically strong., as the Protoss were once a tribe with a very strong warrior culture.

These aliens fight against the other alien race in the game called the Zergs. The Protoss heard about the Zerg invasion of the Terran worlds, so the Protoss are on a mission to help the Terrans stop the invasion and occupation of Terran land.

Protoss units:

• • Arbiter
  • Archon
  • Carrier
  • Corsair
  • Dark archon
  • Dark templar
  • Dragoon
  • High templar
  • Interceptor
  • Observer
  • Probe
  • Reaver
  • Scout
  • Shuttle
  • Zealot

Number 3 –  The Tyranids

Franchise: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

The Tyranids.

These bug-like aliens should be known to all, from the famous Tabletop game, and the video games. These aliens kill and consume all in their path and they drain every planet in their way; in one word- badass.

The Tyranids were first introduced in the tabletop game Warhammer 40,000 and later on they made their first apperance in video games in Dawn of War 2 .  These aliens rely on close quarter combat, stabbing and slashing through their enemies flesh.

Types of Tyranids:

• • Norn Queen
  • Dominatrix
  • Hive Tyrant
  • Tyranid Warrior
  • Broodlord
  • Lictor
  • Carnifex
  • Ravener
  • Tyrant Guard
  • Old One Eye
  • The Red Terror
  • Death Leaper
  • Malanthrope
  • Trygon
  • Hierodule
  • Hierophant
  • Harridan
  • Dominatrix
  • Hormagaunt
  • Termagant
  • Gargoyle
  • Spinegaunt
  • Deathgaunt
  • Genestealer
  • Zoanthrope
  • Biovore
  • Spore Mines
  • Ripper Swarms
  • Mycetic spores

Number 2 – The Locust

Franchise – Gears of War

The Locust Horde

The Locust were first introduced in Gears of War in 2006 for the Xbox 360.  The Locust come from the planet Sera. They were living under the surface of the planet and when Emergency Day came, the Locust came out and tried to wipe out all the humans that were controlling Planet Sera’s Surface. Its now time for you to take up arms and shoot some Locust in the head!

The Locust have a couple of differnet types; the most common ones are the Drones which you will fight with the most through both games. However, every once in a while you will be surprised when you see that you have to face off with a giant Brumak; good luck.

Here is the list of all the different Locust in both games:

• • Standard Drone
  • Grenadier
  • Gunner
  • Sniper
  • Spotter
  • Beast Rider
  • Bolter
  • Cyclops
  • Flame Grenadier
  • Grappler
  • Boomer
  • Grinder
  • Flame Boomer
  • Maular
  • Butcher
  • Kantus
  • Theron Guards
  • Theron Sentinels
  • Palace Guard
  • Berserkers
  • Wretches
  • Brumak
  • Corpsers
  • Reavers
  • Seeders
  • Torture Barge
  • Bloodmount
  • Tickers

Number 1 – The Chimera

Franchise – Resistance

Chimeran Hybrid

The Chimera were first introduced in the PS3 launch title Resistance : Fall of Man, later followed by Resistance 2 and Resistance Retribution.  The Chimera first started their invasion in Russia, spreading their terror on all of Russia- killing everyone- and later on with just a matter of weeks they take over all of Europe, and later on North America.

The Chimera come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny bug size Crawlers that enter a human body and infect it, to the colossul Leviathan that tears down buildings and destroys cities in no time.

The most common type of Chimera are the Hybrids, these are the standard and most common foot troopers that you will see in the games. The amount of variety is what makes the Chimera number one on our list- there are the fish like Furies, the small chicken sized Leapers, and the big heavy Titans. Each type of Chimera you face is different, requires different strategies and weapons in order to kill it faster and easier.

The Chimera are the scariest and most horrifying aliens on this list. A good example of that will be the Grims who suddenly jumping out of their Cocoons, attacking you from behind when you wouldn’t expect it,  and if you are unlucky- you will be killed.

Just to sum up of the variety and huge numbers of different Chimera, just have a look at this list:

• Advanced Hybrid
• Angel
• Boiler
• Brute
• Burrower
• Carrier
• Chameleon
• Cocoon
• Crawler
• Fury
• Gray Jack
• Grim
• Hag
• Hardfang
• Howler
• Hybrid
• Leaper
• Leaper Pod
• Leech
• Mauler
• Menial
• Ravager
• Roller
• Sirens
• Slipskull
• Spinner
• Steelhead
• Titan
• Widowmaker
• The Chrysalis
• Daedalus
• Krakens
• The Swarm
• Mother Spinners
• Leviathan
• Marauders
• Angels
• Alpha Grims
• Queen Leapers
• Primarchs
• Overseers

Well I hope you have enjoyed reading about the best and most interesting alien races to be found in video games!