Fox’s video game division – FoxNet – evidently plans to follow in Creative Assembly’s wake after 2014’s smash-hit horror FPS Alien: Isolation – yes, the one where the bad guy couldn’t be killed by just shooting it – delivering new virtual escapades for the franchise’s eponymous Xenomorphs:
Takeaways:
- FoxNext’s plan of action? Introduce Cold Iron Studios into the fold, a development team hosting talent from renowned past productions such as BioShock Infinite, Metroid Prime 3 and City of Heroes.
- The studio in question will take the reins on an FPS title based within the Alien cinematic universe, set to launch on both PC and consoles in – one would hope – the not-too-distant future.
- Aaron Loeb, FoxNext Games’ President, says the acquisition and commission come as part of his company’s efforts to “build a multi-platform, multi-genre portfolio of great games” going forward.
- As for his goals with this portfolio’s freshman contribution, Loeb adds that Cold Iron is striving to “create an action-packed persistent world, steeped in the mysteries of this beloved Alien universe”.
Authentic, Riveting?
Now, as enticing as those latter comments sound and as much hope as Alien: Isolation delivered for the series’ video gaming prospects with all its chilling, claustrophobic set-pieces four years ago, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.
For every authentic, riveting narrative experience like Isolation, after all, there’s been an authentic but mechanically generic cash grab like Gearbox’s uncharacteristically hollow Aliens: Colonial Marines. Indeed, given the brand’s hugely inconsistent silver screen instalments, its fandom knows better than most the importance of levelled expectations.
At the same time, however, Creative Assembly’s Game of the Year-courting tour de force in cinematic gameplay proved that the franchise still holds rich potential to thrive outside of space auditoriums; that FoxNext has taken a bold gamble on a relatively unknown quantity like Cold Irons to tap into this promise only sweetens the deal, then.
Stay tuned to Nitchi Gamer in the coming weeks for more details on the Alien saga’s latest – and, if we’re lucky, greatest – foray into the crowded but still celebrated FPS market, and be sure to let us know what you want to see from the project below.