It's tempting to hold up 2014's Alien: Isolation as the standard by which all "Alien" games are measured. It's a smart, condensed horror film in which the cold, sterile order of a space station is torn apart by body horrors and unknowable primal threats lurking in the walls. In reality, in the more than 40 years since the original film, the series has been equally shaped by gun-toting action sequences and some pretty silly ones. Just as it is far easier to enjoy subsequent Alien films without comparing them to the original film, one can enjoy the Alien games without comparing them to the masterpiece "Isolation."

So, in the right mindset, this is a horde-based action game derived from "Alien: Left 4 Dead" and "Gears of War," but with its own little tricks. It has the house specialty of publisher Focus Home, a quality feel that feels like it was made on a middling budget, and is a refreshing addition to a series of video games that have been splashed all over the place in the past. The sparse storyline, cheesy dialogue, and NPCs that speak without opening their mouths (but not in an ethereal way that could be described as "artistic").

Crucially, it is very dependent on co-op, and whether you have a good time depends on whether you play with real people or with gray, voiceless bots playing in their place. It makes all the difference.

Consisting of four chapters with three missions each, the Fireteam campaign is a slideshow of decidedly "alien" environments: a steamy metal corridor with emergency lighting, a base buried under alien slimy nest material, a temple of an ancient space civilization . While there are some pretty views from time to time, traveling through these spaces is mostly flat and non-interactive, which fits the claustrophobic atmosphere of the film but doesn't make for exciting level design. You pull a few switches and grab bits and pieces of heavy corporate lore, but mostly you blast hundreds of aliens pouring out of every environmental crevice.

But there is a function to this claustrophobic level. The walls and ceilings are blackened with aliens, and the aliens swarm in, like angry ants descending on a big butt that has inadvertently plunged into a nest, and you are taken aback by the degree. Shoot into the dark mass and they stumble and tumble, but charge forward with the ferocity of a pecked beehive. The tension you feel is justified, as you can easily run out of ammunition or be overwhelmed even on standard difficulty.

Running through corridors and endless alien harassment can be a bit tiring, so reaching each level of Wave Survival is a welcome change of pace. Reaching the Wave Survival segment of each level is a nice change of pace. Here, prepare your defense with turrets, mines, and crowd control gadgets, and when you are ready, begin the encounter.

Once you are on the defensive and have your companions covering another entry point, it turns into a thrilling survival experience. There are no melee attacks, and you may or may not be able to jump over waist-high walls at will. This is a game best played at a distance.

Speaking of enemies, who knew there was such diversity among the Xeno species? Not only are there the classic dark aliens, but also the sneaky spitters, the rainbow-brained barstars, and the red prowlers that wait around the corner and set off cheesy jump-scares and QTE events if caught. Gun-wielding synths also make an appearance, giving you an excuse to use cover mechanics, as well as the awesome working jaw from "Alien: Isolation". Of course, it's all very goofy, and many of these creatures are unlikely to be legitimate, but they do their job of mixing up the threats and keeping you on your toes.

There are several classes to choose from, and while there is a lot of crossover in weapons and perks, each has a few unique abilities as well. Demolishers can wield the series' iconic weapons, such as smart guns and flamethrowers, and can fire micro-rockets. Doc can take down healing turrets, and Gunner has an overload ability that speeds up everyone's firing rate. On the higher difficulties, we particularly appreciated the more subtle abilities of the tactician, who has a coil charge that slows down enemies and a deployable turret that improves his defense if he stands nearby at the same time he shoots an enemy.

There is a lot of depth to stacking abilities, huddling together to get buffs, and combining perks to optimize your build. Most of the guns you procure from secret crates and armories between missions can be used by all classes, and the attachments you get are attached to the gun, not the class, so you don't have to assemble and reassemble them for different loadouts.

One of my favorite variants in Fireteam is the challenge card, which can be played before a mission to increase the difficulty of the mission in exchange for more money and XP. add a VHS-like scan line to obstruct your view, disable consumables You can even summon towering alien drones to stalk you throughout the mission. Each player can choose one challenge card per mission, which can be stacked to create a chaotic yet challenging operation. Players can play around within one difficulty setting before jumping to the next.

All of the above, however, comes with a serious caveat. Without a real person to play with, you are playing with bots that make a working Joe look like a charming and social dinner host, and much of the spectacle, tactical depth, and cooperation is cut out.

In this universe, where androids make up some of the most fascinating characters, it is a shame that the bots with you have nothing to say. While you can radio in from HQ with a well-made squire and enjoy chatting with hilarious NPCs between missions,

once out in the field, the bots are severely lacking in personality when playing solo

. Even on standard difficulty, I found myself dragging them around late in the campaign. On top of that, the online matchmaking system is caustic, only matching you with players who are on the exact same mission as you are at that moment, on the exact same difficulty.

You can't even invite a friend to a mission you haven't reached yet in your own campaign. Presumably this is due to spoilers, but it gives too much credit to a flimsy storyline that can almost be ignored (you can't even play Horde mode until you complete the campaign). Matchmaking needs to be opened up in an early patch. Because at this point the game is not ready to work with Random.

At least Fireteam's most glaring problems could be solved with a few patches (and a few friends). Yes, there is a silly rather than artistic side to the franchise, but it embraces it, and it does so with a better sense of action-movie intensity than in the past.

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