Apparently, Cliff Bleszinski's Boss Key Productions wasn't the only studio working on an Aliens-inspired game prior to the Disney/Fox acquisition. Responding to his tweet, 3D Realms vice president Frederik Schreiber also revealed that his company was working on an
Aliens game.
According to Schreiber, 3D Realms was "quite far" into pre-production of the game, which was titled
Aliens: Hadleys Hope. Unfortunately, as a result of the acquisition, the studio had to cancel it and move on to other projects.
Aliens: Hadleys Hope was being designed as a first-person shooter with four-player co-op. Schreiber shared additional documents that provided a concept overview of the game.
Aliens: Hadleys Hope was being designed by Slipgate Ironworks and 3D Realms as a "
storyworld-driven PvE multiplayer adventure shooter dripping with atmosphere, lore, and suspense." It seemed to embrace the games-as-a-service model with plans to add new content for years. A shared synopsis reads:
"A misfitting mix of colonists and marines fight together for their lives against a protective alien Queen who's willing ot do whatever it takes to safeguard her eggs."
Another image provided more details for the game concept, which would have required teamwork in tactics to progress through levels. Levels were said to be packed with
"mission-critical goals as well as side-goals (like the egg hunt), revealing extra loot, additionaly story nuggets, and Alien easter eggs." In an intriguing twist, it seems
Aliens: Hadleys Hope would have had more than one alien Queen.
"Unluckily for players, there are numerous alien Queens -- this planet is a breeding ground with literally dozens of Queens and their hives. The initial release of the game will have several unique settings of levels, each with its own style and challenges."
It certainly sounds like an intriguing premise, especially if you're a fan of the
Aliens movie. As a whole, the
Aliens IP hasn't sparked a ton of great games.
2014's
Alien: Isolation from Creative Assembly/SEGA was the most recent game. It was designed as a survival horror set 15 years after the events of the 1979 film. The game followed engineer Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley, as she investigates the disappearance of her mother.
With Disney now in control of the IP, it's unclear what's next for the
Alien franchise. Would you prefer a new movie or video game set in the sci-fi universe?