PAX: Aliens: Colonial Marines – Hands On with “Escape” Multiplayer Mode

I have seen a live demo of the solo campaign at PAX East and even had the opportunity to play some team DM as well. At PAX Prime 2012, four of us from LevelSave had the chance to check out Aliens: Colonial Marines newly announced game mode, Escape. Many of us enjoy multiplayer in a great shooter. If you’re anything like me though, unless the mechanics of the game itself are somewhat unique, you get bored very quickly. So upon hearing we were being given the opportunity to play a new game mode, my excitement was peaked. Especially after hearing the explanation of what Escape actually is.

Escape, is a co-op competitive multiplayer mode in which four marine players are tasked with escaping an area. You and your fellow marines move from point A to B to C to D, essentially. “Run to the elevator. Wait for elevator. Go from Elevator to door down the hallway.” That kind of thing. All the while being “hunted” by xenomorphs players in “The Hunt” multiplayer mode, hell yes. Thanks for a new and interesting game mode, fantastic idea.

Chris, Austin, Taryn and myself sat down (Thank you Sega for chairs!) and were set up as the marines. We started up the match and headed for the first waypoint. About halfway there the the xenomorph attack started and never let up until we ended the match. We moved from room to room, hallway to hallway. At one point we held up in a room waiting for a door to be opened. As we waited, we were given an auto-turret to place down and the incredibly fun flamethrower. The auto-turret was placed in the hallway the xenos were coming from and pretty much kept them at bay.

After the door finally complied and opened for us, we entered a very large open area and this where it started to go down. We faced the newest alien species yet, the Spitter. Which spits that yummy acid all over your face. Many times one of us would go down and call out for help. Simply run over to your friend, hold said button and watch as they rise to their feet. At one point I was down for so long and the picture started to fade. The screen fades to black, the sound fades out as I fired my pistol in panic. Not too mention the video being hit with static for the personnel watching the marine video feed, an incredibly brilliant touch that fans of the Aliens universe will love.

I was finally lifted to my feet and revived. As the xenos swarmed all over what else was I to do with my flamethrower? I sprayed that thing in every direction. It even seemed as if we might make it through, until in the chaos I stood over a dead and burning xenomorph body. Killing myself in the flames. We didn’t make it through. We suck. Although, in our defense, PR confirmed for me that we were yet again playing against the devs.

This is my second hands on experience with this game and my second time loving it. Now if I could just get my hands on some xenomorph gameplay…