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Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a good fit if you want repeatable, action-heavy squad combat and can play with two friends. It is a weaker fit if you mainly play alone, rely on AI teammates, or want the slow, tense pacing that many players associate with other Alien games. The pros and cons below explain why, and what to check before you buy.
What the game is
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a cooperative third-person survival shooter from Focus Entertainment, released August 24, 2021. It is set in 2202, and you play as Colonial Marines fighting Xenomorphs and Weyland-Yutani synthetics. The publisher’s official description presents four campaigns, five original classes, a large arsenal with an attachment system, perks, and Challenge Cards that modify campaign missions.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Aliens Fireteam Elite - Xbox | $26.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Aliens Fireteam Elite - Xbox (Renewed) | $16.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Aliens: Fireteam Elite (Xbox Series X) | $28.04 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Aliens: Fireteam Elite | $38.78 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Island Thunder - Xbox | $10.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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The game is built for a small squad. Its official description frames it as a fireteam of hardened marines fighting an evolving Xenomorph threat, and the Xbox store listing says you can play with up to two other players or AI teammates.
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Pros
Squad combat that is built around teamwork
Classes and loadouts are designed to complement one another. The publisher names Gunner, Demolisher, Technician, Doc, and Recon as the original classes, so a group can split responsibilities, such as healing, heavy firepower, or support, instead of everyone playing the same role.
#1 Best Overall
- Play a pivotal role in the epic events that occur 23 years after the original alien Trilogy as a colonial Marine. Stunning visuals, iconic enemies, realistic environments, powerful weapons, and an eerie soundscape fill out new storylines.
- Face overwhelming odds against over 20 enemy types. Each Designed with their own intelligence to ambush and outsmart Marines. Utilize cover and master team strategy to survive extraterrestrial threats as they overrun your Fire team from every angle.
- Choose from five unique classes - gunner, demolisher, technician, Doc and Recon - each with their own special abilities and character perks. Utilize an extensive arsenal of 30+ weapons and 70+ mods/attachments in your effort to eradicate the alien threat.
Plenty of systems to build around
Weapons, attachments, perks, and Challenge Cards give you reasons to return to missions. Challenge Cards in particular change how familiar campaign missions play, which can make replays feel different without a new map.
Recognizable Alien atmosphere
The official description calls out Xenomorph types, Weyland-Yutani enemies, and environments that draw on the franchise. PC Gamer’s launch review describes the campaign locations as recognizable Alien environments, so fans of the films will see familiar ground.
Rank #2
- Play a pivotal role in the epic events that occur 23 years after the original alien Trilogy as a colonial Marine. Stunning visuals, iconic enemies, realistic environments, powerful weapons, and an eerie soundscape fill out new storylines.
- Face overwhelming odds against over 20 enemy types. Each Designed with their own intelligence to ambush and outsmart Marines. Utilize cover and master team strategy to survive extraterrestrial threats as they overrun your Fire team from every angle.
- Choose from five unique classes - gunner, demolisher, technician, Doc and Recon - each with their own special abilities and character perks. Utilize an extensive arsenal of 30+ weapons and 70+ mods/attachments in your effort to eradicate the alien threat.
Additional campaign content
The Pathogen content adds a three-mission campaign to the base game. For players who finish the base campaign and still want more co-op missions, this is the main reason to consider the expanded edition.
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Repetition is the most common criticism
Tom’s Guide describes the structure as repetitive and the gameplay as bland at launch. Game Informer also notes objectives and last-stand missions that feel similar to one another. These were recurring points in launch reviews, not a universal reaction, but if you dislike mission structures that repeat, the criticism is worth weighing.
Rank #3
- THE ULTIMATE HUNT: Play a pivotal role in the epic events that occur 23 years after the original Alien trilogy as a Colonial Marine stationed aboard the UAS Endeavor, battling terrifying Xenomorph threats. Stunning visuals, iconic enemies, realistic environments, powerful weapons, futuristic equipment, and an eerie soundscape, combined with new storylines in a series of replayable campaigns, expand upon the story from the blockbuster films.
- SURVIVE THE HIVE: Face overwhelming odds against over 20 enemy types, including 11 different Xenomorphs along the evolutionary scale from Facehuggers to Praetorians, each designed with their own intelligence to ambush, outsmart and eviscerate vulnerable marines. Utilize cover and master team strategy to survive extraterrestrial threats as they overrun your fireteam from every angle, swarm through doors and vents, scramble across walls and ceilings, and strike from darkness with uncanny ferocity.
- CUSTOMIZE YOUR FIRETEAM: Choose from five unique classes - Gunner, Demolisher, Technician, Doc and Recon - each with their own special abilities and character perks. Utilize an extensive arsenal of 30+ weapons and 70+ mods/attachments in your effort to eradicate the Alien threat. An innovative Perk Board modifies and improves your abilities, while a unique Challenge Card system alters the approach to each Campaign mission, offering a new experience with every playthrough.
Solo play is less satisfying
The game allows AI teammates, but the experience is not equivalent to playing with people. PC Gamer’s review says enjoyment depends heavily on playing with other people rather than AI stand-ins. Game Informer says solo players may struggle because the friendly AI is limited. If you plan to play mostly alone, expect the game to feel noticeably weaker than it does with a human squad.
It is an action shooter, not slow-burn horror
The game is framed as a third-person shooter, and reviewers focused on combat encounters and hordes rather than tension or exploration. Players looking for atmospheric survival horror, with long stretches of quiet dread and scarce resources, should set their expectations accordingly.
Rank #4
Edition contents can be confusing
The base game and Pathogen are distinct products. Into the Hive Edition includes both, so buyers comparing prices should confirm which content each listing includes before deciding.
Console online play may require a subscription
Xbox’s store listing states that console online multiplayer requires a separately sold Game Pass Core or Ultimate subscription. This is an Xbox-specific requirement. Check the requirements for your platform before buying, since online access rules differ between platforms and can change.
Best Value
- Ghost Recon just got an all-new jungle warfare experience. In Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder, you lead an elite team of U.S. Army Green Berets in a mission to stop a drug-funded warlord from sabotaging Cuba's free elections. Island Thunder takes you deep into the heart of Cuba with eight missions, plus five desert missions you can download via Xbox Live. Compete in 12 expansive maps against your friends on split-screen multiplayer, system link, and enhanced Xbox Live play.
Content and editions at a glance
| Item | What it includes | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Base campaign | Four chapters of three missions each | PC Gamer launch review, 2021 |
| Pathogen | A three-mission campaign | Pathogen notes, Cold Iron Studios, 2022 |
| Into the Hive Edition | Base game plus Pathogen | Focus Entertainment edition listing |
| Classes at launch | Five original classes: Gunner, Demolisher, Technician, Doc, Recon | Focus Entertainment official description, 2021 |
| Current class count | Seven class kits | Xbox store listing; date not stated |
The five-class figure and the seven-kit figure come from different points in the game’s content history. The launch description lists five classes, while the later Xbox listing describes seven class kits. Check the current listing on your platform to see what is included today. No sales or player-count figures were found for the game, so this article does not make claims about its popularity.
Who should buy it
- Buy it if you have two reliable co-op partners and want combat that rewards coordinated classes and loadouts.
- Buy it if you enjoy replaying similar mission structures with changing modifiers, perks, and gear builds.
- Consider waiting or skipping if you mainly play solo or expect the AI to fill the gap left by human teammates.
- Consider waiting or skipping if you want slow, atmospheric survival horror rather than fast combat.
- Consider the expanded edition if you want the Pathogen campaign included rather than buying it separately.
What the launch reviews can and cannot tell you
The reviews cited here were published at launch in 2021 and describe reviewers’ experiences at that time. They do not show how well matchmaking works today, how performance compares across platforms now, or whether online services have changed since. Store listings, edition contents, and prices can also change, so verify them before purchase.
Because of that, the verdict here is conditional. The game’s core strengths and weaknesses, such as the reliance on human teammates and the repetitive mission design, are the points most consistently raised at launch. Whether they bother you depends on how you plan to play.
Quick Recap
Before you buy
- Confirm which edition the store lists and whether it includes Pathogen.
- If you play on Xbox consoles, check the subscription requirement for online multiplayer.
- Decide whether you have two human partners available regularly.
- Check the current class and content listing for your platform rather than relying on launch-era descriptions.
The Bottom Line
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
