I Left my Heart on LV-426

Aliens: Colonial Marines is the sequel to Aliens that we always wanted but never got. You are a Colonial Marine sent to LV-426 to find out what happened to Ellen Ripley. If you’ve seen Aliens, you know that things with Ripley didn’t turn out so well, and you, with no idea what to expect, will find yourself entering hell, somewhere far, far away from planet Earth.

I tried out the Campaign Mode for a while, and spied all of the many details that one would expect from an Aliens video game, from the fonts on the HUD to the chattering of the pulse rifle to the ghostly chirp of the motion tracker. The motion tracker is actually a very important part of Colonial Marines — press L1 and you can see the direction in which the xenomorphs can be found. You have to be careful, though: When holding the Motion Tracker you cannot use your weapon. This creates a delicious sense of tension, since when you have three xenos mere feet away from you, the few seconds it takes to draw your weapon will seem like an eternity.

I was only able to play one sequence where I secured an area, placed movement sensors all around the scene, and met up with “artificial person” Bishop (played by Lance Henriksen, thankfully) Then, the xenos arrived. They came in waves and spew acid when shot. You will quickly realize that acid and enclosed spaces make for a dangerous combo, so you’ll want to keep moving while you shoot.

While playing you’ll uncover plenty of references from the movie, from audio logs and dog tags from fallen soldiers (I found Vazquez’s) to weapons such as Ripley’s Rifle, complete with the duct-taped flamethrower add-on. You’ll find more weapons, including pistols and shotguns, from other important characters, and as you advance you gain experience that you can trade for weapon upgrades and customize the weapons according to your taste.

Fight as a Team, Die as a Team

When I tried the multiplayer mode in Aliens: Colonial Marines, I wasn’t sure what to expect. There are two factions, the Marines and the Xenos. The Marines are not complicated and their play style should feel familiar to FPS fans. Your boots will be on solid ground, you’ll choose from various weapons and upgrades, then shoot anything that moves.

The xenos are more interesting and are very different from anything you may be accustomed to. There are three different types: Soldiers, Spitters, and Lurkers, each with their own completely different characteristics. The xenos can see through objects and climb walls, but at the same time their defenses are weak. The Soldiers are excellent at hand-to-hand combat, and you can knock off the head of a marine with one solid whack. The Spitters use acid to attack from a distance (tip: do this from a roof), and the Lurkers can powerfully jump towards their enemies and attack without mercy.

It is not easy to be a xeno. You will die a lot, but with a little practice you’ll see that it’s fun and strategically interesting as well. You will literally hunt down your marine foes, hiding and then taking advantage of your opportunity to attack. It pays to move only when necessary, given the marines’ use of motion trackers.

The Escape mode may have been my favorite hands-on experience. This is a team game in which marine players have only one life and very little time for reviving each other. Xenos, of course, can resurrect an infinite number of times and need only eliminate the marines while their prey attempt to conquer a variety of objectives, such as advancing or defending a point.

Aliens: Colonial Marines lands February 12th on PS3, bringing a breath of fresh air to the Aliens universe. Have any questions about my time with the game? Let me know in the comments!

Hey there, Anthony Burch from Gearbox here! Sir Hammerlock had told me that in the past he wrote his PlayStation fans a letter, so naturally when I mentioned I was writing this blog post he jumped at the opportunity to do it for me. Sucker! He’s all book smarts.

An Addendum (the nitty-gritty details):

Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt is the third of four add-on content campaigns for Borderlands 2 and is available individually for $9.99 or as part of the Season Pass. The fourth add-on content campaign will be available by June 2013 and is also part of the Season Pass.

Hey guys, Jonathan from Gearbox here! I was walking around the office the other day and wouldn’t you know it — Sir Hammerlock came up to me and handed me a letter and asked if I could share it with you. Here’s what he had to say:

Dear Vault Hunters,

I’m well aware of your never-ending thirst for things to shoot and or loot, and I’m positively thrilled to announce some news nestled firmly in that avenue. Not one, but TWO pieces of downloadable content (or “DLC,” for the acronym-fond amongst you) for Borderlands 2 will soon be available for your procurement.

Have you ever dreamt about romancing a mech? If so, then you have been greatly misinformed about the new character class DLC. You shall receive the pleasure of playing as Gaige the Mechromancer (she’s a mechro-mancer, rather than a mech-romancer, you see – the importance of syllabic emphases can seldom be understated), a spectacularly brilliant prodigy of a girl who uses her robotic friend to slash, punch, and otherwise eviscerate the many fearsome foes of Pandora. She can also manipulate electricity by invoking the power of science. I also hear she’s a bit of an anarchist, but in a rather fun, mowing-down-bad-guys-while-humming-rock-music sort of way.

Last, but certainly not least, is “Captain Scarlett and her Pirate’s Booty,” the first campaign DLC for Borderlands 2. You can enjoy the splendor of skimming over the dried-out desert dunes of Pandora on a sand skiff, all the while shooting sand pirates with new guns and searching for treasure. As for Captain Scarlett, she’s the most pleasurably forthright backstabber I’ve ever met – an honest brigand, a truth-telling liar. Splendid woman.

So, there you have it – a brand-new Vault Hunter with which to wreak havoc, and an equally new campaign to wreak aforementioned havoc in. Look sharp, adventurers – there’s never been a better time to visit the Borderlands!

Tally-ho and all that,
Sir Hammerlock

An addendum (the nitty-gritty details):

If you pre-ordered Borderlands 2 at a participating retailer, you can play as Gaige for free as part of the Premiere Club. If not, you can acquire her for the paltry sum of $10. Included with Mechromancer, you also get cool Gearbox guns, Vault Hunter’s Relic and a golden key that unlocks a rare item in the mysterious Sanctuary Loot Chest.

if you’re a Borderlands 2 Season Pass holder then you’ve already acquired “Captain Scarlett and her Pirate’s Booty,” and simply need to download it the moment it comes out tomorrow. Otherwise it too can be obtained for $10.

Hey Vault Hunters, the wait is nearly over! You’ve seen all the gameplay videos, you’ve read all the previews, you’ve possibly even played our demo at PAX, now it’s time for you to finally get your hands on Borderlands 2 for PlayStation 3 when it hits store shelves everywhere and PlayStation Network in North America Tuesday, September 18th! The development team at Gearbox Software has worked tirelessly over the last few years to make this game live up to the mantra “bigger, better, and more badass,” and we’re all so excited for you to experience the shooting and looting mayhem for yourself.

Borderlands 2 has 870 bazillion guns! According to our team’s math wiz, that’s approximately 800 bazillion more guns than the 17,750,000 that the Guinness Book of World Records said was in the first game!

From everyone at Gearbox Software and 2K Games, we’d like to thank you for your support, enthusiasm and encouragement while we developed this game. It’s been a wild ride and this Tuesday the mayhem begins — bring some friends!

Follow Gearbox and 2K Games on Twitter, and check out Borderlands 2 on Facebook.

However, you also had more questions, and we have the answers! Character customisation options, voice chat, Mechromancer, a unique reward for Borderlands 1 players – I’ve done my best to answer as many of your questions about Borderlands 2 as possible. Read on…

Can we expect better more consistent framerate this time around? (via @Is_It_JustMe @Iantheausguy)
That’s certainly the plan! We’re entering the phase of development right now where we are focusing on framerate and stability, so it’s too early for me to give any final numbers, but you will see an improvement over the first game.

Can a second player on local splitscreen be logged in to a separate PSN ID and gain Trophies and stats? (via @frag123456)

We’re looking into this as well, but right now the answer is no.

The only important question: will voice communication be fixed? It was unusable in BL1. (via @keithschon)

Good timing – you’ll hopefully be pleased to know that a portion of our programming team is working on voice chat issues right now so they will be working for everyone when the game launches!

Will there be more character customization (individual skills, armor, etc) than in the first one? (via @justtom2012)

You’ll be able to choose from a large variety of swappable heads/hairstyles/headgear in addition to choosing from hundreds of unique color and decal themes, and both together offer a ton of options for customization. As for skills, each class offers a bigger quantity and more interesting variety of skills to choose from in the skill trees.

Will vehicle-based gameplay be enhanced? It was fairly basic in the original game.

We’re introducing a new vehicle, the Technical, which can hold 4 players at once and also has a few weapon configurations to choose from. Some are better than others depending on the types of enemies you’ll face and the environment you’ll be fighting in. On the other hand, Borderlands is mainly a game about weapons and loot so we don’t want to force people to stay in vehicles for too long.

Will there be a shortcut button for health kits? Going thru your backpack sucks, especially during battles! (via @TheVic82)

Yeah, that sucked. Pausing wasn’t really fun in combat. It was a tough decision, but we decided to remove carryable health packs and instead fill that need with new relics and shields that can help keep you out of that emergency state to begin with. The result is a more fluid combat experience since now you’re not worrying about when the best time to pause the game is and you still get that fun sense of preparing for a battle by choosing the right gear.

Health Packs will still appear and drop and they will now heal you up in the middle of battle.

What enhancements have you made to the weapon interface, inventory, and pickup system?

We have a completely new inventory screen and all of the other interface screens have received various upgrades. There’s a lot more useful data for gear comparison and also more descriptive text on the item cards as well. Having said that, the best way to know what a gun does is to use it – and some weapons are *very* special…

Money and ammo now automatically pick up if dropped from enemies as well!

Will the environments be more varied, instead of one big desert? (via @DoctorMous3)

Absolutely! We’ve shown a tundra, cavern, grasslands, and Hyperion tech environments so far, but there are many more in the game – I think you’ll enjoy the environmental diversity in BL2.

What are you doing to extend the variety of enemy types and combat encounters?

There are brand new enemy families in Borderlands 2, and the total count of unique enemies (including special elemental variants with unique AI) is in the triple digits. New environments + new enemy types and behaviours = much more varied combat encounters!

So when will we get the Mechromancer class and is it a exclusive to any version of the game ? (via @Tenkisin)

We’re hoping to release her to the world as soon as possible – but we have to get the game through the certification process as right now she only exists as a sketch and we need to finish up Borderlands 2! The good news is that the Mechromancer will be compatible with all versions of the game and she will be free if you preorder at participating retailers through the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club!

Is the story going to be more cut-scene based like UNCHARTED, or more audio log based like the original BL? (via @Ejsponge61)

We’re mixing it up a bit this time: few short cutscenes (and title cards) where necessary, lots of in-game moments, ECHO logs, missions, and environmental storytelling – not to mention the significant NPC improvements we made so it doesn’t just feel like a cardboard cut out of a dude is sending you on a quest.

What’s great is that we catered it towards both audiences that love story telling through NPCs and those who prefer to go kick some ass! If you choose to do the latter, you can run off as the NPC is talking to you and the discussion will appear as an ECHO transmission. No chains attached!

Will we be able to use custom soundtracks on PS3? (via @Nem0905)

No, but hopefully you’ll like the huge amount of new music we’ve composed just for this game!

Will there be any in-game bonuses in Borderlands 2 if you have a save file and completed the first game? via (@CFinalBlade)

Yes, if we detect a save file from the first game on your console then you’ll be rewarded with a unique swappable head and skin for every class!

Will the max level be past 69? (via @Martothedragon)

We’re balancing the game to cap at level 50; in the first game we ended up pushing the cap to 69 through post-launch patches and DLC. I don’t have DLC plans for Borderlands 2 yet but we tend to want to one-up ourselves each time, so… we’ll see what happens!

Our second game feature this month may, perhaps, be even more revolutionary. Dust 514 brings PlayStation players into the immersive world of PC MMO EVE Online. It’s a fascinating concept that has PS3 gamers doing the fighting for, and interacting with, PC gamers as they go about their machinations in their perpetual online universe.

We’ve also got early info on Lost Planet 3 and the coming-to-PS3 franchise debut of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. Our big previews include The Amazing Spider-Man and Aliens: Colonial Marines, with updates on Far Cry 3 and the ever more compelling Dishonored. Personally, I’m pretty excited about LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes and its new open-world Gotham City—it’s just the shot in the arm that the franchise needs. And finally, on the portable front, we break down the next 22 PS Vita games that will shape the handheld’s future.

PS Vita also makes its presence felt in this month’s reviews with JRPG Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention, MLB 12: The Show, and extreme brawler Supremacy MMA: Unrestricted, while standout PSN reviews include 2D fighter Skullgirls and survival adventure I Am Alive. And while it’s a slow month for boxed PS3 games, don’t miss our final verdicts on Yakuza: Dead Souls, Birds of Steel, and Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat.

It’s all in the June issue of PTOM, now available on newsstands.

If you’re like me, you’ve been watching the recent Prometheus trailers (spoilers!) over and over, pausing only to wipe the frothy spittle off your chin. If you’re really like me, you’ve also been wondering, “what’s it gonna take for some talented studio to create a killer game based on the Alien films?” Luckily, Gearbox Software is building an increasingly compelling case with Aliens: Colonial Marines, an upcoming big-budget PS3 shooter that aims to pick up where James Cameron’s seminal 1986 film Aliens left off.

While we know a good bit about the game’s tense single-player campaign, details about its multiplayer component have remained frustratingly elusive. So we took to Twitter and posed @PlayStation followers a simple question — what do you want to know about the multiplayer mode in Aliens: Colonial Marines?

We received a flood of questions — some insightful, some maniacally detail-oriented — and presented them to Gearbox Software Multiplayer Producer Chris Brock. Though Gearbox is keeping tight-lipped concerning certain specific details for the game, some of your questions did manage to penetrate their veil of secrecy with all the effectiveness of a 10mm explosive-tipped pulse rifle round. Read on to learn more, and we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more revelations during E3 2012 this June.

What different multiplayer modes will there be? And how many players are supported in multiplayer matches? (asked by @Pogo_05)

Chris Brock, Multiplayer Producer: We’ve only announced and shown Team Deathmatch at this time, but there are additional modes that we’ll be showing before too long. These modes are more objective based and we can’t wait to put them out in front of people. As far as player counts go, we’re still testing out what feels right on a per-mode basis.

How many maps are there for competitive multiplayer, and how many players does co-op support? (asked by @Nekrospike)

CB: We’re working on many multiplayer maps at the moment. We don’t have a specific number at this time but it will be a good selection of maps that will be our best! The co-op campaign will support up to four players.

Will multiplayer weapons be in-map pickups or loadouts? (asked by @LingeringRegime)

CB: Or a combination thereof, perhaps? :-)

Will it support splitscreen on PS3? I would like to see more games having a split-screen option (asked by @TRIEDGE_68)

CB: Yes!

Will there be multiplayer maps based on other alien movies like Alien, Alien 3, and Alien Resurrection? Will the Predator make a cameo? (asked by @JDas2k)

CB: The Predator is something that you will not see in Aliens: Colonial Marines. AvP is a fun and compelling universe, but a separate one from the original Aliens universe. We draw inspiration for multiplayer maps from all the films, in addition to concept art and expanded Aliens universe content.

What’s it like to control a xenomorph in multiplayer combat? What attacks and abilities do they have?

CB: Awesome ones! Xenomorphs are obviously much more agile than their human counterparts, so they’re very quick and have the ability to maneuver about on walls and ceilings. As you’ve seen before, every part of a xenomorph is dangerous, from their claws and tails to their “little mouths” and acidic blood. They have a wide variety of ways to attack the marines.

Several other titles have enabled players to control xenomorphs. Where did those approaches fall short, and how does Aliens: Colonial Marines improve on that approach?

CB: We feel it’s key to keep the xenomorph player’s perspective in third person. Xenos have to be sneaky and agile, so the wall and ceiling climbing is a necessity. That said, playing in that style, in first person, can be quite disorienting.

Can aliens kill humans in multiple, theatrical ways? And what can a marine do in close quarters to ward off an alien attack?

CB: Xenos can kill humans in many ways. What can a marine do in close quarters to ward off an alien attack? Pray! In all seriousness, a marine’s best bet is to stay with other marines and cover each other.

Will ACM’s multiplayer include customization for the humans and aliens and, if so, what are some examples of abilities that can be enhanced for both species?

CB: We’re not talking too specifically about the metagame yet, but there’s a wide amount of customization in both appearance and abilities.

Will the game include weaponry not depicted in the films? Can weapons be modded and improved?

CB: The films allude to a lot of weapons that are never shown. As you might imagine, we’re pretty excited to show you what those might look like.

This weekend at the Borderlands 2 booth, we granted PAX East visitors chance to play with two brand-new characters for Borderlands 2 — Salvador the Gunzerker and Maya the Siren — in a new environment called the Caustic Caverns. The Gunzerker and Siren classes have made great strides compared to their counterparts from the original game. Players who choose to play as Salvador will be able to use his Gunzerking ability to run into a crowd with two guns blazing. If you played the first game, you may recognize this as an evolution of Brick’s Berserking skill. Meanwhile, Maya’s new Siren skill Phaselock isolates an enemy inside a phase bubble for a short time. Once you’ve Phaselocked a target, your primary choice is whether to focus your fire on the helpless foe before it breaks free or mop up any other threats nearby. Decisions, decisions!

Borderlands has a strong history of co-op gameplay and that’s still a core promise of this game. At PAX, we watched as Siren players Phaselocked an enemy, leaving an opening for the Gunzerker buddy to run up, dual-wielding, and take out the target just in the nick of time. I’m also happy to talk about our new setting for this demo, the Caustic Caverns. From the beginning of the project, we’ve wanted to explore a wider variety of unique environments and locales on the planet of Pandora. As different and cool as the Caustic Caverns are, they’re just a small taste of the diverse environments to be explored in Borderlands 2.

We’ve overhauled our user interface, too. The new inventory screen allows for easier comparisons between gear and offers a more streamlined layout in general, and an additional benefit of the change is a more natural layout for split-screen players – no more manual “pan-n-scan”. And by popular demand, there’s now a minimap on screen!

This is Borderlands, so you know we’re aiming to include lots and lots of guns. What’s new about Borderlands 2 weapons, though, is that they’re much more supportive of any given play style. Hate long reload times? Try a Tediore gun. Prefer sturdy, burst-fire weapons? Pick up a Dahl-branded weapon. We’ve made sure that each weapon manufacturer brings something unique and interesting to the table. Finding the perfect combination of gear for each situation is all part of the fun (especially as the Gunzerker!)

Borderlands 2 releases on PS3 this September 18th and is now available for pre-order at your local retailers – keep checking the Gearbox Software Twitter, 2K Twitter, and Borderlands 2 Facebook for more information regarding the game!

Because today, we’re blowing the lid off of Borderlands 2. We’ve got a new trailer, and if you haven’t already skimmed down and hit Play, let me tell you what you’re in for. You’re going to meet the four new playable characters. You’re going to catch a glimpse of the colorful new environments and areas you’ll be fighting through. You’re going to see what you’re up against, from new enemies like the multi-armed Bullymong and the robotic Loaders to the man with the plan to destroy you and everyone else on the planet, Handsome Jack. You’re going to see a fraction of the new weapons that await. Oh, and you’re going to learn when the release date is. That’s pretty important.

But, enough text. Let’s get this show on the road. Without further ado, Borderlands 2:

And that’s just the beginning. It barely scratches the surface of some of the underlying changes, especially when it comes to the way that characters grow and become more powerful throughout the game. Each character has their own unique Action Skill at the root of their multi-tiered Skill Trees, and as you complete more quests and kill more enemies and gain the necessary experience to start working down those Skill Trees, you’ll come across skills that do more than just add passive stats and perks — they change the way that character plays.

Let’s talk about Salvador the Gunzerker, for example. When you trigger his Action Skill, he’s able to temporarily dual wield any weapons in the game. And if you just want to run and gun and blow everything up and cause as much chaos and destruction as possible, there’s a Skill Tree for that. Or if you want to make him more of a tactician and focus on nailing that one perfect shot for ridiculous damage and money, there’s a Skill Tree for that as well.

And the same goes for the other characters. Maya’s Skill Trees and the way they alter her Phaselock Action Skill likewise enable players to customize the way she plays and the role she takes in battle, as do those of Axton and Zero.

As our Game Designer Jonathan Hemingway puts it, Borderlands 2 isn’t just about making a few big changes and improvements, it’s about making thousands of little ones as well. Everything is being tuned, refined, improved and reworked, and in the coming months we’ll be talking much more about, well, all of that.

We’ve heard your feedback, so now, for example, you can take your split-screen game online. From day one, Lead Designer Paul Hellquist and Writer Anthony Burch have been working side-by-side so that story has a stronger role. Art Director Jeramy Cooke and his team have been working to infuse the characters with more personality, the environments with more color, and the guns with far more badassitude than previously thought possible.

Oh, and one more thing. Pre-ordering puts you in the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club and nets you some pretty handy in-game bonuses, including a set of golden guns, that will help you get a leg-up on Handsome Jack when you’re first starting out. For more on the bonus items and the participating retailers, visit Borderlands2.com/preorder.

You’re going to need a lot of guns — Handsome Jack isn’t going to hold anything back. Neither should you.

Well, I went to Randy Pitchford to get some answers. The gregarious CEO of Gearbox Software was all too happy to share new insights into the studio’s plans for Aliens: Colonial Marines, including multiplayer concepts, the control scheme, play style…and, perhaps most tantalizing, what he knows about the upcoming Ridley Scott-directed origin tale Prometheus.

Alien fans: Something tells me that 2012 is going to be a mighty fine year.

PlayStation.Blog: Aliens: Colonial Marines was recently confirmed to be a fall 2012 title. How will the game’s new fall 2012 release date benefit the final product?

Randy Pitchford, CEO, Gearbox Software: Aliens: Colonial Marines has been a dream project – a labor of love. We’re fully committed to our vision for the game. Creating deadlines is helpful to the process, but we do regret where it creates expectations that cause us to choose between changing expectations or compromising the vision.

PSB: Are you excited to see Prometheus? Will any of the Space Jockey lore hinted at in the film make it into Aliens: Colonial Marines?

RP: I’m very excited about Prometheus. 20th Century Fox invited us to read the script and check out production and ACM’s director, Brian Martel, had a discussion with Ridley Scott about the matter years and years ago, so it’s been a really interesting seat for us on this one. A bunch of our guys went out to read the script a while back. I chose to decline because I didn’t want the spoilers — I can’t wait to see the final film! Ridley is such a master storyteller and filmmaker and I’m thrilled that he’s spending some more time in science fiction. Oh, and I haven’t dodged your real question. Yes, ACM will bring you inside The Derelict on LV-426. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll leave it at that!

PSB: Would you describe the FPS feel as grittier and more realistic, or focused on arcadier accessibility?

RP: I would say that the player’s experience for Aliens: Colonial Marines will tend closer to the gritty realism side. I say that because sometimes the gameplay footage we use for marketing will tend to focus more on the action — which is definitely in there — but you can’t really feel difficulty and challenge as well when you’re trying to promote and market the game using promotional footage.

PSB: How are you approaching the control scheme? Does the game feature aim down the sight and a two-weapon limit? Are there any equipment slots or ways to customize your character?

RP: Looking down the sights properly is a big deal. Gearbox is really proud of its heritage in the evolution of down-the-sights views having really pushed that feature forward in the first Brothers in Arms game. Since then, every shooter we’ve created has featured direct down the sights views with ballistic weapons — including Borderlands. There are still some things we’re bouncing around between with respect to how we’re managing weapon slots and equipment with ACM, so I’ll reserve making a commitment on that right now.

Peer review and testing with customers is really important to us in the tuning process. If any of your readers are in Dallas, TX and want to be part of our user testing program, they should check out our website for more information.

PSB: Displaying the aliens themselves is a tricky balance between showing too much and showing too little. What’s your philosophy when it comes to showing them in the game?

RP: It’s been fun for us to dream up the presentations, but we’re not approaching it like no one knows what a xenomorph looks like. We do have some awesome new variants to reveal for the first time, so we try to get value out of those moments for the experience when you’re playing the game.

PSB: Finally, how important is the multiplayer experience to Aliens: Colonial Marines? Can you give us any hint as to the way it will play?

RP: Multiplayer is a big deal for us. It’s getting a huge amount of attention. I think we’ll be looking for some opportunities very soon to get some people outside of our studios, including some journalists, to have a chance to preview the multiplayer game and play a bit of it. We’re really looking forward to testing it against other eyes and getting some feedback from that, so it shouldn’t be too long before we make that happen.