PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews

A lack of mission variety, and an array of bugs of the technical variety bring down the experience, but Coldiron have largely improved upon their first outing in the Alien universe, thanks to a fun class system, satisfying gunplay, and challenge cards that make for interesting difficulty experimentation, while remaining mostly faithful to the overarching franchise.

Although it focuses on a single campaign and adds a fourth slot to the squad, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is only a minor advance from the first game. There are some quality-of-life fixes and a bit more variety to loadouts, classes, and enemies. The fundamental rhythm hasn’t changed much, and the writing can be painful. Just like the first game, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is fun with friends, and for short play sessions of a few missions and moving the campaign forward. If there’s a third game in the works, it really needs to change up the formula.

This sequel delivers a frantic and atmospheric cooperative experience that successfully expands upon its predecessor's foundations. While the combat feels more refined and the setting captures the cinematic essence of the franchise perfectly, it suffers from a repetitive mission structure and a lackluster narrative. Technical inconsistencies and subpar AI occasionally hinder an otherwise thrilling hunt.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 features the same deluge of Xenomorphs being torn to shreds by a competent team of Colonial Marines. While Cold Iron Studios has further refined the mechanics already established, additions like a fourth player slot are welcome. Despite its faithful rendition of the Alien universe, it doesn’t change that the gameplay loop will grow repetitive and stale over time, regardless of how your team clicks with it. Though new modes and more diversity would have been expected in a full-blown sequel, perhaps the formula will be nailed in future content expansions or a possible third entry, hopefully not suffering a fate akin to Alien 3.

Although it only feels properly 'Aliens' some of the time, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is a solid squad shooter with an excellent class customization system, and plenty of unlocks to aim for. Technical issues are impossible to ignore, but never severe enough to ruin the fun.

It's undeniable that Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 maintains - and expands upon - the achievements of its predecessor, establishing itself as one of the best action experiences in the franchise. This doesn't mean, however, that it ceases to be a generic game: a title that leverages a well-established brand to deliver a common product, lacking great virtues and of little relevance to the universe it intends to belong to.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is the type of sequel that simply aims to offer more of the same, which is fine as long as you weren't expecting innovation. There are some worthwhile additions here, though, such as four-player teams and the new Specialst class. It's just a shame they're counter-balanced somewhat by technical issues.

Aliens Fireteam Elite 2 takes a step forward from the 2021 release. A solid cooperative shooter that corrects many past mistakes without reinventing itself.

On the surface, being a better version of Aliens: Fireteam Elite feels like a no-brainer, but the game just constantly does things wrong. From the poor story to the less-than-poor optimization and beyond, the game just never manages to be more than its predecessor. The things the game does right, like combat and set pieces, just can't seem to make up the difference with so many other problems stacked on top of them. With the game being so relatively short, there isn't much to enjoy, and anything beyond the core experience will come from other players. In the end, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 fails in too many places to be a worthy successor at this point in time.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is average, but stands out thanks to a satisfying arsenal, classes with solid builds, and varied enemies that require distinct tactics. However, the lack of Portuguese subtitles, bullet-sponge enemies, FPS drops, and a scarcity of matches in South America are likely to deter fans.