Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Review: Build a Better Four-Marine Squad
Four marines with heavy guns facing waves of xenomorphs is a perfect video game setup. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 keeps that simple appeal, then fixes one of the first game's biggest problems by expanding co-op squads from three players to four.
That extra seat makes a big difference for regular gaming groups. The sequel also adds a Specialist class, more flexible loadouts, varied alien enemies, and around 30 hours of campaign action. It doesn't replace your favorite co-op shooter, but it delivers a strong bug hunt with friends.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Works Better With Four Players
The sequel fixes the three-player limit
The first Fireteam Elite was fun, but its three-person squads created an awkward problem. One person from a regular four-player group had to sit out every mission. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 removes that headache with four-player teams.
That change makes the game a better fit for established co-op groups. Each player can also choose a different class, giving the squad more options during large fights. Solo players can still join missions with CPU-controlled androids named Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, though human teammates create the best moments.
A familiar Alien setup sends the squad into danger
The campaign begins when the USS Endeavor receives a transmission from Dr. Pierce on LV-558. The Weyland-Yutani mining colony has been overrun by xenomorphs, and an elite unit called Fireteam Banshee has vanished.
Your marine arrives to find the missing team and learn what happened. You don't need to know the first game to follow the story. The campaign takes about 30 hours to complete, giving you time to test classes, weapons, and different builds before the credits roll.
The New Specialist Class Makes Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 More Flexible
Six classes support different combat roles
The six-class roster gives each marine a clear purpose. Duelist focuses on close-range shotgun combat, while Marauder brings the smart gun and strong crowd control. Medic supports the group, and Machinist can deploy a turret that locks down key areas.
The classes also include callbacks to Aliens characters such as Hicks, Vasquez, and Dietrich. These references add fan service without turning the playable marines into direct copies of the film characters. After testing several options, Machinist became the easiest class to stick with because the turret adds constant value during defense sections.
Specialist enables hybrid builds
Specialist is the most interesting addition. It lets you combine parts of different class styles, such as Machinist abilities with Marauder's smart gun. That gives players room to build a marine around a preferred weapon rather than a fixed role.
Traditional classes still have a strong reason to exist. Leveling them unlocks class-specific modifiers and abilities that Specialist cannot fully replace. New players should test every class early, then decide whether they want a focused role or a mixed build.
Match weapons to the mission instead of carrying one setup everywhere. A flamethrower suits a xenomorph-heavy level, while a weapon with electric damage works better against synthetic enemies.
Xenomorph Variety Gives the Standard Mission Loop More Bite
Different aliens demand different responses
Most missions follow a familiar pattern. You enter a hostile area, gather intel or destroy equipment, fight through enemy waves, defend a position, and escape. The structure is standard for co-op shooters, but enemy variety keeps each fight active.
- Runners fall quickly but attack in fast, overwhelming groups.
- Spitters stay at range and fire acid.
- Warriors can grab a marine and expose them to their inner jaws.
- Drones strike from hiding and retreat under pressure.
- Prowlers pounce on players and break up the formation.
These enemies force the squad to choose targets instead of shooting the nearest creature. Runners may not deserve grenades, but ignoring a large group can end a mission fast.
Synthetics reward careful weapon choices
Weyland-Yutani synthetics create a slower, more methodical kind of fight. Xenomorphs push the squad into frantic movement, while synths are tougher and punish poor positioning.
The smart gun is excellent against smaller xenos but less useful against armored machines. A rail gun works better in those encounters and delivers satisfying headshots. Switching weapons and ammo between missions keeps the loadout system meaningful.
Fire ammo works well against xenomorphs, while electric ammo is better against synths. Cryo ammo works against both factions, making it a safe choice when the mission details are unclear. Save powerful consumables for elite enemies and major defense sequences instead of spending everything on the opening wave.
Six Acts Build Strong Atmosphere Around Familiar Places
Returning locations gain new context
Each of the campaign's six acts takes place in its own area. You revisit those locations several times, but the return trips don't feel like exact repeats. New goals, enemies, and story details change how you read each space.
The level design also captures the mood of the films. Rotating fans cut shafts of light across rooms, while dark cargo holds hide threats until they are close. Limited visibility creates tension even when the game focuses more on shooting than survival horror.
Extraction scenes weaken the fiction
The campaign often ends with the squad surviving a large attack and leaving the area. The problem is that you aren't always standing at a landing pad when extraction begins. Sometimes the team calls for help, kills the horde, and then walks away from a location that doesn't look ready for a dropship.
That choice makes the escape feel mechanical rather than urgent. It doesn't harm the combat loop, but it weakens the sense that the squad is fighting its way out of danger.
The Campaign Is More Enjoyable Than the Story
The Endeavor crew adds personality
Between missions, you return to the Endeavor and speak with the crew. Ship runs the vessel, Co leads the squad, and Piper is an eager analyst gaining field experience. Aster is the ship's android, Raptor pilots the dropship, and Wrench handles repairs, weapons, and the shop.
Wrench is the standout. The mechanic shares strange bird facts, including details about male bowerbirds building decorated structures to attract mates. Those small moments give the crew more character than the main plot often provides.
The writing stays light and predictable
The crew is likeable, but the story rarely matches the harsh tone of the Alien films. Most characters get only face-focused dialogue scenes or radio lines. They don't fight alongside you, and you never appear in proper cutscenes with them.
There is some teasing, especially when Co criticizes Raptor's awful jokes, but the crew needs sharper banter and more conflict. Everyone likes each other too much. The plot also follows familiar Alien ideas, with someone trying to play God through dangerous science before everything falls apart.
Mid-combat dialogue works better. Lines inspired by Hudson and Vasquez, including "I am the ultimate badass," give firefights extra energy. The references can repeat, but hearing a marine taunt a fallen xenomorph still fits the action.
Horde Mode and Unlocks Extend the Bug Hunt
Challenge cards and decals reward replay
After missions, you can buy weapons, upgrades, items, armor decorations, and weapon decals. A dropship decal on a pulse rifle or a heartbeat monitor on your armor adds small personal touches. Finding a decal such as Vasquez's "Adios" also gives you another reason to search each level.
Challenge cards add risk-and-reward modifiers. They can spawn special enemies, set score targets, or provide a bonus in exchange for a penalty. They encourage teamwork, although random teammates may activate a bad card without asking.
Horde mode makes ammo management matter
Horde mode unlocks after the campaign and sends players through waves on three maps. Surviving earns cash for turrets, mines, special ammo, and other tools.
Ammo crates offer limited refills in this mode, unlike the seemingly unlimited campaign resupplies. Using the closest crate helps now but may leave the team empty during later waves. The campaign remains stronger overall, but Horde mode gives experienced squads a good reason to return.
Minor Technical Problems Don't Derail the Action
Desynchronization was the biggest issue, mainly when one player had connection trouble. A stable connection and a regular group should make online sessions smoother.
Other bugs were less serious. Xenomorphs sometimes became stuck in vents and dangled in place, while explosive cutscenes occasionally slowed down. An item could also unequip before a mission. These problems interrupt the flow, but none were game-breaking during the review.
Final Thoughts
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is a solid co-op shooter built around four-player teamwork. Its best features are the flexible Specialist class, varied xenomorph behavior, faction-specific weapons, strong atmosphere, and useful replay systems.
The story is predictable, the crew needs better banter, and extraction scenes can feel strange. Minor bugs also remain. Still, the game delivers roughly 30 hours of enjoyable missions, class progression, weapon testing, challenge cards, and Horde mode.
Play it with three friends if you can. Solo players have capable android teammates, but the strongest version of this bug hunt comes from calling targets, sharing resources, and laughing when the next wave pours through the vents.
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