The first Alien film, directed by Ridley Scott, was released more than four decades ago. It was a film that was dark, introspective, exhilarating, and engrossing. Even after four decades, fans have been clamoring for the one game that captures the sense of the movie’ paranoia, fear, and claustrophobia while battling a horde of dangerous Xenomorphs.
The game ‘Fireteam Elite attempts to address this problem by bridging the gap between the satisfaction of killing Aliens and the preservation of a scenario that is genuine to the source material. It does, however, contain certain technical flaws and a disjointed in-game tale. It takes place twenty years after Ripley sacrificed the last thing she had, her life, by throwing herself into a fire in Alien 3.
A scientist arrives at the Weyland Yutani-controlled Pala Station, according to the novel ‘Alien Infiltrator,’ which was released as a precursor to the game. Bio-material extracted from Xenomorphs was being tested on humans and live species by a perverted crew and bureaucracy. An infiltrator on the team had his own evil plans and was out to bring the team down.
The facility’s workers receive extraterrestrial eggs for additional experimentation, but things quickly spiral out of hand. Fortunately, a group of ex-colonial Marines may be able to save the day. The players must construct their own personal avatar and load out from the beginning. There are four campaigns to choose from, and the armed forces you send to the facility are expected to keep the infestation at bay. Unfortunately, the commands or designs do not change much over the four campaigns, making the game a little boring.
If you are a fan of the franchise, though, you would want to go on a Xenomorph search. This video focuses on the nefarious aliens that emerge in the game. We will also offer a few pointers on how to take them down. Are you ready to spit some green, acidic blood?
Runner
The Runner, also called the Scout, Ox Alien, or Dog Alien spawned from a dog in Alien 3 and an ox in the film’s special edition. As the name suggests, Runners are agile and fast and have the capacity of spitting acid. Often considered to be stage four Xenomorphs, the Runners transform into sentries after securing a hive and several hosts.
While Runners are slightly smaller and bulkier than Xenomorphs born out of humans, the one we encountered in Fiorina 161 was more than 7 feet tall when standing in a bipedal stance. As we already know, Xenomorphs acquire the physical traits of their host organism. Naturally, Runners acquire the quadrupedal stance and digitigrade hind legs, similar to an ox or a dog, and look different compared to Xenomorphs spawned from humans.
Another interesting feature about the Runners is their brownish-red color as opposed to the typical grey or black colors. Because of their quadrupedal stance, Runners sacrifice strength for speed and agility. They also make ample use of their tails to stun the enemy. Unlike other chest busters, Runners are known to be fully formed when they come out of their hosts and only grow in size after that. It is possible that they start to mature while inside the host.
“You really wanna bet this thing’s that smart?”
“Maybe I’ll go find it. See how smart it is.”
―Aaron and Ripley (from Alien3)
Likewise, all Runners also follow similar attacking strategies because they are lesser in number and can not ambush the prey if it is large or too many in number. Runner Xenomorphs wait for an opportune moment to launch their attack, much like raptors or other pack hunters.
On Fiorina 161, the Dog Alien killed everyone sparing only Ripley, who was impregnated with a Queen chest buster. In typical situations, a Xenomorph Drone would rather cocoon humans for the Queen’s Ovomorphs and facehuggers. But it is quite a possibility that the dog alien killed humans to ensure the young Queen’s safety.
In the game Alien vs. Predator 2’, Runners spawned from Corporates while Drones spawned from Colonial Marines. In ‘Primal Hunt’, they spawned from a quadrupedal organism of LV 1201. In ‘Fireteam Elite’, Runners maintain their distinct strengths and weaknesses but rest assured, it’s absolutely satisfying to splatter them. Runners are probably the least threatening Xenomorphs in Fireteam Elite, but the issue is that they keep coming. They crawl through the ceilings, climb up the walls, and run at you with fierce speeds. Then again, they are rather easy to kill.
Prowler
The Prowlers, also known as Jumpers, are a caste that appears in Fireteam Elite. Colonial Marines fight them on LV 895. As the name suggests, a Prowler loves to pounce on its victim; to pin them down before clawing out the victim’s body. Although the Prowler resembles a Runner, it has a blackish skin color, unlike a Runner’s brownish-red. However, its exoskeleton or the insect-like exoskeleton has hints of red, which suggests that a Prowler might be a special variant of the Runner Xenomorphs. It has a rather small head crest but appears to be well armored.
They lack the Dorsal Tubes or Dorsal Spines that are common to all Xenomorphs, with the exception of Runners. Although they can stand and move on their hind legs, they prefer quadrupedal locomotion. These creatures don’t attack the enemy alone and hide amidst other Xenomorphs. They use the chaos to take their enemy by surprise, at the desired moment.
This could be attributed to the fact that Prowlers are not among the strongest of Xenomorphs, and they rely heavily on outmaneuvering and outpacing their opponents. Once they have pinned down an enemy, they start to claw their way into the victim’s body, and in some cases, other Xenomorphs join the attack. While their appearance seems like a stage between a Runner and a Crusher, they lack the required strength of Crushers.
You might be surprised to know that the attacking strategy of a Prowler bears an uncanny resemblance to that of a Hunter from the ‘Left 4 Dead’ series, which also hides amongst more common enemies. Remember that they’d use other Xenomorphs as cover to get closer to you, so keep an eye out for the Prowlers. If possible, take them out before taking on the others.
Spitter
“They’re spitting acid! F***ing acid!”
―Pvt. O’Neal, regarding Spitters (from Aliens: Colonial Marines)
The Spitter or Ranger specializes in ranged attacks. Its primary mode of attack is by hurling huge quantities of acid from long distances, but that must have already been clear from its name. It was the United States Colonial Marine Private J. Ma, who first encountered a Spitter on Acheron. J. Ma was a part of the crew of USS Sephora from the game ‘Aliens: Colonial Marines.
Although the Spitter killed Private Ma, it was later encountered by Private Peter O’Neal, Private Bella Clarison, and Corporal Christopher Winter. The Spitter’s head crest is similar to that of a Queen or a Praetorian; however, it is comparatively smoother and smaller. On either side of the cranium, we can see several yellowish-green pustule like pouches that store acid.
The easiest way to kill a Spitter is by damaging these acid stores, but one should ensure that they are at a safe distance, or else the resultant explosion might kill the attacker or any other unfortunate soul that happens to be within the damage radius. Despite having long Praetorian-like tails, Spitters prefer their acid attack.
Spitters have a blueish hue to their skin and possess sharp claws on their paws, a trait that’s uncommon to other castes like Lurkers and Drones. Furthermore, they possess an extra rib; this is not seen in any other Xenomorph species, or at least not yet. As discussed earlier, they maintain a safe distance in combat and hurl acid on their victims from long distances.
While they weaken and engage the victims, other Xenomorphs land close-range attacks. One may even call the Spitter a Xenomorph equivalent of a sniper. They constantly change their vantage points, which makes it difficult to locate and shoot them. Two other monsters that attack in the same way as the Spitter are the Dilophosaurus from ‘Jurassic Park’ and the Spitter from ‘Left 4 Dead 2’.
Headshots work best against Spitters, but be safe and take cover.
Praetorian
The Praetorians are essentially the royal guards to the Queen. They remain close to her chamber and often guard the strategic locations of the hive. When not doing so, their sole function is to guard the Queen herself. Just as Drones and Warriors look alike, the Praetorians and the Queens look alike. Praetorians have a large head crest in the shape of a crown and are considerably larger and stronger than both Drones and Warriors.
They spit far larger amounts of acid than Drones or Runners, albeit at a shorter distance. But their primary weapon is the brute force and strength that they gain from their hulking sizes. They can easily take down a squad of colonial marines, and prove to be a formidable enemy of the Predators. Some are even known to be bulletproof. They are considerably smarter than other Xenomorphs, with the exception of the Xenomorph Queen.
Nonetheless, they don’t need to carry out stealth or surprise attacks because their strength gives them enough confidence to win a direct and open attack. Praetorians are generally born out of Praetorian facehuggers, which only give birth to Praetorian chest busters. However, they are sometimes known to transform from warriors. The Queen chooses fifteen warriors to become a Praetorian.
These fifteen warriors are fed the Royal Jelly, upon which they release pheromones. This makes the other Xenomorphs turn against them, and attack these fifteen warriors. During the course of this battle, usually, only one survives and becomes a Praetorian. The chosen one transforms into a hulking 15 feet tall Xenomorph. In case a hive loses its Queen, a Praetorian rises up and transforms into a Queen.
A Praetorian called Crusher was introduced in ‘Aliens: Colonial Marines. These mean Xenomorphs are also called Chargers because they charge like a bull at high speed, towards their victim. Crushers can cause internal hemorrhages and bone fractures with the force and momentum of a successful attack. This blunt force trauma is enough to take down even armored vehicles. The Praetorian first appeared in the 1994 arcade game ‘Alien vs. Predator and has managed to save a seat in the latest game of the franchise, ‘Fireteam Elite’.
In the game, they only do what Hulk does best in the MCU! They smash! These hulking monsters are a tough nut to crack, and it takes a great deal of ammo to show them their rightful place. So, use your ammo wisely and aim at the weak points, also use drones that would show you those weaker points. If all things go well, you’d be able to see the light of the day, or well, it’s a death sentence.
Burster
The Burster was met by the colonial marines of the USS Endeavor and closely resembled the Boilers from the 2013 game ‘Aliens Colonial Marines. However, Bursters resemble Runners in appearance and possess a pale exoskeleton as well as several acid-filled projections in their head and upper limbs. Unlike Boilers, the Bursters don’t deteriorate with time and are highly agile and fast.
Bursters in ‘Fireteam Elite’ are the time bomb that you should dread and maintain a safe distance from. Upon death, Bursters shower their vicinity with acidic blood, killing everyone in the radius. Of course, all other Xenomorphs have acidic blood too, and when they die, they spill some of this blood, but Bursters burst, you see. They have more pressurized acidic blood running through their veins, so when they die, the spillage is spread across a larger area, and anyone within the blast radius will begin to lose health points with rapid speed.
Drone
The Xenomorphs resemble the societal structure of ants and bees, but the Xenomorph society is far more complex and segregated. Their society is divided into several different castes or working classes. The commoner of the Xenomorph society is the Drones or the worker class. They perform several functions and are essentially the building blocks. The Drone is considered a stage three Xenomorph.
It’s the most common Xenomorph adult found in the franchise and takes up several duties like that of a warrior, worker, or soldier. These 14 feet tall Xenomorphs act like worker bees or ants and serve the hive in every way possible. They not only keep the hive in good condition but also secrete gooey substances to make the nest. Naturally, it serves as the first line of defense, construction workers for the hive, and capturer of hosts for further reproduction.
The exact physical appearance and characteristics of a Drone may vary, but they are all fast and tough guys who are intelligent enough to carry out premeditated attacks using stealth and surprise. They can also launch a direct and open attack. Even in death, a Drone is a formidable opponent. If enough damage is done to it, its pressurized bloodstream explodes and scatters acidic blood in the vicinity, injuring or killing any unfortunate being present in that area. As mentioned earlier, Praetorians are usually created from Drones, who ultimately turn into Xenomorph Queens.
As far as their intelligence is concerned, they are at least as smart as dogs and probably more intelligent than chimpanzees. Drones modify and even evolve their attack tactics depending on the situation at hand. As we previously mentioned, their attacking style ranges from stealth attacks to full-frontal attacks. In fact, if they are in large numbers, they charge their victims in swarms, but if they are less in number, they ambush stealthily.
These dedicated warriors don’t stop fighting even after losing one or two limbs. They also use camouflage to stay hidden from their enemies and wait for the enemy to come within the striking range, before launching a fatal blow. This effective and efficient use of their environment best describes their acumen. We know that Xenomorphs have a sort of hive mind, and the Queen remotely controls all other Xenomorphs.
Then again, it has to be noted that Drones can function independently as well, in times of crisis and need. However, this kind of neural independence makes them a bit awkward, but they can still plan and plot against their enemies. Facing Drones in Fireteam Elite is especially fulfilling because we get to kill hordes of them; the violence is satisfying.
Drones in Fireteam Elite aren’t much of a threat to even a novice team, but they do have a lot of health points. Furthermore, they come out of entry points like airlocks, and they keep on coming. So, whenever you see one, ensure that you take it down, or else it will take you down with its mates.
Eggs
The Queen lays multitudes of eggs in a hive, through a detachable ovipositor. However, she ditches the ovipositor only when she or her hive is seriously threatened. For instance, when Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley destroyed a hive in the 1986 film Aliens. These eggs are a lot more than just a hollow shell that protects a facehugger. Their outer coating is made of a strong, black, leathery material, which is so sturdy that even when dropped from a tall building, it bounces back without breaking.
Furthermore, they come with roots attached to the ground that extract nutrients, until a suitable host approaches. Once that happens, four petals open from the top and release a face-hugger. The Queen protects the hive along with other large Xenomorphs like Praetorians. The veins around the body of the egg symbolize that the Ovomorphs are, in fact, living creatures in their own right.
Also, these eggs seem to possess an extremely basic central nervous system, by virtue of which they detect a host. They may also possess some kind of an organ that smells or tastes nearby hosts. Apart from the usual eggs, there can be different varieties like Hyperfertile eggs that contain more than one face-hugger, the Praetorian egg that invariably gives birth to Praetorians, etc.
The Director’s cut version of ‘Aliens’ shows the process of Eggmorphing, which means that not just Queens but any Xenomorph is capable of producing eggs. Interestingly enough, when H R Giger initially designed the eggs, he gave them a vaginal appearance with an inner and outer vulva, but the producers complained that such an allusion would lead to the banning of the film in Catholic countries. Consequently, Giger added two more lobes, and the design was finally accepted. While playing the game, we advise you to shoot them before they hatch.
Three
Three was also called the test subject number Three and Monica, after its host named Monica Enright. It was a large Xenomorph that existed on LV 895 and was born in 2202. Because Three was infected with the black liquid, it could sustain heavy and prolonged gunfire and was more aggressive and stronger than other Drones. The Black Liquid has the ability to transform and mutate any organism that comes in contact with it.
The mutation takes place on a genetic level and even makes the host organism highly hostile towards others. David used the Black Liquid to infect the denizens of an entire planet. Likewise, in the novel ‘Aliens: Infiltrator, a Xenomorph and its host Monica Enright, who was actually a serial killer, were injected with the black liquid, on a classified Weyland-Yutani research facility named Pala Station on LV 895. In the novel, eleven people were kept in containment with Xenomorph eggs, and Monica was one of them.
Three was a malevolent being with dark, leathery skin. It had mutated into a grotesque creature, even by Xenomorph standards. Three appears as a boss in ‘Fireteam Elite’. If you wish for us to dive deep into the novel ‘Aliens: Infiltrator’, do let us know in the comments. Also, do check out our other explanations of the comics from the Aliens franchise in the video titled Top 10 Paralyzingly Brutal Xenomorph Crossovers – Explored In Detail.
Crusher
This Alien equivalent of a battle tank was introduced in the 2013 game ‘Colonial Marines’. Here, marines from the USS Sephora fought it on LV 426. Also called Charger, it gets its name from its large bulletproof head crest, that it uses to inflict blunt force trauma on its prey and can even take down armored vehicles, like an M577 APC. Crushers evolve from sentries, which are stage five Xenomorphs. A characteristic feature of these Xenomorphs is the large crest on the head; these crests are incredibly durable and bulky, with the ability to disperse heavy ammunition with ease.
With a metallic black body and brown undertones, Crushers can measure anywhere between six and ten feet. They essentially belong to a Runner evolutionary line. Its head crest, which can be bigger than a few Queens, is heavily armored, so much so that it can withstand fire from guns like the M56 Smartgun. A Crusher lowers its head crest and charges like a bull towards the target, when in attacking mode.
A successful attack can cause internal hemorrhages and bone fractures due to the force and momentum that Crushers generate while running. Their tank-like armored structure allows them to become strong defenses for the hive or the Queen herself. However, a Crusher’s strength is also its weakness because when it lowers its head to run for the attack, it practically becomes blind and can not change its direction if the opponent moves.
Due to its huge stature and sizeable weight, it has limited mobility and fails to climb walls or jump to any significant distance. The only weak spot that a Crusher has is its back, and it’s advisable to empty ten rounds of ammo of the P9 Sonic Harpoon Artillery Remote Projectile Rifle to take down a Crusher. As far as its intelligence is concerned, it is probably no more intelligent than a rabid rhino or a bonkers bull. Its only purpose during combat seems to be charging at enemies.
Another reason for its limited intelligence could be that it spawned as a Runner from an animal host instead of a more intelligent species like a Yautja or a human. Yet, Crushers serve as efficient and rather indispensable members, when it comes to the protection of the hive. The one in Aliens Fireteam Elite is one to behold and deadly to fight. Beware!
As mentioned earlier, these beasts are freaking living tanks. So, the only reasonable strategy against them is to make one of the players distract the Crusher, while the other kills it with anything and everything that they have in their arsenal.
Facehugger
Facehuggers are stage 2 Xenomorphs and the parasitoid form of a Xenomorph’s life cycle. Their sole purpose in life is to impregnate their host orally, after which they automatically die. After the Ovomorph opens like a blooming flower, the facehugger leaps out of it and attempts to attach itself to an unfortunate organism. It goes straight for the face with sizeable force and near impeccable precision. Once at its desired target, the facehugger wraps its tail around the host’s neck and locks the airway for a firm grip.
Once in position, it releases the Xenomorph embryos into the host’s mouth using a tube that is thrust down the throat. No host would give in easily, apart from a few maniacs who allow facehuggers willingly, so the facehuggers use their acidic blood to stop the hosts from using their limbs to remove the face-huggers. Now, while the impregnation is in process, the facehugger ensures that the host is alive by supplying oxygen.
Once the process finishes, it detaches itself from the host’s mouth, curls up, and dies. The gestation period varies depending on the organism, but it is the longest for Yautjas, which leads to the formation of Predaliens. To learn more about the Xenomorphs life cycle, do check out our video titled 8 Mind-Bending Mysteries Of Xenomorph Anatomy Unraveled – Reproduction To Origin Everything Explored.
While the facehuggers of the game might feel like less of a threat to a team of friends with heavy arms and ammunition, if a facehugger gets lost and latches onto any member, it can disrupt the strategy entirely. So, always try to ensure that you kill these little parasitoids before they can hatch from the eggs.
Queen
The Xenomorph Queen forms the basis of a Xenomorph Hive, serving as its mother and leader. She not only lays eggs, protects them but also is the strongest and most enormous of Xenomorphs. And may the good Lord save the people or organisms that seek to hurt her hive or eggs, because it is beyond doubt that she will come for you, and she’ll use all her wits and fists when she hunts.
There have been various fascinating versions of the Queen, some are gigantic like the Queen Mother; the others might possess extraordinary intelligence like the LV 426 Queen, whom Ripley fought. There have also been Queens that came out of vampires. To know more about the different variants of Queens, check out our video titled 13 Dreadful And Ghastly Xenomorph Queen Species – Explored – Peek In Macabre World Of Xenomorphs. We’ll leave a link in the description.
When you find a Queen in ‘Fireteam Elite’, remember that you’ll find her only once. Don’t stare at her and don’t engage, because you’ll need to save your ammo for later. The best option is to flee from the place because Her Highness has enough power to knock you out with just one simple swing.
Also, you’re no Ripley, and there’s no power loader with you. Your only option against this uber-formidable opponent is to run for your life while you can. Just one last tip, it’s okay even if you’re not as fast as the Queen; just ensure that you’re faster than your team, and you should be alright.