The Best Alien Games To Play Right Now

Updated:

05 May 2021

Aliens bro! You see them all the time in video games, but which one provides the most enjoyable extraterrestrial entertainment experience?

There's quite a lot to sort through, so we're here to lend a hand by giving you our list of the best alien games from throughout the years that you should be playing right now.

The Best Alien Games to Play Now:

Black Mesa
Gears of War 4
Gears of War 5
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5
GTFO
Stellaris
Mass Effect 2
Aliens Vs. Predator
Prey
StarCraft 2
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Crysis 3
Space Hulk: Deathwing - Enhanced Edition
Destiny 2
Alien Isolation
Xcom 2

Black Mesa

Black Mesa Gameplay

Still waiting for Half-Life 3? So is everyone else. While you hope for the future you should be playing Black Mesa. It’s a fanmade reimagining of the first Half-Life game made in the Source game engine. Pick up that crowbar and get ready to save the world once more with updated graphics and gameplay.

What makes Black Mesa Great:

Revamped Graphics
Updated Gameplay
Updated Enemy A.I
New Levels
New and Improved sound design

Gears of War 4

Gears of War 4 Gameplay

The fourth installment to the Gears of War franchise, it’s action-packed as always. Sporting a new story, characters, and weapons. There are some updates to the cover based shooting combat. It’s a blast to play with a friend. You have friends, right?

What makes Gears 4 Great:

New Weapons
New close-quarters takedowns
New features for single players

Gears of War 5

Gears of War 5 Gameplay

Not in the mood for Gears 4? That’s all good….How about GEARS 5. Here we continue the story from the fourth game but now you have access to new abilities, cosmetics, and game modes as well.

What makes Gears 5 Great:

Cross-platform multiplayer
New game modes
New abilities
New cosmetics

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5 Gameplay

Aliens have invaded Japan, and it’s up to the Eart Defense Force to lay waste to our extraterrestrial enemies. There are giant bugs and aliens. Shoot them, carpet bomb them, reduce them into a pile of goo in this crazy 3rd person shooter. 10/10 please play this game bro.

What makes EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5 Great:

Fun online co-op
Fight with giant robots
Fight with guns
Lots of weapons
Diverse Character classes
Over-the-top EVERYTHING

GTFO

GTFO Gameplay

Now, this is something you’ll want some friends for. GTFO is a 4 player shooter with a dark atmosphere that is challenging but rewards players who can work together to collect valuable artifacts.

What makes GTFO Great:

Scary, but in a panic and shoot everything way.
Very fun with friends
Relies on good preparation and problem solving
Soundtrack by Simon Viklund (Payday 2)
Regularly released challenges for players

Stellaris

Stellaris Gameplay

Hey man, you wanna command a FLEET OF SPACESHIPS? In Stellaris, you explore the galaxy meeting new alien races (or declaring war on them) and discovering new treasures. This adventure strategy game is great if you’re willing to put some time into it.

What makes Stellaris Great:

Good for long sessions (long campaigns)
Great space visuals
FREE updates
Abundant exploration

Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 Gameplay

While it was released a decade ago, Mass Effect 2 is still regarded by many as the best in the series. This 3rd person shooter has a gripping and emotional story, as well as great characters. You must stop a new threat to humanity looming in space. The outcome of the game is very much influenced by your choices.

What makes Mass Effect 2 Great:

Great story
Characters have depth and are interesting
Lots of customization
Good dialogue and choices

Aliens Vs. Predator

Aliens Vs. Predator Gameplay

Since we’re still rocking games from 2010, let’s take a visit to some of the most well known alien franchises ever. Aliens Vs. Predator offers gameplay from 3 perspectives: Stalk the jungle as one of the Predators, Survive as Marine, and hunt like a Xenomorph in campaign or multiplayer.

What makes Aliens Vs. Predator Great:

3 separate campaigns for each race
Unique gameplay elements
Different playstyles for each race

Prey

Prey Gameplay

A complete reboot of the original Prey games, a whole new story, and mechanics. This is a first-person sci-fi survival horror that is darker and more atmospheric than it’s shooter predecessor. Use weapons, wits, and powerful abilities to survive the hostile aliens that have boarded your space station.

What makes Prey Great:

Suspenseful and atmospheric
Dense game environment adds to horror element
Pacing is very open to the player’s discretion

StarCraft 2

StarCraft 2 Gameplay

Ah yes, StarCraft 2. You must have been living under a rock if you haven’t heard of it. StarCraft is a Real-Time-Strategy game about waging war between 3 races from different parts of the galaxy. It’s free to play and has a free campaign and multiplayer, along with more content you can buy.

What makes StarCraft 2 Great:

Long and engaging campaigns
FREE to play with purchasable content
Lots of online features
Many ways to play

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Gameplay

We all know XCOM for its strategic gameplay and management. You take control as a commander looking down on the action. But in this spin-off, you step into the action third-person shooter style. You are a government agent during the Cold War, and you need to fight off an alien enemy in a covert conflict.

What makes The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Great:

Cool aesthetic
Decent story
Unique guns

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Aliens: Colonial Marines Gameplay

Aliens bro! Again. You play as a US Marine. Do Marine things like shoot guns but also hunt down Xenomorphs and *try* to wipe them out.

What makes Aliens: Colonial Marines Great:

Play as Marines, U.S.A!
USA! USA!
Interesting single player
Mods on Steam

Crysis 3

Crysis 3 Gameplay

“But can it run Crysis?” Is a common joke among PC gamers because of how good it looks despite it being released years ago. A personal favorite of mine, Crysis 3 has you take the role of Prophet, a soldier wearing a super-suit of hybrid alien and human technology. The Nanosuit gives you awesome abilities that let you decimate the battlefield or hunt alien and human alike in stealth in this FPS sandbox.

What makes Crysis Great:

Will melt your graphics card, but is worth it
Combines stealth and action really well
Suit abilities make gunplay more interesting
Makes a great gift to enemies so they’ll destroy their own GPUs

Space Hulk: Deathwing - Enhanced Edition

Space Hulk: Deathwing - Enhanced Edition Gameplay

Do you like Warhammer 40k? That’s cool, space marines are cool. Heresy is not. Shoot, hack, and slash your way through alien hordes and upgrade your armor and abilities to make it even more fun. It’s great when you play 4 player online co-op.

What makes Space Hulk: Deathwing - Enhanced Edition Great:

Brutal Combat
Fun Co-op
Lots of awesome weapons
Get the Flamer brother….the heavy flamer

Destiny 2

Destiny 2 Gameplay

Chances are you already know about the Destiny franchise as it’s been everywhere. Especially recently given its new expansion has released some time ago. Created by the developers of the early Halo games choose your class and wield powerful abilities to protect the Last Safe City on Earth from alien threats and a primordial evil.

What makes Destiny 2 Great:

Lots of loot
Deep lore and story
Fun PvE and PvP activities
Space magic

Alien Isolation

Alien Isolation Gameplay

From the Aliens franchise came this first-person horror survival game. It caused quite a stir during the time it launched because of how it was able to create a looming sense of dread and the feeling of being hunted. Stealth is key but the scariest part is how crafty your enemy can be.

What makes Alien Isolation Great:

Good story
Tense atmosphere
Responsive and smart enemy A.I.

Xcom 2

Xcom 2 Gameplay

The aliens won commander, but not for long. This sequel for the first XCOM game has you rebuild the XCOM program to take back Earth from the aliens in this RTS game that is both challenging but still very rewarding. Just don’t get too attached to any specific soldier of yours.