Aliens: Fireteam Elite lets players jump into the shoes of the franchise's iconic marines and shoot up some xenomorphs through twelve missions. Though the narrative is not the highlight of this cooperative shooter, it does contain some nice surprises for fans.
In addition to the narrative driving the players through the journey, there are also numerous easter eggs and details only fans of the Aliens franchise would notice. Some of these are hidden well in Aliens: Fireteam Elite, while others are staring players right in the face. The references range from homages to the original film to shoutouts to Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.
10 Recon Drones
After beating the game players unlock the Recon class. They serve as a great support class whose abilities boost the performance of everyone else in the squad. One of their two abilities deploys a drone that reveals enemy locations and lowers their health.
These drones look exactly like the drones deployed in Prometheus when the team is first entering the ruins on the planet. Hopefully, it serves the marines better than it served the crew in the prequel.
9 Working Joes
Players eventually start fighting synths that use guns. One type of synth comes at the player with weapons to enact close-quarters melee damage.
These inferior synths still overwhelm with their numbers. Fans of Alien: Isolation will recognize these enemies since they were first introduced in that 2014 survival horror title. The enemy works well in both games, even though one is a horror game and the other is a fast-paced shooter.
8 Pathogen Jars
In the third operation, players go onto a ship filled with Pathogen jars. The Pathogen was first introduced in Prometheus and was a major plot point of the prequel and its sequel, Alien: Covenant. The plot of Aliens: Fireteam Elite also deals with the threat this biological weapon poses. It is interesting to see the Pathogen play a role in an Aliens story taking place further in the timeline.
7 Weapon Descriptions
There is a whole slew of weapons for the marines' arsenal in Aliens: Fireteam Elite and each has its own description.
Several of these pay direct homage to quotes and moments from the various movies in the franchise. Most of them seem to pay tribute specifically to Aliens, which makes sense because the game itself has more in line with that film than the debut entry or Prometheus.
6 The Control Flute
One of the pieces of intel players collect is an instrument resembling a flute. This is a tool used by Engineers to interact with their technology. Players cannot do anything with it except unlock a piece of dialogue back at the base.
This is the same piece of tech David is playing when Walter encounters him in Alien: Covenant. Though the movie polarized fans, most agree that the scene between the two androids was a standout moment.
5 Space Jockey
One room on the Engineer's ship is a direct homage to the original Alien. What eventually turned out to be an Engineer was called the Space Jockey for decades beforehand. This iconic image was in the debut film when the crew investigates the crashed ship where the xenomorph eggs are stowed away. Just seeing the image of the chair must bring fans back to the first time watching the 1979 classic.
4 Alien Covenant Lander And Tenessee's Hat
During the second operation, Giants in the Earth, there is a mission where a ship comes and blows up a bridge. To the left of the bridge is a small ship those who saw Alien: Covenant might recognize. It is a replica of the lander the characters in the film use. Connecting it even more to the film is a small hat resembling the one worn by the character Tenessee.
3 Ammo Count
The rifles in Aliens have an iconic design many other films and games have copied. Specifically, there is a digital ammunition counter on the side of the gun. Games like StarCraft and Red Faction have borrowed this idea for their gun designs.
The M41A2 rifle in Aliens: Fireteam Elite also retains this detail. It even counts down the ammo realistically, which is a wild point to consider since the player almost never sees this.
2 The Drinking Bird
This small detail has been in almost every film in the franchise. It is never brought up, but these wooden birds are often found on ships in the films. In Aliens: Fireteam Elite, just head to the area where Esther and Dr. Hoenikker are hanging out on the Endeavor and look at the table they are standing near.
The bird decoration should be plainly visible. The birds have also made an appearance in Alien: Isolation.
1 The Power Loader
Aliens ends with a dramatic encounter between Ellen Ripley and the Xenomorph Queen. The hero evens the odds by jumping into a power loader. The ensuing fight is an iconic moment in cinema history.
Players can find a power loader while on board the Endeavor. It is to the right of the armory where players buy items. Unfortunately, it is impossible to jump into it, but just seeing it is a nice enough wink and a nod.