Although licensed movie tie-ins rarely manage to make any form of impact in the video game world, Aliens has always seemingly been an exception to that rule. Alien Isolation was incredibly well-received when it debuted back in 2014, while 1999's Alien Versus Predator was also a very well-regarded first-person shooter. New reports seem to show that a brand new Alien game could've been set to join these brilliant titles; however, a surprising recent factor meant the adaptation never saw the light of day.
Engaging in a Twitter interaction with Cliff Bleszinski, Frederik Schreiber revealed that, prior to Fox's merger with Disney last year, development team 3D Realms was working on a co-op Alien adaptation titled Aliens: Hadley's Hope. Sadly, the game was canceled due to the merger, however, it would have allegedly been a 4-player co-op FPS taking place, unsurprisingly, at Hadley's Hope.
Schreiber eventually went on to show some slides depicting the concept of the game, with the central premise surrounding "a misfitting mix of colonists and marines fight[ing] together against an alien Queen who will do anything to protect her eggs." The post also claims that the game would've been "dripping with atmosphere, lore, and suspense," so it seems the title would've been attempting to replicate the signature tone present in the Alien movies.
A second slide presented by Schrieber highlights that Hadley's Hope would've been primarily about "teamwork and tactics," with the players having to work together to progress through a number of levels before facing off against the alien Queen herself. Supposedly there would be a number of maps, with the slides claiming that there would be "numerous alien Queens" due to the planet being a breeding ground for the iconic monster movie antagonists. Supposedly, the game would've shipped with a number of distinct levels that came with their own "style and challenges." There'd also apparently be side-goals for every map, which would "reveal loot, additional story nuggets, and Alien lore easter eggs."
Overall, it looks as though this would've been an intense and deeply engaging tactical experience set in the Alien universe, so its cancellation will no doubt come as a big disappointment for franchise fans. Although it seems unlikely, Schrieber does seem to hope that the game could make a comeback one day, stating at the end of his tweet, "Maybe some day!" As many will no doubt know, Cliff Bleszinski was also set to make his own now-cancelled Alien game, with the concept supposedly surrounding the popular character Newt from the second film. It appears both would've been excellent entries to the franchise's stellar history, so it's a shame they'll never get to hit shelves.
Aliens: Hadley's Hope has been canceled.