Summary
Fede Alverez’s 2024 revival ofthe Alien franchisegave fans and newcomers alike reason to fear the ultimate life form after the divisive fan response to Alien: Covenant seven years prior. Featuring jaw-dropping practical effects and an engaging narrative which harks back to the 1979 original, Alien: Romulus was just the breath of fresh air the franchise needed to bounce back into relevance.
If you walked out of the theater itching for more of the themes and immersive thrills of the movie, look no further, because we’ve got you covered with eight games that give off similar vibes to 2024’s acclaimed sci-fi thriller.
Although the Alien franchise isno stranger to video game adaptations, we chose not to limit ourselves to Alien titles within this list to better represent the variety of themes and vibes.
Detroit: Become Human might not be the first game that comes to mind after watching a film like Alien: Romulus, but the way Romulus uses its synthetic characters and especially the way the human characters view those synthetics is surprisingly reminiscent of the game’s central theme.
Featuring an unlikely duo in a sort of buddy cop scenario, Detroit: Become Human asks you what you think the difference between man and machine really is. If you don’t mind a narrative being a little in-your-face about what it’s trying to say, and you enjoyedthe syntheticsin Alien: Romulus, Detroit: Become Human might just be the game for you.
If you enjoyed Romulus’s small scale, but find yourself missing the grander stakes of Prometheus, Aliens: Dark Descent has got you covered with a story campaign that goes full-onlovecraftian horrorby the end.
The only real drawback is that the gameplay is intended for a more niche audience thanFireteam Eliteor Isolation. Aliens: Dark Descent is a tactical real-time strategy game, but even if that isn’t usually your cup of tea, you might find it worth your time for the strong campaign and fantastic atmosphere, especially if Romulus put you in the mood for more Alien goodness.
Lethal Company is similar to Alien: Romulus in that, like in the film, it all boils down to a group ofoppressed workerswho don’t know any better getting themselves into situations that start bad, and quickly get worse. It’s also just a great way to celebrate the atmosphere and vibes that the original Alien helped pioneer with a group of friends, which was kind of the entire point of Alien: Romulus anyway when you really think about it.
Of course, the game’s vanilla mode is fantastic, but get together the right group of people,install the right mods, and engage with the game’s proximity chat in just the right way, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into your own Alien adventure, evil space corporation and all.
Prey is a bit more modern and a bit less retro-futuristic than the technology in the Alien movies typically is, but the familiar setting of a space station where everything goes wrong, and there areincredibly dangerous alien creaturesroaming the premises that could easily kill you, should have fans of Romulus feeling right at home regardless of the modern technology.
The similarities to Romulus only deepen when you examine the game’s narrative, which sees you deal with the aftermath of a failed experiment that was meant to push humanity forward. One of 2017’s biggest hits, you may’t go wrong with Prey.
4Space Beast Terror Fright
A True Diamond In The Rough
S.B.T.F. may sound like the name of a shovelware bootleg, but the game behind that admittedly silly name is sure to keep fans of the film happy for quite some time. The game is a first person rogue-like shooter with heavy inspirations taken from the Aliens franchise, including some self-aware jokes and a hefty helping of Easter eggs.
Of course, that isn’t the only reason why Space Beast Terror Fright is a good time. The mechanics at play can provide dedicated players with a very satisfying and relentlessly brutal gameplay looponce you get the hang of it, making S.B.T.F an easy recommendation for fans of the film.
Any game that takes place on anabandoned space station where things have gone terribly wrongis naturally going to give off Alien vibes. But what makes System Shock’s remake specifically a good fit for Romulus fans is the way the game incorporates the retro-futurism of the world of Alien, with intentionally low-res textures placed here and there to really sell you on the glitched out effect.
Additionally, the concept of an artificial intelligence following its directive, even when that directive puts human lives in immediate danger, is more than a little similar to the events of Alien: Romulus, especially whenSystem Shock unveils Shodan’s theologyand views on the human race as a whole.
There were several times watching Alien: Romulus, where I thought to myself “you know, this feels a lot like Dead Space”, and for that reason, it comes highly recommended if the theatrical sci-fi horror left you wanting a few more chills up your spine.
From the Necromorphs and their exploding limbs to the derelict space station and everything in between, Dead Space feels like a beautiful marriage between Doom and Alien. If you loved the scares and set pieces in Alien: Romulus, you owe it to yourself to give Dead Space a try, or a replay if you haven’t visited the Ishimura station since the original’s release back in 2008.
No matter how many years pass, no matter how many games are gifted the Alien name, no matter how many movies release, Alien: Isolation will forever be king of the crop when it comes to bringing the franchise to life in video game format. It’s so good, in fact, that it’s evenmade its way into Alien: Romulus.
If you loved Alien: Romulus, are a long time series fan, or just plain love the idea of running from a monster in space, Alien: Isolation is as good as it gets. It’s an especially high point for the franchise that will have you running scared from start to finish.
