If there is one movie franchise that deserves to exist in the video game market it, it’s Aliens. The original movie has such a heavy influence on many of the action sequences and story elements of games and movies that we see today. When Gearbox got the green light to put together a game based in the Aliens universe, they made it clear they weren’t going to squander the opportunity. The video for Aliens: Colonial Marines Gearbox and Sega brought to PAX made it clear that they lived and breathed Aliens.

The gameplay and in-game video footage that was shown for Aliens: Colonial Marines has been five years in the making. From the dialog between characters to the insane attention to detail on weaponry and environments, and most importantly in the way the aliens move and behave, no element of this game has gone unexplored. The team that is making the game are clearly as big of fans of the movie as anyone else in the room, and they set out a game to make the fans of the Aliens franchise happy. It looks like they’re succeeding.

The aliens themselves crawl with quick, slithery movements, jumping from wall to wall before pouncing at their target. There were several occasions during the demonstration where an alien would pop out of a vent and grab one of the player’s teammates and pull them into the duct. Odds are low any of them will be seen again unless it’s in a digested form.

The game is a cinematic experience all in its own, with the script being written by writers from Battlestar Galactica. Every cutscene feels like a movie reel, and it’s going to be almost disappointing when one has to pick up the controller again for the simple fact that they game is too gorgeous to not watch for a bit without the interruption of a space beast attempting to pop your head off like the top of a dandelion. Everyone in the room was hanging on every scene and jaws dropped at the gameplay. Aliens: Colonial Marines is one game you’re going to want to keep an eye on in 2012.