Is Authenticity Enough to Make Aliens Colonial Marines a Blockbuster?

Via 1UP.com:

Gearbox's Aliens FPS looks the part, but what comes next should be more interesting.

As Gearbox CEO and President Randy Pitchford walked towards a makeshift stage at the Hickory Street Annex -- the venue for Gearbox Software and Sega's big Aliens Colonial Marines event in Austin, Texas -- it was hard not to notice the lengths publisher Sega had taken to drive home the message of authenticity regarding their new Aliens game. A swarm of marine-style folding chairs surrounded the stage, with a couple of Nerf-style pulse rifles that fire foam darts scattered about. The dinning area was dressed to resemble the cafeteria aboard the U.S.S Sulaco from Aliens, complete with a friendly catering staff dressed in military fatigues. A prop knife could be found at each table for any brave attendee to try their luck with the roulette-style "thing with the knife" the android Bishop performs in the film. Even the 1986 original movie prop of the Alien Queen was there -- on loan from 20th Century Fox -- assuming a menacing pose as she stood tall behind members of the press seated at the event. In fact, she was the first thing we saw as we exited the elevator.
Dozens of outlets had gathered to see a stage demo of ACM's campaign mode before diving into hands-on multiplayer sessions. Thankfully, the 15-minute stage demo didn't disappoint; showcasing a game dripping with authentic environments, enemies, equipment, and a solid foundation for fun multiplayer action. From pulse rifles that look and sound like actual USC Marine-issue movie replicas to motion trackers that function as tools to build tension and awareness, everything you'd expect to see appeared in Gearbox's ACM stage demo. At the close of the presentation, the Colonial Marines repeled a massive Xenomorph attack, but an explosion stranded a small crew aboard the infested Sulaco as the screen faded to black.
Gearbox's demo of ACM displayed the type of polish and production value expected of an in-canon sequel to the landmark science-fiction film -- a movie due to hit its 26th birthday this year -- but while ACM looks and sounds like it should, I can't wonder what else it offers to be excited about?
It doesn't help that James Cameron's Aliens has been cribbed, and often, by countless video games. Aliens birthed the concept of brash and chatty space marines, an archetype that's become a permanent fixture in today's sci-fi FPS games. Our video games feature plenty of dropships and are blessed with extraordinary amounts of futuristic military technology. Gearbox's big-budget Aliens FPS needs to do more than brush up against the existing fiction: It needs to provide something outside the expected. Something that's worth exploring outside of a reunion tour with the Sulaco, planet LV-426, and the Hadley's Hope colony.
In some ways, it helps to look at Aliens Infestation, which released on the DS this past fall, and how that game tackled the same scenario. Developed by WayForward Technologies, Infestation avoided the natural pitfall of presenting an action-heavy side scroller by taking a Metroid-centric approach, one that focused the gameplay on exploration and survival while giving players access to pulse rifles, grenades, and pocket welders. With a crew of vulnerable marines and lots of dark corners to explore, Infestation found a fun way to play with suspense and keep players on their toes even though it was on a portable platform.
Comparing a DS title to a high-budget FPS might appear spurious, but the end goal for ACM is still very similar to that of Infestation: Try to make an Aliens game that ventures beyond the expected FPS-with-xenomorphs shooter. At present, I don't see much to distinguish ACM from the dozens of other competing FPSes on the market today outside of being the only on with the Aliens license itself. Admittedly it's too early raise a red flag, and there's still room for potential as more details materialize, but for ACM to really shine, Gearbox must find a fun way to empower players and still keep them feeling vulnerable and tense at the same time.
Authenticity alone can't carry ACM to success. While it looks and sounds accurate, ACM doesn't have the luxury of being a middle of the road shooter interspersed with moments ripped from the Alien films either. Today, the average teenager doesn't know Aliens or the three other films associated with the IP. Most kids these days see the iconic Xenomorphs and think Aliens Vs. Predator -- a film that either brought your childhood fantasy to life or tarnished those dreams beyond recognition. For ACM to succeed, Gearbox has to find ways around the byproducts of film and focus on looking past the predictable and into the unexpected.