Part of me was hoping for a rehash of the old side-scrolling arcade game from 1990. Devastatingly, this isn't that, but a sequel of sorts to the film that shares 30 percent of its name.

And if you're a fan of films dripping with 80s action cliche and stereotypes, you've strolled into the right video game. Hell, the voice rosta even features four of the original cast from Aliens, including Michael Beihn and Lance Henriksen.

But retro as Colonial Marines wants to be, it's still a modern game, and there's no excuse for simply dumping barrow-loads of xenomorphs in your face level after level.

Run, pepper aliens full of grubby ammunition, move, pick up a spot of health and additional grubby ammunition, repeat.

There's a certain amount of memory-lane enjoyment to be pulled from some of the sound effects, but when you've got software like Dead Space demonstrating just how good this genre can be, you know our favourite cuddly face-huggers deserve better.

Give me a 23-year-old arcade game any day.