The following contains major spoilers for Alien: Romulus.
TheAlienfranchise has now been around for 45 years and is still going strong with new films likeAlien: Romulusnow splashing onto the big screen. For the most part, the latestAlienfilm has done well despite some inconsistencies with its plot and the overarching narrative of the franchise. Regardless, it might have just served up one of thebest sequences inAlienhistory, and one that the nextAlienvideo game should consider emulating.
It’s currently unclear when the next mainstreamAliengame might arrive, or what it might be. Nevertheless,Alien: Romulushas provided the blueprint for the perfectAliengame combat sequence.
The Next Alien Needs an Alien: Romulus Zero Grav Sequence
Alien: Romulus' Zero Gravity Scene Instantly Became Iconic
Nearly 90 minutes intoAlien: Romulus, Rain and Andy find themselves behind a locked door at the end of a long corridor filled with Xenomorphs and Offspring. Rain asks Rook, played by Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins inThe Lord of the Rings), to unlock the door, but he refuses. Prepared to accept their fate, Rain and Andy sit down near the door when Rain asks Andy to tell her one of his jokes. Andy then proceeds to tell Rain several jokes, including one about reading a book on zero gravity that just couldn’t be put down. It’s here that Rain gets an idea about how they can gain an advantage over the approaching Xenomorphs.
Rain stands up and turns off the gravity generator, after which a ten-second countdown begins. AsXenomorphs have acid blood, shooting them would allow their blood to burn a hole in the ship, creating a vacuum that would pull everyone and everything in the vicinity out of the ship and into space. However, turning off the gravity generator would allow Rain a brief period to eliminate the Xenomorphs, as any blood expelled from their bodies would float in the air rather than touch the ground due to zero gravity. Andy then places his hand on Rain’s shoulder to hold her down so she can focus on firing her weapon.
When the countdown ends, Rain begins firing at theXenomorphs and Offspring, their blood spilling out into the air. After nearly 60 seconds of gunfire, all the Xenomorphs in the vicinity have been defeated, but Rain quickly realizes their blood is drifting toward her and Andy. The two then begin using the railing on the walkway to climb through the blood, performing evasive maneuvers when necessary, including Rain firing her weapon to propel her in a different direction. Once they make it through the spiraling acid blood, Rain and Andy move to the elevator until their next encounter.
Since the premiere ofAlien: Romulus, this zero-gravity scene has become one of its most talked about sequences, and for good reason. It’s intense, loud, nail-biting, and unique, and nothing quite like it has ever happened before in the franchise. What’s more, it is the perfect blueprint for a similar sequence in thenextAliengame, as it already seems to play out like a video game.
Alien: Romulus' Zero Gravity Scene Belongs in the Next Alien Game
WhileAlien: Rogue Incursionis on the horizon and already looks incredibly intense, it is a VR game and therefore will only reach a niche audience. However, the next mainstreamAliengame would be remiss not to consider including a sequence similar toAlien: Romulus' zero gravity scene. There is a part of it that already feels like an arcade shooter, as Rain’s weapon automatically tracks and locks on to approaching Xenomorphs, and the moment where she and Andy are evading the floating blood would force players to pull off some strategic maneuvers. There are rumors that anAlien: Isolationsequelcould be coming soon, and it would be the perfect candidate for such a sequence.
