BERLIN: A full 44 years have passed since Ridley Scott's "Alien" set a new standard for science fiction films in the late 1970s.

Thanks to several video game spin-offs, it has been possible to experience the universe in interactive form since 1992. Now there's a new strategy game for consoles and PCs, "Aliens: Dark Descent." Players slip into the role of Maeko Hayes, who witnesses an alien attack on her space station. She can't stop it and ends up stranded on the planet Lethe. As part of a four-person unit, she returns to the space station to free it in combat.

In action, you simultaneously command your four fighters as they move through the gloomy station in real time.

Tactical moves, such as slowing down the game, help to effectively take the wind out of the aliens' sails. The unit, which is initially only equipped with simple weapons, receives special abilities as you progress.

Of course, many enemies known from the "Aliens" games, such as Facehuggers and Praetorians, are also part of the game. Although you can save in between, the missions, each lasting about an hour, can become a real challenge. That's because the aliens take advantage of every mistake and can even permanently eliminate your unit.

As a strategy game, "Aliens: Dark Descent" takes a completely different direction to its predecessors but that's exactly what makes it interesting. The game is available for PlayStation and Xbox consoles as well as PCs and costs about €40/US$40 (RM109 in Malaysia). – dpa