Aliens: Colonial Marines Release Date: Composer Pays Homage to Films, Story Will 'Leave a Few Dangling Threads'

Expectation weighs heavy on Gearbox Software's Aliens: Colonial Marines. The Borderlands developer, having announced that the game is in fact a canonical sequel to James Cameron's 'Aliens,' must at once channel the spirit of one of the most beloved science fiction films series in history, and also provide a compelling experience to legions of fans who each expect different things from the series. While we will have to wait until February 12 to find out if Colonial Marines executes on its ambitions, Cinematic Director Brian Burleson and Composer Kevin Riepl recently opened up about Gearbox's vision for the game.

Story

In an interview with OXM Burleson says, "Looking at the end of Aliens - we've got them getting off the planet, we've got that atmospheric processor going off...where can we pick up that thread? What are the repercussions of that?"

"That's sort of where we come in, because as storytellers it's always fun to figure out where someone else left some dangling threads in their story," he says. "That's another cool thing about this universe: all the stories do that, they leave a few dangling threads for somebody else to pick up."

Sound

Kevin Riepl is no stranger to the gaming industry. With Gears of War 2, Unreal Tournament 3, and many more on his resume, you have likely heard his work without ever knowing it. As the project's composer, Riepl was challenged with crafting an atmospheric soundtrack that stays true to Aliens lore.

"For the exact fact that the game is essentially a sequel to an existing movie or movies and is canonical in its story, we wanted to keep the music very familiar-sounding," he tells Forbes. "I along with Gearbox wanted the score to have its own sound but at the same time pay homage to the previous films; I thought this would be the best way to get game players and fans right back into the feel and vibe of the films that they were left yearning for."

Kevin adds, "Keeping in line with the sound of the first two films was a big aspect in maintaining the tension and atmospherics in the game. My approach was similar to how Goldsmith and Horner conveyed these elements, to stay out of the way of the sound design and environment sounds."

Aliens: Colonial Marines will launch on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC on February 12 and "by the end of March on Wii U," according to MTV.