It's hard to believe we're only weeks away from Aliens: Fireteam Elite, considering a few months ago we didn't even know it existed, but here we are. As with any release on the horizon, previews for the game have dropped and the consensus seems to suggest fans of the series are going to find something to love.

One of the most in-depth previews comes from Game Informer, which has dropped just under 16 minutes of pure gameplay to feast your eyes over. As discussed by the team during the video, it's perhaps a little on the cheesy side at times, but embraces the classic vision of James Cameron's Aliens, which saw Bill Paxton declare the series' famous catchphrase: "Game over, man. Game over!" It's that sort of edge which appears to be present in Aliens: Fireteam Elite.

But in terms of the videogame world, it bares a striking resemblance to Left 4 Dead, even going as far to have similar enemy types. According to Game Informer, there are aliens which represent iconic zombies from Valve's fan-favourite series, such as Spitters and Boomers. Add in the co-operative nature seen in Aliens: Fireteam Elite and it sounds as though we have something strikingly similar, but in the best possible way.

Xbox Wire also took a deep dive into the game and highlighted some of the character classes you'll get to play as. Being a co-operative shooter, each player will embody a different persona - all with their own unique skills and abilities. While they didn't get to have a hands-on experience with the Recon class, the others were tried and tested with varying results.

"Gunner is combat focused and has team buffs to improve fire and reload speed. Demolisher is all about heavy damage and can equip the awesome smart gun with auto-tracking (or an epic flame thrower). The Technician can set up sentry guns and utilize charge coils to slow enemies down, and Doc can deploy a trauma station that delivers an AOE healing effect when you’re standing near it."

Another nifty feature is the use of AI teammates. Being a co-operative experience, having a full squad is going to be a priority, but sometimes being paired with a random may not be your cup of tea. Luckily, you can have an AI Synth tag along for the ride and help out. These are the same ones that may have induced some nightmares during Alien: Isolation, but don't worry, they're here to help out in this circumstance... we hope.

The full game will be dropping on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on August 24. Judging by the previews floating around today, it's been put in the right hands with Cold Iron Studios. There have been some let downs in the franchise over the years, with Aliens: Colonial Marines being a particular low point. Even the films have gone downhill with Alien: Covenant being a huge critical disappointment. Hopefully Alien: Fireteam Elite can put the series very firmly back on track.

Looking forward to Alien: Fireteam Elite bursting on Xbox next month? Let us know in the comments below.

[source youtube.com]