Alien Swarm
Alien Swarm is a game and Source SDK release from a group of talented designers at Valve who were hired from the Mod community. Available free of charge, the game thrusts players into an epic bug hunt featuring a unique blend of co-op play and squad-level tactics. With your friends, form a squad of four distinct IAF Marine classes. Plan your attack using an unlockable arsenal of weapons with countless loadout configurations against a wide variety of aliens. Blaze your way through an overrun, off-world colony, eradicating the alien infestation in environments ranging from the icy planet's surface, to a subterranean lava-flooded mining facility. Along with the game get the complete code base for Alien Swarm that features updates to the Source engine as well as the SDK. Alien Swarm adds 3rd person camera, depth of field, improved dynamic shadows and a wide variety of gameplay additions to the Source engine.
What it feels like
Eradicating alien swarms and succeeding as a coordinated squad delivers moments of hard-won victory.
What it's about
Off-world colonies and alien infestations drive the sci-fi setting and narrative framing. IAF Marines conducting tactical operations against alien threats establish a military aesthetic.
How it plays
Aiming and firing ranged weapons is the core moment-to-moment interaction of the game. Top-down perspective with omnidirectional shooting mechanics is central to combat. Four distinct IAF Marine classes define roles and loadout options fundamental to squad composition.
How it looks and sounds
The entire game is presented from a top-down overhead perspective defining the visual language. Third-person camera positioning frames character and environment interaction throughout.
How it's structured
A full campaign structured around 4-player cooperative play from start to finish. Play is structured as discrete selectable missions across an overrun colony. Missions are designed as discrete, completable encounters suitable for shorter play sessions.
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