ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game - Building Better Worlds Reviewed

Jeff kicks back with his review of Building Better Worlds, for ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game, from Free League Publishing. The volume focuses on exploration and colonization wile including the history of colonial planets, a lengthy sandbox campaign, numerous expeditions, play creation options, gear, and more. The 292 page hardcover (with PDF if ordered from Free League) carries an MSRP of $44.99 or grab just the PDF alone at DriveThruRPG for $19.99.
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"The Ice Giants"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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[@randallhurlburt6389]

For years, Aliens was one of my all-time favorite films. It's still up there towards the top of the list. I saw it before I saw Alien, but when I finally did see he first film, I loved it as well.

[@gosuke5]

For me, the best movie has got to be Aliens, the second one. That's a close call with the first one being so amazing, but seeing Ripley come into her own, along with the space Marines, the queen mother, and everything, the second movie is the one that cements the alien series as an all-time great!

[@JeffreyEgan]

Aliens is my favorite in the franchise. Lot of good quotes, memorable characters, lots of Xenos, incredible action, corporate intrigue. Best film hands down.

[@DescendantDroog]

The original Alien film is my favorite. Mostly because of how well it creates atmosphere. I also think Ian Holme's acting is underrated especially the little idiosyncrasies he adds to hint at his characters true nature. It makes rewatching the movie fun to look for it!

[@MrElliptific]

Alien, the first movie is my favorite one. Because it was new, it was the first age restricted movie I could see in my life and the movie director kept the horror fresh and mysterious by showing the monster only very late in the movie.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

Definitely have to pick this up. Though the book I'm most interested in is the "space truckers" one that I believe is supposed to come out eventually. It does seem like the one place where they're not quite hitting the mark is with creatures. Between repeats, odd omissions, lack of art, and variety. I don't know that I'd want them to focus on it, but maybe they need to do a creature book. Alien is my favorite of the films. Beautifully crafted, creepy, and profoundly evocative. I love the cast, both the actors and the characters they play. Having worked for years in supply chain/shipping/receiving, I recognize myself and my various coworkers in those characters. That said, don't put me in the running for the PDF, as I'm a physical book guy, and just wouldn't get the pleasure out of it that others might.

[@Wraithing]

1979 Alien was by far the best movie and it's still my favourite (although I really tried to say different - especially when Alien 3 had Yorkshire representation from the beautiful Brian Glover! LOL). Love to watch the original movie in the dark so that claustrophobic suspense saturates the room. Not long after seeing the Aliens movie, I remember loving playing a marine in an 'in development' version of an RPG run by some of the Leading Edge team. It was 1987 and they got me hook, line and sinker into their new Living Steel game. I went home from the Con in London with a Living Steel box set and supplements, along with the (new!) AD&D Lankhmar setting. Glad Free League's version is so much easier to play than that Barry Nakazono stuff from back then! Cheers for the review. The Alien RPG definitely needed a decent lore expansion. I think that's why my GM head could ignore the movie shortcomings and really enjoyed the expansion of setting when we got Alien 3. Shame this book is a bit light on some of that stuff to help with setting depth and campaign longevity. Maybe it's just due to IP approval from the Hollywood big-wigs.

[@LegioX_Primus_Pilus]

Game over man…game over! Aliens is hands down the best Alien movie. So many iconic moments and characters. Also military sci-fi at its best.

[@puente29712]

Great Review as Always. Alien 1979 is my favorite. Ellen Ripley was bad ass lady like Angie Dickerson from Police Woman. Lol, I was 8 in 1979. 😊😊

[@Wraithing]

Cool shout out for Angie!

[@GamemastersHobby]

Great review Jeff! I like how that sandbox campaign looks. My favorite movie is Aliens! I remember the fist time I watched it back in 1987. I immediately went out to grab Alien on VHS and a few years later, the Aliens RPG from Leading Edge. So many great memories. Thank you Jeff!

[@grodd1016]

Great video! Aliens has so many great quotes and scenes. I'd have to say Aliens is my favorite

[@billn5866]

I'm not sure which is my favorite Alien movie... but that's OK because I already have the book. Give it to another deserving fan! :)

[@thomasm.3132]

AlienS is for me the best films of the franchise : it contains everything. Marines, colonists, nasty corporations, drama, violence, horror, feminism. And it is such an epic history.

[@wforge]

Alien is my favorite of the franchise primarily because it was the first. The other films had to stand on the foundation of the first film and therefore had to do less heavy lifting (exposition) than the first film. Besides the first film had more mystery than its future installments. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy most of the Alien films to one degree or another, but Ridley Scott’s Alien is the perfect film that fueled the others.

[@trekkiebaggio]

I'm going to say Aliens is my favourite because I prefer action-horror to straight up suspense. Also, I think some of the enjoyment of Alien is lost when you know what's going to happen next, although they are both great films. I'm glad they didn't just try to copy the first film when making the sequel. I also have a soft spot for Alien Resurrection as it has a prototype Firefly crew.

[@dos_feratu]

Aliens is my choice because my favorite scene in the franchise is the Colonial Marines deploying from the Cheyenne at the entrance to the Hadley's Hope colony. Also, because Aliens released in July of '86 and Predator released in June of '87, so that was a pretty sweet couple of summer releases and a great time to be a teenager.

[@brettlongworth5861]

Handy review. Aliens is my fave in the franchise.

[@gleemonexrx]

A very fair review. Another vote for Cameron’s Aliens. “Game over, man! Game over!!”

[@jdebarr]

Another great video Jeff. Thank you so much for all that you do. If I was going to pick my favorite Alien Movie it would definitely be the first one. It introduced us to that dark and foreboding environment and nothing can replace the first time you see the Alien. I love so much about those movies though and enjoy sitting with the family and watching them every so often. Hope all is well with you and yours.

[@Thegaminggang]

Thank you kindly! ~ Jeff

[@Neowis3]

I already own the PDF but I wanted to share that if you love the Alien universe then it's worth checking out the Alien audio drama's directed by Dirk Maggs.

[@tonyurquides1646]

Ouch. Like choosing between my two kids Jeff! Alien when I want that extra horror flavor. Otherwise I'm probably leaning Aliens. Too many classic moments and quotes from my early years.

[@rangereric18]

It's hard to top Aliens as the best of the franchise. This book sounds rad.

[@GenuineMattyC]

If I have to choose a favorite Alien film, then I choose Aliens. I have the most nostalgic fondness for that movie having watched it so many times in my youth (and many times since as well). However, Alien is a phenomenal sci-fi horror that defines the genre. Also, the Special Edition or Assembly Cut of Alien 3 makes it very watchable (even good) compared to its terrible theatrical release. Resurrection, however, is unsalvageably bad.

[@Omenowl]

I love aliens being my favorite with alien being a close second when I want horror.

[@semperbuffo6067]

Funny my group were play tester on the Alien RPG. My favorite film is Alien the first movie.

[@wingusryu8289]

Liked! Oh no don’t make me choose! The first alien is the best and aliens is the second best but super close. They are two different genres which is interesting. I love the suspense in the first movie but probably more quotable lines in Aliens. I mean Alien is the hero journey and by the end of aliens Ripley is a certified badass. Alien 3 is Ok but too bad they didn’t use Hicks or Newt. That’s it there are no movies past 3 nope nope nope. That’s just a conspiracy.

My best movie is the second one. Because of the tension; btw I also read the book by Allan Dean Foster.

[@jackhanks9598]

Alien 2 I love the story

[@doomedcolonist]

I bought this book when it came out, but people keep telling me I might have an issue with its content. No idea why. ;)

[@TeskoLove]

Alien is a near perfect movie. Depending on the phase of the moon, I might say it's my favorite movie of all time. Aliens is fun and has some silly quotes, but I never liked the military angle nearly as much as the everyday space truckers. To me, the marines are the least interesting part of the franchise.