The history of games based on the Alien film franchise is long and troubled. For every masterpiece (actually, there's only one and it's Alien: Isolation) there are numerous acid-burned corpses such as the execrable Aliens: Colonial Marines. Much of Isolation's success was down to its brave decision to focus – in the main – on one singular adversity, whereas its predecessors chose to throw hundreds or thousands of xenomorphs at you. And that's the path that Aliens: Fireteam Elite has decided to follow.

This three-player third-person shooter is set after the events of Alien 3. You play a marine stationed on board the USS Endeavor, tasked with answering distress beacons from across the system. As well as the usual Sulaco-type military ships, some missions are set on planets, including locations redolent of recent Alien spin-offs Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Pleasingly, much of the impressive design work from Isolation has also carried over, including the now-iconic Working Joes who attempt to take up the slack when you're unable to fill your squad with real players.

The generic plot is mainly delivered between missions by NPCs who, rather disconcertingly, remain closed-mouthed throughout. The focus on audio pays off during gameplay: the pulse rifle and smart gun sound just right, and the aliens shriek convincingly as they're ripped apart by your weaponry. It's just a shame that the visuals aren't up to the same high standard: whether you're exploring corridors, temples or alien hives, each location looks much like the last, and it's a strictly linear experience. At least the aliens look the business: scurrying towards you from above and below, they're convincingly animated and there are a number of boss types to vary the threat.

While Left 4 Dead is a clear influence, Fireteam Elite really hasn't grasped the notion that players need some room to breathe and collect their thoughts. Nowhere is safe, and the constant onslaught quickly becomes tiring. While missions only last about 20 minutes, they're unwaveringly stressful, and there's so much to take in that the motion tracker – annoyingly located on the far right of the screen – is practically redundant. If it's just you and the Working Joes on a squad then Aliens: Fireteam Elite can feel like hard work; it's very much at its best when played with friends, basking in the nostalgia of this resilient series.

Buy Aliens: Fireteam Elite — out now for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.