Aliens: Fireteam Elite comes with 12 missions divided into four different operations, as well as a horde mode. Players ultimately have to do all of the missions, but these eight stand out and make the rest of the game worth playing. The game currently sits at a 70 on Metacritic, with one major complaint lobbied at the repetitive level design.
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While this may be true, the levels on this list do their best to add something interesting to the narrative and gameplay. The developer already has seasons and DLC planned for Aliens: Fireteam Elite, but until more content and missions are added, playing these levels several times over while leveling up the different classes should prove plenty entertaining.
Priority One: Ingress
The first mission is admittedly unspectacular, but it deserves a place on this list for a couple of reasons. Mainly, it is pretty easy to run through, making it fun to grind. Generally, if the player ever has to level up quickly or wants to complete a challenge card quickly, it is best to do it with this level.
It is pretty short and straightforward, so just put on a podcast or some music and run through this level a couple of times to grind. Just remember, some elements such as enemy placement are randomized. Players always have to be on their toes, regardless of their familiarity with the level.
The Gift Of Fire: Recon
The first mission of the third operation sees the marines dive deep beneath the surface of LV-895. In the prior mission, players fight through ruins set up by Engineers, and now they see a different part of it as they dive underground.
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It also sees the return of xenomorphs as the main enemy, instead of synths. The variety of environments in the game is a big surprise, especially to fans of the series. When a story in the continuity only comes once in a great while, just seeing more of the worlds is a treat, even if the main focus of Aliens: Fireteam Elite is not the story.
Priority One: Extract
The third mission in the game changes things up by adding an extra NPC into the mix. Players finally find Dr. Hoeniker, and now must escort him back to the Endeavour. Of course, it is not as easy as just bringing him somewhere.
A new boss xenomorph is introduced called Monica, who is named after the woman it bursted from. The marines defeat it by the end of the mission, which is no easy task. What's more, the Doctor seems emotionally distressed at the sight of this particular xenomorph, implying he had some connection to Monica.
The Only Way To Be Sure: Breach
The first mission of the final operation returns the players to the Katanga to blow up a xenomorph hive. In a small homage to the second film in the franchise, Aliens, players have to restock the ammunition of automatic turrets and fight alongside them.
The other interesting aspect of this level is going through the Katanga, and seeing it go from a normal refinery to the section totally taken over by the xenomorphs. The visual transition alone makes this level stand out and prevents it from feeling repetitive.
Giants In The Earth: Contact
Giants in the Earth: Contact is the first mission where the difficulty truly ramps up. The synths are significantly harder to fight than the xenomorphs, since they use guns and can hurt players from a long distance.
Just when players might think the whole game might be just taking down waves of xenomorphs, the game introduces humanoid threats that require a different strategy to take on. The game becomes more of a traditional third-person shooter when fighting synths.
The Gift Of Fire: Boarding
The last mission of the third operation introduces a new, smaller enemy that overwhelms the marines with its large numbers. Be sure to bring an automatic weapon into this mission to efficiently take care of these enemies.
These foes don't do a lot of damage alone, but if several gang up, they can easily take down a player. Any fan of Prometheus will also recognize the rooms filled with jars of the Pathogen.
Giants In The Earth: Evacuate
This mission contains one of the biggest narrative revelations of the story. Rodriguez, whom the marines have been trying to save for the last couple of missions, is discovered to be an AI. The ending of the mission is a particularly grueling test of skill where the player attempts to shut down SN/TH/YA, the computer's true name.
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It is a bigger play arena than anything beforehand, and requires players to run back and forth across it to complete objectives while under enemy fire. The heavy synth enemies in particular can take out all the player's health quickly.
The Only Way To Be Sure: Regicide
The final mission of the game tasks players with finally destroying the xenomorph hive. Most of it involves activating consoles on a platform to initiate the self-destruct process. Afterward, it is a frantic run to the elevator before the whole place is blown to bits.
The most surprising part is the abrupt entrance of the xenomorph Queen. There is no way to destroy this beast, so players just have to run away. Maybe a future DLC will see a proper boss fight with it — such a battle would be exhilarating.
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