Obsidian’s Cancelled Aliens: Crucible Aimed to Be “Mass Effect, But More Terrifying”

Obsidian was working on an Aliens RPG that was heavily inspired by BioWare's Mass Effect.

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The original Mass Effect trilogy from BioWare was an entire experience that was unparralled. Though the third entry was a hot topic of debate, the trilogy as a whole is still widely revered for its incredible narrative, lovable characters, and memorable journey. While BioWare did mention that a new Mass Effect is still planned for the distant future, Obsidian had their own way to keep the franchise’s spirit alive through a new Aliens RPG. Though now cancelled, former Obsidian writer Chris Avellone has recently revealed details about the then Aliens: Crucible. 

“The entire world was more violent [than Prometheus] and there were a lot more Aliens running around,” said Avellone in a recent interview with VG24/7. “It was more a question of survival, and ‘how do we recover all the supplies, and desperately try to make a base?’ It was fun to set up.”

“It would be like–this is going to be really rough comparison–basically Mass Effect but more terrifying,” he continued when talking about the team’s overall goal with the game, and how they wanted to inspire fear. 

“The biggest challenge we had was how to keep the fear going even in conversations. You can make conversations stressful and frightening. How do you do it so that an alien could be attacking you at any moment? You can’t take shelter in a conversation with two talking heads while you try to figure out what to do.”

Though the game has officially been cancelled, you can see a sneak peek of what could have been in the early footage seen in the video at the top of the article. It’s a shame this vision never saw completition, it sounds like a solid idea for the future of the Aliens franchise. 

Thanks, PC Gamer!


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Liana Ruppert
With an arguably unhealthy obsession with Dragon Age and Mass Effect, Liana is wildly passionate about all things in the gaming community. From shooters, to RPGs, if it's out - she's playing it. A medically retired US Sailor and now full-time hoarder of gaming collectibles, Liana's passion for everything in the gaming industry is palpable. Also, if you lose her in a crowd, just casually mention any BioWare game and the crazy pterodactyl screech will without a doubt follow. You can follow her on Twitter @DirtyEffinHippy or email her for editorial inquiries at [email protected]!