Is there more to Space than just the stars and planets? Is there life out there? Can no one hear the farmer's scream as they are probed for the sake of weird alien science?
With the release of Alien: Isolation, these questions and more have been coming to the surface. So it's time we build a profile of what could be beyond our intergalactic borders by listing the Top 10 Alien Races in Gaming and see just what kind of threat they pose.
Disclaimer: This List is in no specific order, only the order in which I thought of them.
The Covenant
While technically they are built up of several races, from the Grunts all the way to the Brutes, the Covenant is a fearsome group indeed. With an army of front line fighters who are willing to blow themselves up for their cause and higher ranking generals who are know for their tactics as well as their brute strength, they have most their angles covered. It is safe to assume that they will stop at nothing to stomp out the Human race.
Threat: High
With the multitude of races gathered in their ranks, their technology is more advanced than we are capable of to match. Mixed tactics, greater technology, and religious zealots behind their purpose for fighting, the Covenant is one race to prepare for.
The Furon Empire
While the games haven't had much in terms of longevity, Destroy All Humans has shown us that the Furon is indeed trying to annihilate us all.
From the stereotypical abduction of cows and farmers, to the mindless destruction, this race exhibits all the signs we need to look out for. However, they are also shown to be slightly poor at achieving their job on the surface, given resistance, we could possibly stand a chance during an inevitable invasion.
Threat Level: Medium
Sure they seem dangerous, but with their blatant attack standards and following closely to stereotypes we've set for alien fiction, we have a good chance of survival. Just start placing explosives in the cows and keep an eye on the skies.
The Forerunner
The Halo series has been giving us information on the Forerunners since the beginning.
This race existed before the current Human and Covenant forces and have surpassed their descendants in many ways. Technologically, they are something to be feared as they have installations that can eradicate life on many planets in one blast, as well as weapons that appear standard but can vaporize enemies in an instant.
However, their one flaw is they no longer exist, openly anyway. They have many technological installations to visit and one that is even its own planet. The Forerunners were amazing people, but their designs can become evil if they are used with evil intent.
Threat Level: Minimal to Medium
The only deciding factor in this profile is the fact that they are no longer in existence. If they aren't alive, they can't attack. The only way they can really affect us is if someone else misuses the items they have left behind.
The Vortigaunt
The Vortigaunt are actually a very misunderstood race of alien invaders. Under mind control by The Nihilanth, a powerful alien that mentally enslaved the Vortigaunt as well as other races, they were used to attempt to destroy the world.
As shown in Half-Life 2, while not under mind-control, the Vortigaunt are peaceful and ritualistic. They have been seen as healers. In fact, when gathered in a large group they can heal others quite quickly. They also use the same power to shoot bolts of energy at enemies and create localized shock waves. They became allies to the planet's inhabitants after the invasion and release from mind control.
Threat Level: None (Free minded) Medium to High (Mind controlled)
It says something when the species that invades wants to help, especially if they feel remorse after causing so much harm in the first place. I could see the Vortigaunt arriving to help us and enrich our culture more than causing us problems.
The Quarian
One of the two smartest races in the Mass Effect galaxy, only second to the Salarians. This technological genius race may have weakened immune systems but they have a frightening capacity to repair their ships on spare parts alone as well as a knack for creating synthetic artificial intelligence.
While they aren't particularly hostile, it's one race that definitely is advanced way beyond our comprehension. Maybe they could explain what those crop circles mean?
Threat Level: Minimal
The Quarian are not an overly violent group, more of a governmental race. However, if a strong willed individual comes into the picture, they can be rallied to war with all the tech they have amassed over the years.
Something to fear in terms of fleet size (50,0000 with 17 Million Quarians).
The Reapers
This race, just like the Covenant, is not actually a single race. The original base race were synthetic machines adapted to the ever changing universe. Over the decades and after assimilating various races to form their own army, they have become a highly fearsome race.
Mass Effect 3 showed us the full extent of their assimilation by forcing the Humans, Turians, and Asari races to fight while imbuing them with their sentient technology. Living ships size creatures were also seen and attacked the whole of every race in the galaxy. Their Goal?
The assimilation of the new races and abilities then go back into hiding. They leave the last race standing to regrow and let the universe begin again. They wish only to repeat this cycle and serve as monitor and decider.
Threat Level: High to Highest
You cannot avoid the gaze of the Reapers, in fact they have most likely already seen us. All we can do is prepare for a huge fight and band together with other races in order to put a stop to this vicious cycle. However since we have yet to reach past our own Solar System, I'm fairly certain we're safe.
For Now...
The Xenomorph
One of the more dangerous aliens in the universe, the Xenomorph have a knack for keeping their enemies on their toes. From their larval stage of a Face Hugger, to their more dominating evolutions like the Hunter (pictured above), they are all capable death machines.
And if it wasn't bad enough, if you do manage to fight them off, you can still be damaged as their blood is a highly corrosive acid. They seem not to discriminate between what enemy is what, beside not attacking their own, so everything is considered a target.
Threat Level: High
While they skitter in the shadowed hallways, Xenomorphs have hunting, hard shells, acid blood, and their pure viciousness on their side that can lead anyone to wet their pants. Unless we're talking about the Alien: Colonial Marines version of them, then just wait 5 seconds and they'll fall through the floor.
The Helghast
This race was technically Human once before. Leaving to try colonizing efforts on the planet of Helghan, the humans found living on the world uninhabitable. Lightning storms and harsh atmospheric conditions made it impossible to live on, but after they felt they were betrayed by their former Earth comrades, they revolted and started their own nation.
They chose to go back to this planet to live. Many of the first generation died off but some survived, while their future generations evolved biologically to survive the harsh planet.
Now that is a quick summary, but as Killzone taught us they are not to be trifled with. They are formidable opponents who have mindset that leads them to believe they are superior. They invade and attack other colonies just to assert their dominance.
Threat Level: High
This race willingly inhabited a harsh planet that is constantly hit by lightning storms, put themselves into a dictatorship, and adapted to everything that was thrown at them. Include the fact they invade other planets, I can see them being a hard race to handle.
The Awoken
Now not much has been learned through the campaign of Destiny about the Awoken, other than they are governed by their own monarchy and were apparently human who fled the Earth when The Darkness arrived. Living at the furthest reaches of the solar system, they have become a very sequestered people.
They are unwilling to help without first gaining something in return and even then always have a motive behind their aid. The also seem to hold immense power as their Queen seems to have control of her own Fallen minions.
Threat Level: Unsure
With them being a relatively new species to us, we don't have much to go on in what we see. Maybe their story will become more fleshed out if Destiny DLC has anything to add for them.
The Chimera
These vicious looking baddies are some of the worst you could hope to encounter when it comes to an invasion. They are grotesque beings who have been coming and going from Earth since before mankind was fully realized. Their sole purpose seems to be to wipe us off the planet and they have gone great lengths to do so.
The Chimera have multiple forms, including Hybrids and Feral. With mixed tactics and the ability to use our own weapons against us as well as their own advanced weaponry, we would be in for a hard won fight.
Threat Level: High
They not only wanted to annihilate us in the Resistance series, they also wanted to convert us into one of them and use us as soldiers. Whether we fight and die or survive long enough to be converted, we can't all fight off the coming threat. They were also living on the planet millions of years before us, so they clearly have a "home field" advantage. Very dangerous.
So how did my list compare to yours? Did you find that some of my Threat Levels were too high? Too low?
Let me hear some of your thoughts and give me a piece of your mind. It's time we get prepared for the coming invasion, with your lists we might be able to survive!
Published: Oct 10, 2014 02:20 pm