Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2: Janky Portable Bug Hunting
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is the kind of game that makes you smile despite its flaws. The sequel to 2021’s co-op squad shooter dials up the jank and the charm, with great-feeling guns, a Tetris-like perk grid, and dad jokes from a character named Raptor. It’s not always convincing as an Aliens experience – the pulse rifle doesn’t have that iconic TTHHRRRPP, and some robot spiders feel extremely off-brand – but it’s consistently fun with friends.
That fun is about to get portable. Fireteam Elite 2 lands on Nintendo Switch 2 on September 29, roughly a month after its PC and current-gen debut. For handheld owners, the appeal is obvious: a full co-op campaign with smartgun spraying, flamethrower unlocks, and a Horde mode that you can dip into between commutes. But the source review flags unreliable frame rates and a few physics glitches on PS5, so the big question is how this janky shooter behaves on Nintendo’s hybrid and on Steam Deck via Proton. If you’re already planning a bug hunt, grab a copy on Amazon and get ready to light up some hives on the couch.
The Class Grid’s Secret Handheld Superpower
Cold Iron Studios’ class system is a miniature puzzle. Perks arrive as Tetris-like blocks that must be rotated into a growing grid, with adjacency requirements forcing deliberate builds. On a handheld, this is a gift: you can plan loadouts during bathroom breaks or between Horde waves, and the grid forces you to think about each marine’s role rather than just slapping on the highest number. The bump to four-player squads also means you can bring a healer, a tech, and a gunner without feeling stretched thin. It’s the kind of system that rewards the stop-start rhythm of portable play.
Performance Roulette: What the Frame Rate Wobble Means for Portable
The elephant in the room is performance. GamesRadar’s review notes unreliable frame rate on the much stronger PS5, plus medkit pickup glitches and corpses hanging from ceilings. On Switch 2, the base hardware is reportedly similar to a PS4 Pro, so expect the same dips – possibly worse in Horde mode when the screen fills with pathogen-X hybrid monstrosities. Steam Deck owners will face a similar gamble: the game is PC-native, but without Valve’s verification program signatures, you’re betting on Proton compatibility. That said, the review also emphasizes that the jank never ruined the fun. If you tolerate a little wobble for the privilege of killing xenomorphs on a plane, this bug hunt might be your ideal companion.