Alien Swarm: Free Shooter for PC Through Steam

Need a summer sci-fi action shooter PC gaming fix? Check out Alien Swarm, released for free, from Valve, on the popular Steam digital distribution program! Just released on July 19, 2010, Alien Swarm is a fast-paced and frantic shooter with multiple gameplay modes available. Alien Swarm was released from Valve, but designed by a group of mod designers hired by Valve. Originally, it was a mod for Unreal Tournament 2004.

Alien Swarm is the upgraded version of a mod that came out several years ago. Alien Swarm involves players using a third-person, top down style of gameplay view (similar slightly to that of Diablo or Rose Online). In this, players control their spaceman (space marine style) character around the map, viewing them from above. Enemies appear from adjacent corridors and rooms, making advancing difficult. It is referred to as a top down shooter, set at a 60 degree view angle, with four playable classes available.

Alien Swarm features single player, or co-op play. Up to four players can take part in the frantic, bug-blasting action in the co-op play. The main (and only campaign, currently), is called Jacob's Rest and features 40 weapons, 8 unique characters and 64 achievements. The complete game code and mod making tools are also provided in the roughly 3 gig download. There is even a video out of how to get the game to play in First Person Shooter view (fps), although this probably is not the ideal way to play Alien Swarm. Players must defeat an alien invasion on an off-world colony, deep in the far reaches of space.

The best thing about Alien Swarm is that it is free! Anyone with a Steam account can download it today and start blasting aliens into huge piles of goo and slime! Steam is a game distribution and digital content manager program produced by the super popular game company, Valve. Valve is the company and studio behind the amazing Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Portland and Team Fortress 2 PC games (also available on Xbox 360). Valve has a super good track record for creating excellent games with innovative story lines, exciting game play, superb graphics and amazing in-game physics. I have been hooked on their Half-Life series and am eagerly looking forward to their next Episode in it (Half-Life Episode 3). To get a Steam account, simply go to http://store.steampowered.com, make an account and download the free Steam utility.