Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection (2012): runs on Windows 11, Mac, Linux, Steam Deck?

Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection poster

Gamicality score 53 / 100

Playability today ★★★★★ 5

Runs today4.5 / 5
Design today5 / 5
See the checks

Steam user reviews Mixed

11,562 reviews61% positive
Steam store page

Released: 2012
Developer: Gearbox Software
Genre: Action
Runs on: Windows, Linux, Steam Deck
Last checked: October 31, 2026

Does Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11	Yes, with a fix. See the steps below. SourceNo player reports yet
Mac (Apple Silicon)	No Mac version is sold.No player reports yet
Linux	Through Proton: ProtonDB rates it Gold (runs perfectly after tweaks). SourceNo player reports yet
Steam Deck	Playable, as rated by Valve: it works, but may need some manual configuration. SourceNo player reports yet

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How to get Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection running today

Fix the alien AI: open DefaultEngine.ini in the PecanGame\Config folder of the game, find the ClassRemapping line for AttachXenoToTether, correct PecanGAme to PecanGame and AttachPawnToTeather to AttachPawnToTether, then save; details are on PCGamingWiki and in this Steam thread.
If the game picks low settings on a modern graphics card, add the card to PecanCompat.ini using the GPU detection steps on PCGamingWiki.
If it freezes or crashes mid-session, lower memory-heavy settings or play in windowed mode, since the 32-bit game can use only about 2 GB of video memory.

Synopsis

Aliens: Colonial Marines is a first-person shooter set after the film Aliens, in which a squad of Marines boards the Sulaco to find out what happened to its crew. Across eleven linear missions you fight Xenomorphs and corporate soldiers with pulse rifles, shotguns and a motion tracker, alone or in co-op. The Collection bundles the base game with its downloadable content.

What people say

Critics at release were harsh, pointing to enemies that charge blindly or freeze, glitchy squadmates, a short campaign of about five hours, and a finished game that looked far worse than its press demos. A few reviews credited its atmosphere and found the competitive Marines-versus-Aliens multiplayer better than the campaign. In 2017 a modder traced much of the broken alien behavior to a one-letter typo in a configuration file, and players still share the fix today. Current player discussion centers on that fix, fan overhaul mods and launch problems, and opinions of the campaign remain mostly negative.

Playability today

Playability runs from 1 to 5. It is the average of two parts. Each part starts at 1 and climbs to 5 as more of its checks pass. Read the method.

Runs today: 4.5 / 5

✓Sold today from an official store
✗Runs on Windows 11 without fan patches
–Single-player works without an internet connection
–All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
–Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
✓Full controller support or remappable controls
✓Steam Deck Verified or Playable
✓No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
✓No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
–No known game-breaking bugs in the current version

Filled in from the Steam store and Valve’s Steam Deck rating. Checks marked – are unknown and do not count until someone checks them.

Design today: 5 / 5

✓Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboardIt uses standard first-person shooter controls on mouse and keyboard or controller, and complaints focus on the AI and bosses rather than the controls, though evidence is thin. Source: destructoid.com, pcgamingwiki.com.
✓Menus, text and interface are clear on today's screensNo source reports trouble reading the menus or interface on modern screens, though evidence is thin. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
✓Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progressProgress is kept through checkpoints in short linear missions, and no source reports much lost progress, though evidence is thin. Source: en.wikipedia.org.
✓It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progressCritics found the linear missions very easy to follow and even too easy, so no guide is needed. Source: destructoid.com.
✓Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtrackingThe campaign is short and linear with little filler or backtracking, though critics called its encounters flat; evidence on pacing itself is thin. Source: destructoid.com.
✓Camera and movement never fight the playerThe first-person campaign camera draws no complaints, and camera trouble was reported only when playing as an alien in multiplayer. Source: destructoid.com.

Judged against games made today, from complaints that recur in recent Steam reviews and discussions, forums, PCGamingWiki and community wikis. Each reason links to where it comes from.