Reflecting on the Aliens: Colonial Marine game recently.  Just why did this game do so poorly.  Why do many of the Aliens based games do so poorly.  Last really good one I remember was the only reason to buy an Atari Jaguar, and it's horribly dated now.

Was it the bugs?  They weren't that many.

Was it the partially dated graphics?  They weren't that bad.

Shoddy gameplay?  I've seen worse...seldomly.  The autoloader was atrocious granted.

Was it the general false advertising part of it?  That was probably the kick inthe head that turned the tide.  That aside...it kind of dawned on me.  It happens in every Aliens game.

Aliens was never about the marines.  They were cool.  Weirzbowski to Hudson they were an awesome part of the film but Aliens was NEVER about the Marines.  You didn't even get to know them...not as people...not as people you'd want to get to know in reality.

Aliens was about Ripley.  Aliens was always about Ripley.  She was a woman and the hero of the story but not in the macho shoot 'em up way.  The marines did that...they died...well all but Hicks...but he didn't seal the deal.

Ripley was not a violent person by nature or training.  She was a strong woman but a creature of necessity.  When did we really cheer for her?  When did she turn to a force of nature?  When she was protecting a little girl.  A surrogage for her lost daughter.  The queen alien herself was also turned to revenge by something akin to the emotion but still entirely...alien.

Riply was human.  She acted out of maternal love and defending her young.  Even to the point where she shields Newt from the Alien Queen as comes out of the elevator shaft at her with a final "Close your eye's baby" as her last thought of the moment are that of protecting Newt.  It was something we can almost all associate with: Motherly love.

Why did we protect Clementine in Telltale's Walking dead?  Why did the end of BioShock make me misty?  Why did I really like Alyx Vance as a person and work to protect and save her in Half-Life 2?  Why did I feel so sorry for Jahera in Baldur's Gate 2 when she spoke of her late husband?

Humanity.  Empathy.  Sympathy.  

They're what makes a good story great and a decent game an immersible experience.

There's something stronger than tough-guy shoot-em-up in a good game or movie.  There's humanity.