Infinity Ward has released a skin inCall of Duty: Modern Warfarewith a face that will be very familiar to fans of horror and action films. The newCall of Dutyoperator cosmetic, titled “The Outrider,” pays homage to one of sci-fi’s greatest leading ladies.
Celebrity skins are hardly a video game novelty in 2020, andModern Warfareis full of classic movie references, but famous female skins are still something of a rarity. There might be no better fit for the role than Ellen Ripley, the famous “final girl” from Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking sci-fi horror movie,Alien, and its sequels.
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Portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, Ripley evolves over the course of the franchise from a harrowed victim into one of the most capable and iconic action stars in cinema, holding her own against murderous xenomorphs alongside colonial marines, making her a perfect addition to the battlefield.
The legendary skin for the coalition operator, Charly, recreates Sigourney Weaver’s appearance fromAlienwith excellent accuracy. The Outrider is part of the Earth Expeditionary Force bundle, which also includes the legendary Colonial Standard LMG, which appears to be modeled closely after the rifles Ripley and the colonial marines use inAliens.
Four other epic items, including a watch, a charm, a calling card, and an emblem round out the bundle for 1,600 CP. Like allModern Warfareskins, The Outrider is purely cosmetic, though time will tell if Ripley provides unanticipated advantages, like the bug that gaveCall of Duty: Warzone’s Wendigo skin an invisible smoke trail.
This isn’t the first time Ripley has graced the cast of a video game, however.Mortal Kombat 11added an Ellen Ripley skin for Jacqui Briggsin May. Before that,Mortal Kombat Xadded the eponymous alien xenomorph to the roster as an original fighter.
Despite this recent streak of cameo work, theAlienfranchise as a whole has been caught in a long video game drought.The Disney-Fox merger canceled twoAlienvideo games, including a title to be helmed byGears of Warcreator Cliff Bleszinski. The premise of the unreleased title retconned the events ofAlien 3,putting players in the role of Newt, the young girl fromAliens, with Ripley providing guidance as she does battle against aliens.
The last landmark title to be released in the franchise wasAlien: Isolation, a horror title where players stepped into the shoes of Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda. Unlike mostAliengames, which highlight firefights between marines and xenomorphs,Isolationis a survival-horror title through-and-through, with a heavy emphasis on stealth mechanics.Isolationalso happened to beone of the best horror games featuring a female protagonistto be released in the 2010s.
Call of Duty: ModernWarfareand the Outrider skin are available now for PS4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.
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