The Anacrusis is the new co-op FPS from ex-Valve and Riot developers, and its packed full of aliens

The Anacrusis is a brand new FPS from former Valve and Riot developers. 

Stray Bombay, the studio started by developers with Valve and Riot on their resumes, just revealed its first game, a science fiction co-op shooter called The Anacrusis during Summer Games Live. It's got a distinct look, a massive starship, and aliens. Lots and lots of aliens. 

Being revealed as part of E3 2021, The Anacrusis stands out because of its 1960s space style and the super-smart AI that will run the game behind the scenes to make sure you want to keep coming back for more. Set aboard a spaceship overrun with unnerving alien hordes, you and three friends can combine your firepower and perks to take them on. 

Chet Faliszek, Valve veteran and the writer of Left 4 Dead, spoke to GamesRadar ahead of the game's announcement and revealed that the studio's priorities were building a game that was fun to play with friends, and emphasized replayability. 

"We want people to have fun. We want you to hang out with your friends. We want it to be social. That is our number one goal. And so how do we do that? And we do try to do that through all of our systems."

That means smaller details, like crossplay across all platforms and more experienced players being able to share perks with newer team members, so neither feels disadvantaged. On a bigger scale, one of those systems is the AI developed by an expert in the field, Dr. Kimberly Voll. 

"It controls everything in the game. So you have your pacing, where it'll be very quiet. You know, one time you walk into the cafeteria, it's crazy mayhem the next time, it's absolutely quiet, you can never guess what's gonna happen next," explains Faliszek. 

"But also with that, it's looking at the players and how they're playing and how they're doing. So, being attacked from behind is very hard for a new team, but something that's challenging and fun for a more experienced team. 

"Being overwhelmed by the alien horde, while the Flasher alien comes in and distorts your view, is very hard for a new team - we'll do that occasionally - but a more experienced team can handle that. And so it's the AI looking and see how you're playing and deciding what's going to happen to you there."

As for the all-important guns, you can expect some traditional weapons that feel like your traditional assault rifle and shotguns, but then crazier things - called Boris weapons - like arc lightning guns, vortex grenades, and shields. The characters who wield them are distinctly different, but because of their personalities, not because you've had to choose between the old school classes. Faliszek is particularly fond of the serious Nessa, and the sarcastic Lance. 

You'll get to decide on your favorite when the game comes to PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and Xbox Game Pass this fall. 

From online to the comfort of your sofa, these are the best co-op games to play with your nearest and dearest right now.