No other version of Aliens: Colonial Marines is as disappointing as the PC edition, seeing as it ships with such limited support for even the most basic level of visual flair gamers on the platform are accustomed to.
Seeking to fix that, though, as they always do, are modders, who in only a few days have managed to make big strides in addressing the way the game looks.
One such mod adds DirectX 10 support to the game, enabling better lighting, shadows, weapon reflections and muzzle flashes. It also makes the game load faster.
Another is called SweetFX, which gets a little more artistic, playing around with the game's shadows and lighting to try and make it feel more like an authentic Aliens experience.
The latter is a take-it-or-leave-it affair, based a lot on taste, but the DX10 will be a must for anyone persevering with the game. It makes a big difference.
You can see a SweetFX comparison up top on the slider image (drag the arrows to compare), while below are a couple of shots from the DX10 upgrade.
Aliens: Colonial Marines Can Look Good – SweetFX vs Vanilla [DSOGaming, via PC Gamer]
AliensDX10 Better Grafik and Light [ModDB]