One of the greatest and most influential science fiction franchises has been given the Zen Studios treatment. While Pinball FX2: Aliens vs. Pinball doesn't pick exclusively from the series' highest points, the tables themselves are universally excellent. If you're a fan of one, the other, or both, this is an easy buy.

While its predecessor ranks higher in my book, there's no denying the power of James Cameron's 1986 influential masterpiece Aliens. It's one of the greatest action films of all time, as well as one of the greatest sequels of all time. Unsurprisingly, nostalgia is all over the pinball table Zen Studios has based on it: promotional art adorns the base level of the table. The climactic encounter between Ellen Ripley and the Alien Queen is a legendary scene, and it's the one most commonly associated with the film. The rest of the table looks fantastic, too, with creative touches involving the Colonial Marines, the APC, the besieged extraterrestrial homestead Hadley's Hope, and the not-so-indigenous xenomorphs who have viciously killed all but a single young inhabitant...

While I would have preferred a table based on Ridley Scott's great 1979 original, Zen Studios has at least given us the next best thing: a table based on The Creative Assembly's ambitious, atmospheric 2014 horror game Alien: Isolation. Sevastopol Station may not be as positively riddled with the biomechanical horrors as Hadley's Hope or the derelict spacecraft on the surface of LV-426, but it only takes one to take you out. It's obvious that the folks at Zen have experienced Amanda Ripley's harrowing quest for survival and closure, and they've chosen the best elements from the game to showcase in the table. The eerie Working Joes are efficient cleaners, and the lone xenomorph is a continuous deadly presence. What's particularly impressive about this table is how it carries over the game's trademark atmosphere, dread and all.

Thankfully, the final pinball table included in Aliens vs. Pinball isn't explicitly based on the Paul W. S. Anderson film of the same name. The Alien vs. Predator table seems more based on the lore of the spin-off series. You are "cast" as a young Yautja (Predator) warrior. Trials by combat and hunting challenges are obviously the way to rise in this society. Armed with the future tech and weaponry of this civilization, go forth and do battle with the ultimate prey: xenomorphs. The almost religious imagery invoked in this table goes a long way in selling this otherwise silly concept, and while I don't particularly see Alien vs. Predator as a legitimate extension of the core franchise, this pinball table is damned good.

Pinball FX2: Aliens vs. Pinball is Zen Studios at the peak of their craft. The tables included are excellently-themed, smartly-priced, and easy to recommend.