As far as I can tell, there are 4 versions of this game (with 3 different language releases):

• UK English Release
• USA English Release
• German Release
• French Release

There are also 2 available patches (available from PC Gaming Wiki ): https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/1945-aliens-a-comic-book-adventure-patches-french-english/

• V1.02 French
• V1.03 USA

V1.0

I found a premade game config pack with the game at V1.0 (which is the version I'm using for running). The author said they tried patching it up to V1.03 but it was more buggy than V1.0 and I can confirm. I've tried patching it myself with it and it just introduces more sound emulation and subtitling errors. Most noticeable playing the Introduction. I'm not sure what release this is but I'm inclined to believe it is an EU copy. The .exe of the game on disc 1 has modification date of 12/10/95.

V1.01

I got a boxed copy earlier this year of what is definitely the UK release. I can tell by the back of the box lists the UK HQ and the warranty card has the UK address on it. Interestingly, the menu changes to show the version number as 1.01, the trademark is vastly changed to a more generic "eh, ye know who ye are". This might be due to Fox pulling the license plug. PLAY GAME has the "GAME" removed and instead of LOAD GAME it's LOAD ADVENTURE. This one's executable is time stamped just over a month later at 17/11/95.

V1.02

As this is a patch for the French language and changes chunks of text to French I haven't bothered playing too much of it. The readme however does shed some light on why this patch exists. Running it through Google Translate gets the result below-

Aliens PATCH V2

As a result of duplication issues Bugges appeared in the version Aliens Comic Book Adventure This patch resolves these. Some problems incompatibilities with sound cards may subsist and are the current lot PC games. Usage (after installing the game!): 1 - Go to A: 2 - type install (the patch installs) 3 - Launch aliensp2.exe from your hard drive to launch the game. That's all! P.S: we have seen that on some DX2/66, for reasons of speed, it is advisable to choose NONE as your MIDI card. Good game.

(Pretty sure the "Good game" is just bad slang translation for Happy Gaming)

But it notes that it's a manufacturing issue for why the game has issues, and that there's sound issues. Chosing None for MIDI is a test I already did to see if it kicks the game to use the superior .wav versions of the music tracks but instead it's just silence. The version on launch does flash as V1.02F but the main menu shows the same as my UK copy. Possible the French version just brings it in line with UK release I have in terms of bugfixes?

V1.03

Unfortunately trying to patch the two versions I have will break subtitles and cause more audio issues. Easiest way to check is the Introduction video- after a min the dialogue will loop and towards the end of the cutscene the subtitle language will show a line in another language.

The version number does change the version number to 1.03US. This is leading me to believe the patches are actually region specific as it's got the qualifier US at the end (and the French version has F). So, if I've been trying to patch EU releases with the USA patch and it's breaking... there's a possibility if I can get a copy of the USA edition I could get a more fixed (and, in theory, more polished) game. It might also explain the subtitles bugging on the intro vid if it's pulling a different localization file. The main things I'm hoping for is that the Alien Queen is patched to be an easier fight and that the music has option for using the .wav version instead.

...I bought a copy of the USA version to see if this in the slightest way true. Easiest way to tell what region you have by glancing at the box- the USA one has facehugger tendrils (although looks more like claws?) poking around the edges and the artwork shows the xenomorph's tail. Waiting on it to be delivered but this soon after Black Friday and coming internationally? Yeah... I could be waiting until Jan before I get the chance to test this theory out!

I got the USA version and patched it to v1.03. However, the fixes don't offset some issues. Changes I've noticed compared to the EU v1.0:

• The big one: the game is more unstable. I've had it crash more on this than any other version, also found it randomly hanging/disappearing the cursor for a split second multiple times.
• MIDI music plays better. Not as good as the .wav versions included on the discs but definitely much improved over the other versions I've tested.
• Playing the intro movie causes subtitle and dialogue looping, plus some framerate issues.
• Combat is faster paced. Double edged sword in that Hendrickson no longer takes ages to turn, but offset by the enemies movement and their damage output.
• More random encounters with 2 Xenomorphs in the Alien Hive compared to other versions.
• Some audio lines now play that don't in other versions. Trying to open doors that require a keycard without the keycard selected will now read out the security alert instead of just the onscreen text.
• The dialogue puzzle with Lora is straight up removed- you start the game with the Green Keycard in Hendrickson's inventory.
• Final fight with the Colonial Marines is cut, as if you had watched Crespi's Report disc and kept it.
• Extra combat encounters in the Alien Hive- more when heading towards the Alien Queen Lair but one now guaranteed right before reaching Church's observation room.
• Prompt on MOM's terminal to select Senors is skippable.
• Picking up the Laser Gun from the crate is automatic after lowering the crane in the side room.
• Act timers seem to go faster- e.g. guaranteed to get the xenomorph trying to break into the base cutscene doing Escape% right after picking up Crespi's Hand.
• The cutscenes take longer to skip, including traversal ones. Especially noticeable for the USS Sheridan landing sequence and when entering the Alien Hive. Without the cut areas it'd actually be the slower version.

What this means for runs:

• Escape%: might be faster on USA with the dialogue sequence cut from the start, with only the extra combat encounters in the Alien Hive going to Church's hiding spot that should be a bit shorter.
• Regicide%: might be better off on the more stable EU version as the extra combat encounters on the way to the Alien Queen, on the way back to the starting point and then going to Church's hiding spot might be slower overall. Also more likely to cause dead runs between the game being flat out more unstable and the combat speed increasing might just mean the soldiers at the end will completely decimate your health in the time it takes to toss out a grenade.

I'll have to do more testing but have some other stuff to do for the game ahead of this. Hoping I can circle back around to this in a week or two.