[1][2] One or two players can take the role of a pair of United States Colonial Marines in an altered version of the film's storyline.

The action begins with an escape from the spaceship Sulaco before proceeding to the surface of Fiorina 'Fury' 161, where players must take down hordes of Aliens as well as an army of Weyland-Yutani Corporation troops sent to retrieve specimens by any means necessary.

In Japan, Game Machine listed Alien 3: The Gun on their November 1, 1993 issue as being the most-successful upright/cockpit arcade unit of the month.

[4] According to Retro Gamer, the "terrifying and glorious" Alien 3 "went leagues beyond the other shoot-'em ups, such as Lethal Enforcers.

"[5] Jon Thompson of All Game Guide gave it four stars out of five, calling it an "exciting" shooter "that does the movies proud, creating a horror-filled, action-packed atmosphere that should impress both die-hard and casual fans.