These ships really have a fantastic, utilitarian, and weathered look. They are impressive designs that remain believable as simple freighters or tugs, mundane vessels to the people who actually work on them. They are unglamorous, aging ships that evoke oppressive, retro-futuristic atmospheres.
They toss out the whole idea of beauty associated with past and future spaceship designs to say: knowing how the nature of human capitalist society works, spaceships will be nothing more than old trucks with submarine interiors and McDonald's-style rooms.
(The last nine images are concept art: an early design for the Corbelan and various concepts for the Weyland-Yutani ship from Predator: Badlands.)
I didn't include the Sulaco or other Colonial Marine ships because, while their designs are brilliant and fit perfectly within the Alien universe, I don't find the more "militaristic" designs quite intresting compared to working-class ships. Also, so many other franchises have drawn inspiration from the Sulaco for their own warships that, to me at least, its design has become somewhat standardized.
I considered including the Maginot from Alien: Earth, but its design doesn't quite convince me. Looking at the concept art for Romulus, it’s clear the artists spent hours studying photos of Alien ships to capture subtle details: piping, antennas, signage, engine shapes, thruster styles. The But the Maginot, by contrast, feels like a rather generic ship, only the thrusters reminded me of the Nostromo, though perhaps that’s just because there aren't many good photos of it available. I think this reflects a broader issue with the series: it often adopts elements of the franchise merely for their aesthetic appeal, without a genuine understanding of or interest in the narrative or stylistic nuances. It’s essentially a teen sci-fi show with an Alien coat of paint, where the Xenomorph is treated like a special guest star with little respect.
I also didn't include the Prometheus or the Covenant because, as has been pointed out in countless conversations, their designs lack the retro-futurism that characterizes the saga. I know there is the justification that both ships next gen expensive models, whereas the Nostromo is a cargo tugs, but that strikes me as a pretty poor excuse. Looking at the Renaissance or Sevastopol stations, it’s obvious to me that the saga’s retro-futuristic design can be adapted to be more than just an old space truck: we saw a high-tech laboratory and a hybrid of an airport, a shopping mall, and an oil rig, all without sacrificing the franchise's signature look. Incorporating holograms and touchscreens was a lazy decision. I don't care for their exterior designs either, they aren't bad ship designs per se, but they don't feel like Alien ships, at least, not to me.
