Aliens versus Predator is one of the most classic disputes in all of sci-fi lore. Some side with the terrifying aliens for their swarming abilities, and others favor the predators for their advanced technology. Regardless, both seem to overwhelm the human race.
This series has finally produced a game that is relatively bearable, yet sadly this FPS hybrid will sometimes have you 'running for da choppa.'
AVP is really almost four games mashed into one, and not in the most eloquent of ways. This game attempts to do what no others have been able to: make a great movie game.
The three campaign modes take the player from the worst race in the universe, humans, to the best, the aliens. Predators strangely fall in the middle because of human weaponry, their one weakness.
The human campaign is short, but it can still be a frustrating few hours, as nearly anything that moves can wipe out a marine. But for humanity, there is salvation in the form of the shotgun. This double-barreled, BFG incarnate can inexplicably devastate anything and everything.
Other than the shotgun, the only perk to being a homosapien is the radar, which when paired with AVP's rapid turning can be a devastating combination.
Predator plays like a juggernaut. That is until the marines actually shoot back. Of all the technology the Predator race posseses, the shield is strangely absent.
However, the ability to leap higher than Rey Mysterio on steroids can have its advantages. The ability to become invisible is a nice feature, but marines can't be fooled by such jedi mind tricks.
Aliens are everything they should be and more. Stealth, speed, and deadly attacks make alien the most fun to play. The alien's ability to climb walls can make players feel either very empowered or incredibly nauseous, depending on the amount of game fuel in their stomach.
With regenerating health and vicious stealth kills, Alien claims this round of AVP.
Both aliens and predators have gruesome fatalities. The easiest way to achieve them is to either sneak up behind the opponent, or knock them to the ground in melee combat.
However, while melee combat is fun, it is more like a fast paced game of Rock-Paper-Scissors: the light attacks are blocked by guards and leave the player vulnerable, heavy attacks break the guard and light attacks beat the heavy attacks.
The fourth mode, and by far the best, is the online multiplayer. It certainly won't bring down the pantheon of shooters (like, Halo, Call of Duty or Left 4 Dead) but it can make for some very interesting online matches. Each of the three possible characters has pros and cons, serving to make the online mode very enjoyable.
The last mode worth mentioning is human survival, in which the player fights in standard horde mode. As you play, the room progressively opens up to more areas, the enemies get tougher and the quantity of the aliens increases. This is all well and good, but this is slowly becoming an industry standard, and AVP does nothing to really change the formula.
In truth, Aliens vs. Predator doesn't make any phenomenal leaps forward, but does provide a fun arena for all the fans of the movies. For fans of the series, or those looking for another fun FPS to add to their collection, AVP is entirely recommended; but lack-luster game-play in some of the campaigns and limited appeal make this game another good, but not great movie based game.
E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
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