Aliens vs Predator - 8/10
Before I played Aliens vs Predator, I failed to comprehend how developers with the support of a hit movie behind them, can fail to make an incredible game. I figured, with Alien, Predator and AvP behind them, it would be very hard, if not impossible, to make an unsuccessful one. I was, as normal, proven wrong as AvP proved that NOTHING can stop a game from being dissapointing.
To be fair to Rebellion, the game isn't overlly crap, just a massive story full of missed opportunities. It's not these tiny, insignificant details themselves that bring the game down, but the sheer quantity of them. Each of the three races (Alien, Marine and Predator) have a fairly engaging storyline, that link up and create a big scenario. The weapons, movement and sound, are all true to the movies, replicting places and vehicles with accuracy. Each species have their own tactics to use, the Aliens use the strong Xenomorph bodies to overpower enemies at close quarters, the Predators rely on their advanced weaponry (Cloaking devices, thermal vision, plasma guns and jump markers) to carry them through, where as the Marines are more the middle party, being equal at both melee and distance attacks.
Marine Campaign:
Many players who enjoy the typical FPS experience, may be attracted to the Marine campaign. Admittedly, the Marine is the easiest character to relate to, knowing that you feel the same fear as him makes you feel connected with the character, unlike the Alien and Predator Campaigns. Another relatable thing, is the Marines weaponary, being the typical machine guns, shotguns, and destructive tools that we know and love in modern day FPS games, just juiced up with future technology. One vital factor of the game is the Marines Motion-Sensor, an item without which the Marines would surely be doomed. It's basically a minature radar, that emits a whine, higher the pitch for a closer enemy. This can make for some ridiculously freaky encounters. Overall, the Marine offers an enjoyable campaign, and keeps the traditional AvP feel flowing.
Alien Campaign:
The Marine campaign is the accetable one, and has fewer of those little details I spoke about earlier, than any other campaign. The Alien and Predator campaign, seem promising at first sight, but repetitiveness rears it's ugly head, and only the first chapter is overlly exciting. Climbing on any surface is about as exciting as jumping from a plane, only until you realise you forgot your parachute. You also have to harvest unarmed civilians, which means restraining them to release a face hugger on the humans face. Sometimes, you feel guilty for this brutal slaughter, but you forget all of your remorse when the humans start to shoot back. Despite being a real looker, the Alien campain is surprisingly limited, and could not have contributed less to the overall story.
Predator Campaign:
This is the one that was the biggest let down. The Predators capabilities were incredibly limited in the game, only being able to shoot, throw a combi-stick and blades, swing your knives, zoom in, turn invisible, switch between vision modes and distract people. In writing, this sounds like a recipe for hours of fun, but all of the fun wears off in about half an hour, and going on with the game feels like a burden, not a pleasure. The jump marker does offer some fun, allowing you to select a vantage point, building, or tree-top to jump to, but along with the Aliens climbing capabilities, this also gets boring.
Gameplay: the controls of AvP vary through each species, but are fairly straight forward, and not difficult to pick up on. 8.0
Graphics: Not an overally good visual effort, textures are choppy and fairly basic. 6.5
Sound: All effects are true to the movie, and put you on the edge of your seat, just like wit the Movies. 9.0
Value: While this game is not overally exciting where it should be, the originality evens it out, and makes that 150 buck Hunter pack seem worth it. 8.0
Overall: Aliens vs Predator could have been so much more than it is, and I am hoping that DLC will make up for that. 8.0
Conclusion: While AvP does sound like a game to avoid, it's not. The terrifying story of the Marine in itself is enough to make this game playable. While this game is marked down on the enjoyment side of things, the thing that really keeps the ship from sinking is the gaming experience. There are few games where climbing is an option, but even Ezio cannot run along a roof upside-down and stab an enemy to death with his tail (For obvious reasons). The tactical freedom and originality of AvP are what have kept me interested throughout the past few days. Maybe there will be a future AvP game, that will correct the mistakes and make Aliens vs Predator what it could, and should have been.
Aliens vs Predator News
Aliens vs Predator Discussions
Aliens vs Predator Reviews
Aliens vs Predator Videos