Review: Aliens vs. Predator

Russ Pitts

The Boss of You
May 1, 2006
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Review: Aliens vs. Predator

Despite presentation issues, Aliens vs. Predator has that elusive quality - fun - in abundance.

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Julianking93

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May 16, 2009
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While this is a great review and I was fairly excited for this game, I'm doing the same I'm doing for Bioshock 2 and Dante's Inferno; waiting until price drops.
 

Aura Guardian

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Apr 23, 2008
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Russ Pitts said:
Review: Aliens vs. Predator

Despite presentation issues, Aliens vs. Predator has that elusive quality - fun - in abundance.

Read Full Article
This review sold me on it. I'm going to buy it. It's been a long time since I bought a game for my Xbox 360. Thanks.
 

MetaKnight19

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Jul 8, 2009
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A good game all round, I've finished the Alien and Predator campaigns but I still have to finish the Marine campaign. I found the best one was the Predator. What's not to like about ripping out someones spine with their head still attached.
 

Crayzor

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Aug 16, 2009
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This game is some of the most fun I've ever had online. I don't understand why some reviewers have given it such low scores.
 

DrunkWithPower

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Apr 17, 2009
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Wow, I think this is the only review I've seen that takes AvP for what it offers and doesn't toss it for newer mechanics. There is a lot of nostalgia in it for me but I realize other people might not get it. I kind of want to say it's a fan game more than anything but I know better.
 

leeloodallasmultipass

THE Fifth Element
Mar 23, 2009
188
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Althought im not a fan of the Alien vs Predator Movie Franchise (well the more recent abomination that was AVP:Requiem), i absolutley love the original Alien movies and Predator movies. Throwing them all together into a game encompasses my love for stealth (predator), outright Brutality (Alien) and good ole fashioned blast shit up first ask questions later (Marine) styles of gameplay.

I will probabaly get around to buying the game when i have the free time/Cash but my mass effect 2 addiction needs feeding atm.

Oh and Russ... i too have watched Aliens far to many times to be healthy... but i just cant help it... tis soo good =)
 

Frybird

New member
Jan 7, 2008
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I won this game in a contest and expected to sell it right away, but i feel almost exactly like this review describes.

Yes, technically, it's a bad game, and regularly loses the great-360-Frybird-Attention-Derby against the enormously awesome Mass Effect 2, but when i boot it up, there is fun to be had.
Especially the Multiplayer, despite being outdated, offers a lot of memorability whenever, for example, i sprint at incredible speeds along walls, getting behind hapless marines at just the right moment, and jump in for the trophy kill.

Sadly (yes, very apperantly Aliens are my favorites), Rebellion hasn't taken a cue from AVP2 creators Monolith and actually let me live the lifecycle of the Alien in the ... well, Alien Campaign. Sneaking around as a Facerap...err...Facehugger and finally evolving into a deadly killer machine was one of my all time favorite moments of the whole franchise.


So yes, AvP is not good, and as such not nearly as good as the two "originals" but thanks to it's iconic Ensemble and lots of simple, fast Fun, i'm still happy to play it.
 

Tiamat666

Level 80 Legendary Postlord
Dec 4, 2007
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So your review can be summed up as:
"Graphics - shitty, plot - shitty, presentation - shitty, but it's a good game because it has Aliens and Predators in it."

Not very convincing.

edit: actually, after watching the video, I think the graphics look rather nice and the gameplay seems pretty awesome.
edit2: a cover system for an AvP game seems redundant to me. Most of the time you're dealing with aliens, and it's not like they're going to fire back at you. And an Alien taking cover doesn't seem right either.
 

rockingnic

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May 6, 2009
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I pretty much agree with this review except for one thing. This game doesn't need cover because cover makes many games (that it doesn't belong in) slower and lose it's edge. AvP is suppose to be a high energy and nail biting experience and cover doesn't make any games, any of those. When is the last time you saw a game that was made for thrills that had cover and it worked great?
 

ManiacRaccoon

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Aug 20, 2008
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I rented this and I disagree on some points.

I don't know your reviewing process but I think you underrated the alien campaign, which you said was the one without the memorable and thrilling moments. I had the most fun with the alien campaign, though admittedly I ruined the marine campaign for myself first. Having previously played AvP 2 for the PC and loving the aliens gameplay in that title, I jumped straight into the alien campaign, stopping about 3/4 of the way through to give predator a try. This proved a foolish decision on my part, as spending about 8 hours playing as one of two races that in their respective campaigns tear through Marines like wristblades through butter can make for a very paranoid marine player. True enough the low lighting and claustrophobic spaces combined with the iconic motion tracker sound provided a nice creepily intense atmosphere, I was constantly concerned an alien or predator would drop from the ceiling and pull me through the vents, or any number of instant deaths I had seen or in some cases performed in the other campaigns. I guess I mean to say that I had so much fun playing the other two stories and they did their job wll at creating an intense experience for the marine that I stopped playing when I forgot I was running on protagonist power, making me immune to the usual cinematic insta-deaths.

But I've never had so much fun playing alien. I haven't played AvP 1, but in AvP 2, the grand majority of the stealth portion was the facehugger level (which I was dissapointed to see was absent, it made multiplayer more interesting if you could get people to turn the option on) and any segment when you had to sneak past a sentry gun or a few synthetics. AvP 3 (I noticed it's not called AvP 3, and I assume there is a good reason behind this, however I'm going to call it that here for the sake of clarity) encourages stealth the entire time. After I got used to their rework of the wall-crawling controls I loved it. True there are segments wherein you are breaking loose or you have no stealth option (or messed that option up) but the best part about those is that they don't get in the way, they are managable and fairly easy to get through or reload and try the stealth again. But those stealthy moments are the ones I remember. I remember knocking out the lights and impaling a man just as he uttered the words "Just another blown fuse." I remember crawling across the ceiling of a warehouse, dropping down and picking off an entire squad of marines, they only caught glimpses of me as the lights flickered off or as I leapt back to the ceiling after biting a hole in their comrade's head. I remember screeching from the vents, daring the marines to investigate as I picked them off, each time passing a lit-gas canister, wondering how best to utilize it, only to have the last marine spray the ventilation shaft with fire. From a safe distance deeper in the vents, I thought what to do next, remembering the gas can and thinking: "Wait, I wonder if that'll set off the explosi-HAHAHA! What an idiot!" as he detonated himself with exceptional comedic timing. I remember slaughtering a team of 5 Marine players and one Predator in an online species deathmatch with the help of only one other alien, creating panic in the team that had performed well together in previous rounds, contributing to a win for the aliens with a 20 point lead.

I remember the aliens gameplay quite fondly. I think you should give it another chance. However I respect your opinions and I realize not everyone enjoys playing Alien, it was true and AvP 2 and its true in AvP 3. It's even more challenging now that marine players have finally learned to look up, something they were comically lax about doing in AvP 2.

Other than that I agree with you. At first your suggestion of a cover system seemed like a bad idea to me, but now I'm curious. Just what kind of cover system were you hoping to implement against foes who can walk on walls, see in the dark and leap to the tops of two-story pillars, or can see your location every time you move? It would have to be a really good cover system to work against all that at once.
 

Dobrev

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Mar 25, 2009
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The game is NOT fun to play. And it is all due to the ridiculous control scheme. For PC:

As alien you have a special button that you need to press when you want to do a head bite. In a fry of a battle when your opponents are running, turning makes it impossible to use. Why they decided not to make it context sensitive, you target the head with normal attack, is beyond me. On the note of context sensitive, Alien's jump does nothing. Unless you are crouching then it leaps you forward and glues you to a wall if that was your target. Which is perfect since you can do three-angle-jumps in a corridor to get to your target, while dodging its fire. But again, why would you add a jump button why it will not work in certain conditions. Considering you also have a sprint button to keep pressing, the controls overwhelm you with unnecessary complexity. Focus is nice, but I witch they just made it auto target. I can't imagine a situation that I don't want to attack the target in front of me, but the one next to me. You see I can just turn my mouse a bit if I wanted to do that.

The predator is not a rose garden either and only the marine behaves as you expect. It is slow and can't jump (yes there is a jump button and I dare you press it) but feels like any other FPS, which is good.


Still one thing I must mention is the marine?s torch light. With the other races relying so much on stealth, making the heavy guns guy be able to see only in a small circle in front of him is genius. It brings out the horror and balance of the game. If they decide to fix the controls for the sequel, I'm getting it just for that feature.
 

Zepren

The Funnyman
Sep 2, 2009
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I can see alot of your points as I own this. I personally love it.

The main thing that I must disagree with is the graphics. Ok maybe they aren't the best ever but I still think their great to be honest. At no point did the slightly lacking graphics get in the way of the all important immersion. I think that the graphics served their purpose fine.

Also you said that 15 hours is relatively short? He I must also disagree as for an FPS, It's runtime isn't half bad. Play it on nightmare and it's properly challenging and that runtime is even longer.

Anyway the multiplayer makes up for the minor flaws if you ask me. While occasional frustrating (mainly due to other players), it is really fun especially with friends. I mean is there any better feeling then playing as an alien, jumping on your best-buddies' back and tearing through him with your spiked tail (this is no inuendo)? Didn't think so.

Edit: Extra note, I own the 360 version. Controls on that were fine
 

wooty

Vi Britannia
Aug 1, 2009
4,252
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I played this round at a friends house and im not sure about it, though the atmosphere is all there, the gameplay sometimes feels.....very unresponsive. You'll be getting overrun by stuff and clicking away to attack, but probably swing your blades/claws only twice.
Not so much a problem for the marine due to the guns, but the damage you deal can be laughable, I understand why the rifles give you 99 rounds per clip, as 30 would just take the piss in most situations.
 

lSHaDoW-FoXl

New member
Jul 17, 2008
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It's nice to see you gave it a fair review, I'm not psyched to go buy it but all the same I'm not going to shrug it off - it seems a bit interesting so I might just rent it.
 

Onyx Oblivion

Borderlands Addict. Again.
Sep 9, 2008
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I still think the demo sucked, and I didn't even like the AvP 2000 game on Steam. so, yeah...noy getting it.
 

GunboatDiplomat

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Mar 23, 2009
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I got it on the pc. Initially it disappointed but its been growing on me. The multiplayer is a bit lacklustre too but infestation mode can have some awesome moments.
 

scnj

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Nov 10, 2008
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I'm really having fun with the marine campaign so far. I'd continue today, but uni work and Heavy Rain are tearing me away.