Aliens vs. Predator

Back in 2004, when these two classic science fiction franchises first clashed on screen, it was immediately clear that hardcore fans of both series were going to be enraged by the outcome. This game is the an updated version of the 1999 classic, but that doesn't mean that there will be a drop in game design.

If there is one thing that Rebellion got right in their development of AvP, it is the trademark effects of the different series. From the groosm fatalities used by both aliens and predators, to the many sounds of each of the three species, everything sounds spot on to what you remember.

For as good as the AvP game sounds, the graphics have a hard time keeping pace. The texture work, mainly on the outdoor settings, really could have used some extra work. The detail in object's model and the frame rate has a hard time keeping up at times. The marine campaign looks better than the other two campaigns because of confined corridor spaces, but even there you won't find anything impressive. That said, no matter what kind of character you select, AvP does a solid job of pulling you into to that specific universe, something that people of the movie franchises are sure to enjoy.

Aliens vs. Predator presents you with three different single player campaigns for the three different races. The Marine Campaign is more of a first person shooter, straight forward campaign with a radar, lots of guns, and grenades; each of which has a healthy touch of the for mentioned authenticity of the movie. Now if only that authentic feel compared to some inspired FPS game design or perfected mechanics. The Alien campaign is more about using the creatures speed and hunting abilities, but the high rate of motion can be problematic in certain situations. The Alien campaign is all about the stealth abilities, and sneaking up on enemies to do fast, but very effective attacks.

The main problem with this game is the lack of different maps and abilities in the multiplayer mode. You only get to choose up to six maps and six adversarial modes, and only two campaign maps. Thankfully the campaign mode are varied enough that they will be fun for some time, providing you the time to master both species. Co-op with three others is fun for some time, but only have the option of playing two different maps grows tiresome quickly. My biggest complaint with the multiplayer is that there isn't any expandability for your characters. Even though you still rank up, you only unlock new skins, but not new abilities.

This game had high expectations due to the fact that the movie had so much success. But, the creators of this game got really sloppy and simply just wanted to make their deadline to when the game was suppose to be released. If the creators had mastered the mechanics of the melee species attack, I think this would have been a better ranked game. Also, the main part of a game now is how good the graphics are. In the movie there is a lot of special effects that makes the movie appear to be great. The game however looks like it was made with graphic generators that are about three years old. Even though the expectations were high, this game is one of the most poorly put together games of all time.