There’s nothing quite like the concept of taking up your controller to do battle in the world of Aliens vs Predator. The ability to dramatically tear the spine from a human foe is sure to bring a grin to your face. Although some flaws may appear now and then to slightly hamper your experience, there’s absolutely no disputing that this title is incredibly fun to play, particularly online, and will have you returning to your couch time and time again.
Aliens vs Predator features three different campaign modes, providing you with the ability to take control of a marine, an alien and a predator. It’s recommended that you start with the Marine mode though, as the learning curve of the game is surprisingly steep and it will offer the gentlest introduction. Within this first person shooter mode you will have a great introduction to the world around you, with sounds from the movies carried into the game, such as radar blips and machine gun fire. It’s the graphics and the audio that will transport you to this world and have you on the edge of your seat, as you start to get to grips with melee attacks and enjoy the FPS action.
Once you’re finished playing as a marine it’s time to take to the other two campaigns, in which you will find yourself utilising the melee skills that you experienced some of with the marine action. As an alien you will escape from the laboratory, fighting your way through and enjoying the ability to crawl along the walls and ceilings. The predator, on the other hand, boasts the ability to jump with ease from different surfaces, ready to jump on the unsuspecting marines below. Both of these modes have their strengths, and there’s plenty of enjoyment to be had, but be aware that melee combat is difficult for a game developer to get right. You might find yourself a little seasick due to the shaky camera, and with an automatic lock-on function you’ll soon find yourself slaughtering needlessly.
Get through the annoyances however, and you’ll discover that the two characters on offer have certain play styles to learn and master. As an alien you’ll need to dart quickly around, but not so quickly that you lose control. As a predator though, it’s all about how stealthily you can stick to the side of a building, ready to pounce on your prey.
Once you’re done with the single player modes on offer you will certainly want to head online to enjoy an all out battle between the three species. With six different online modes, and six individual maps to explore and enjoy there is a lot of enjoyment to be had with friends across the globe. A deathmatch featuring marines, aliens and predators is inevitably going to end in messy enjoyment, and there will be plenty of chances to explore the strengths and weaknesses of each particular species.
Aliens vs Predator might not live up to some of the online battle games on offer in the market today, but with appropriately gory deaths, the atmospheric world of the movies and many different modes to sink your teeth into, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had.