Seeing as how I am, and always have been a fan of both the Aliens and Predator movies, Alien Vs. Predator has been on my radar for a while. I am still sad to know that the Aliens RPG is probably never going to be made, but I will take what I can get… I guess. The real question is whether the game delivers everything that, in all honesty, it SHOULD.
This will be the third actual AvP game, though most console owners have probably never played any of the previous incarnations. There have also been countless versions of each of the title’s premier factions, meaning individual games featuring either Aliens, Predator, or Colonial Marines fighting aliens. These game date as far back as the Atari, believe it or not.
The forthcoming installment is brought to you by SEGA and Rebellion Developments. In production since late 2008, AvP looks to bring all three factions together in one big game. That’s right, you get to play as all three groups! Supposedly the plot is similar to the first AvP movie. That doesn’t exactly sound all that great, I know, considering the movie wasn’t exactly the best in the series. That being said, making a game out of the plot, with some changes, could actually be a lot of fun. Apparently a mining colony has stumbled upon an ancient pyramid. Upon it’s discovery, Predator “Hunters” are dispatched to make sure that the “Alien” species that are locked away inside it don’t get lose. Also on the call are the Colonial Marines, who are dispatched to check the pyramid, just to be safe. If the movies have taught us anything, bad things are bound to happen to all three, with more than enough bloodshed to go around.
The single player campaign isn’t all the game has to offer. The previously announced multiplayer component could be a lot of fun as well. You will be able to play the usual modes of both single and Team Death Match, and probably some form of CTF, but the ability to choose your race of choice is the real star.
Each faction has its own strengths and weaknesses:
- Marines use big guns but are essentially easy to kill.
- Predators have stealth and exotic weapons, but they deplete their power.
- Aliens are fast and stealthy, but can’t use any weapons, other than their own bodies.
Also in multiplayer, there are more game specific modes, such as Infestation, where several marines are allied against a single Alien. The catch is, should the alien kill a marine, then they too become an alien. This game of cat and mouse continues until there is only one Marine left, forcing them to survive as long as possible with only the assistance of a weapon upgrade. There is the Predator hunt mode, that tasks a group of hunters with killing an alien for points, more kills more points. Lastly, there have been rumors of another offering for the Colonial Marines that will be similar to Gears of War 2′s popular Hoard mode. As you would expect, this features marines fighting off wave after wave of aliens.
Set to release mid February, you can get the standard version for any of the high definition platforms, PS3, Xbox 360, or PC. With the 360 and PS3, you also have the option to buy the Limited Edition package, called the “Hunter” edition, which includes:
- The game disc(duh!),
- Access to 4 multiplayer maps before the general public does
- Dark Horse graphic novel
- Weyland-Yutani patch
- A lenticular Post Card
- AND a face hugger with fully articulating limbs.
All of this can be yours for about $100. Even speaking from the perspective of a diehard fan of the Aliens and Predator films, this is not enough to warrant shelling out one hundred bones, especially if the game isn’t going to hold up. However, for sixty dollars I will still be looking forward to playing this one. I hope that others will as well, if for nothing else then to support the multiplayer.
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