[Adam]

I'm really looking forward to this, as I'm a big fan of both franchises (the good films that is). I especially hope they nail the sound effects down on this- I'm more concerned about this than I am about the graphics, actually. The previous games were pretty good, so I'm expecting Rebellion to deliver the goods on this one-they created the one for the Jaguar (laff) and the first one for the PC.

I think its out on Tuesday (Feb. 16th).

[Adam]

My Review for AvP Single Player-PS3

Anything bearing the title "Aliens V. Predator" has a lot to prove. The films, while fairly successful at the box office were bonafide garbage cinematically and again demonstrated the feeble ambitions of 20th Century Fox to cash in on both franchises.

The games on the other hand gave fanboys and FPS fans alike a very enjoyable experience, as you played through the eyes of a marine, the alien, or the predator. As a fanboy myself I couldn't be more thrilled with the opportunity to play as each species and the various perks that came with that. The fact that the campaign storylines were above average was shocking and pleasantly surprising. The multiplayer aspect of the game also successfully demonstrated a balance between the species, undoubtedly increasing its replaybility (people still play the original AvP and you can purchase it on Steam).

Rebellion successfully replicated much of the beloved tension and terror found in the franchise, particularly when playing as the marine in the first AvP for the PC. I was thus very happy to hear that they would develop the third installment in the series.

Story

The campaigns manage to guide you through a halfway decent narrative involving Weyland-Yutani (of course) and starring Lance Henriksen (sweet!). Obviously the Company is up to its old tricks again (yes that's a sacred franchise rule), all hell breaks loose, and aliens, predators and marines start killing each other (sweet!).

Perhaps I speak for myself, but in a game such as this gameplay and atmosphere are paramount, and the story for all I care can take a backseat. Anyone who has read any of the entries in the Dark Horse comics is almost always guaranteed a story involving giant pyramids and predators and aliens and marines (oh my).

Gameplay

Gameplay in this third installment is initially frustrating, especially for those who have never played as the alien in previous games. Negative reviews seem to indicate that this was the single most detracting aspect of the game. Honestly I had no problems with the controls themselves. They seemed very responsive. However, the lack of ironsights for the marine is an obvious hinderance, and why Rebellion could not incorporate this essential feature is a complete mystery. But I can see why those who bleed MW2 would hate the game on this factor alone and deem it impossible to play.

Playing as the marine you get all the obvious toys- pulse rifles, smartguns etc and the motion tracker of course. As an alien you can run on any surface. I found it especially nifty (never gets old for me) that you can pounce on on someone as you hang from the ceiling directly above them. You can also hold down colonists to the floor until a facehugger surfaces and facehugs the civilian. With that I should add, this game is not for the squeamish, particularly when you play as the predator and alien. Personally I am glad since terror is a defining aspect of both franchises. The predator also comes with all of his nifty toys, vision modes etc. The spear is intense.

The level design does not score big marks with me. It seems rather maze-ish and a little behind the times honestly. It looks like Rebellion said "Man let's just crank these out and through a little jungle map in there for good measure." Dissappointing.

I would recommend playing this game on Hard as it seems the AI is quite dull on any setting beneath this. Do this and you will have a far more rewarding experience, especially when playing against Marines.

Atmosphere

Perhaps the single most defining feature of this game is its atmosphere. The way the tension unfolds when playing as a Marine is aptly appropriate, and yes your eyes will play tricks on you. The lighting looks amazing. More than any previous Avp game, the sound is exactly as you would find it in the movies, no joke. If you have a THX system or something that similarily causes ear orgasms then you might crap your pants, especially if you scare easily. The first time I heard an Alien hiss behind me I was quite disturbed.

Making a game encompassing material that could easily involve 3 separate games is an undoubtedly daunting task. I just wish Rebellion would have spent a little more time developing it. I could have waited.

I know this review is rambling and I will sum up with this simple concept. If you are a fan of the franchise, you will enjoy this game. I love the Alien franchise in particular and the alien portion of the game is a lot of fun. Does it break new ground for an FPS? No. Is it fun? Definitely.

6.5/10

[FreakShiny]

The reviews so far have been less than desirable... looks like yet another poorly done cliche shooter...

[Adam]

Originally Posted by FreakShiny

The reviews so far have been less than desirable... looks like yet another poorly done cliche shooter...

The more objective I become and the more I play, the more I'm inclined to agree....

[FreakShiny]

Originally Posted by Adam

The more objective I become and the more I play, the more I'm inclined to agree....

It's really quite unfortunate, too... a game like this could be so cool... it seems like the game companies just crank stuff out to make money as quickly as possible and don't really care about developing something cool.