Aliens vs Predator pits the two iconic alien species against human colonial marines, in a first-person, three-way showdown. Essentially, a remake of Rebellion’s 1999 PC game, also called Aliens vs Predator, can the reboot survive in a new millennium against Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Bioshock 2 or Halo: ODST? Read our Aliens vs Predator review and find out.
In both single and multi-player Aliens vs Predator, you play as any one of the three species, each with their own unique skills. The marines get kickass tech – pulse rifles, proximity sensors – and squads. The aliens move really fast across any surface, including the ceiling and get vicious melee attacks. And the Predators can leap long distances, camo-cloak up and perform stealth kills.
Each species in Aliens vs Predator feels radically different – and that’s the biggest appeal of the game. Multi-player also takes advantage of this, with well thought out and unusual modes that play to each species’ strengths and weaknesses. Sadly, not all species were created equal.
Read our Bioshock 2 for Xbox 360 review
The marines in Aliens vs Predator probably get the best single-player campaign, and are easiest and most familiar to play with. While both the feral Aliens and stealthy Predator feel hobbled by weak controls – the Alien should be able to flow smoothly over any surface, but instead gets too-easily caught on door jambs or humps in ceilings, needing button presses to get over stuff. The Predator can’t get behind cover, and its leap is all too often unavailable when it should be.
Worse still, Aliens vs Predator just looks and feels incredibly dated – the visuals are last-generation standard, the dialogue and audio is at its best when it rips its film source material off, but elsewhere is muddy and dull. And level design is bog-standard at best.
It feels as if Rebellion liked the 1999 Aliens vs Predator so much they barely bothered to update it. In a market stuffed with Modern Warfare 2, BioShock 2, Halo etc. it just is nowhere near good enough.
There is some creepy fun to be had in Aliens vs Predator from the light/dark play of classic narrow crawlways, looming shadows and guttering flares, particularly as the marine. But this is ultimately a mediocre game in a market full of smarter, better, faster rivals.
