Review: Aliens vs. Predator

Written by Jim Thomas Saturday, 20 February 2010 17:52

To date, Ridley Scott’s Sci-Fi horror movie “Aliens” is one of the scariest movies I have ever seen.  As a child, it was solely responsible for both my fear of the dark and chronic bedwetting.   Featuring the type of suspense that makes Alfred Hitchcock films look like Disney movies, “Alien” created a genre of entertainment that is the inspiration for countless movies and games to this day. 

On the other side you have “Predator”, an action thriller featuring an intergalactic hunter as he stalks a squad of marines in the jungles of Central America.  While nowhere near as suspenseful or terrifying as “Alien”, “Predator” managed to create a cult following that also lead to multiple sequels.

One would imagine that taking the characters from these highly successful franchises and combining them would have created the apex of science fiction entertainment.  Characterized by terrible acting, an uninteresting story, and none of the elements that made their predecessors great, “Alien vs. Predator” movies have generally been mired in mediocrity.

Enter the newest contender in the AVP universe, Alien vs. Predator.  Developed by Rebellion Games and published by Sega.  “Alien vs. Predator” (AVP), is Rebellion’s 5^th foray into AVP universe, and for the most part, they’ve hit all the sweet spots. 

Open your mouth so my friend here can rape it.

AVP offers up a short campaign mode allowing players to take on the role as a marine, an alien, or a predator.  Each campaign follows the same story, but seen from a different perspective.  Whether you are mouth raping an engineer with a face-hugger, or ripping the head off a Marine, AVP offers up more than a few moments that will delight and terrify you at the same time.

The highlight of the campaign is playing as the Marine.   A team of Marines drop into a colony that has been overrun by Xenomorphs.  Armed only with a pistol, shoulder mounted flashlight, and a motion tracker, players are thrown into the dark and left to fend for themselves.  The environment looks and feels as if it were ripped straight from “Alien”. 

Metal hallways clank and echo as you walk, lights flicker on an off as sparks shoot out from a recently smashed receptacle.  Your motion tracker beeps, showing movement ahead in the pitch black hallway.  The beeping increases in volume and speed, as the small dot speeds towards your position.  Your flashlight illuminates but a fraction of the hallway as you frantically search for the origin of the movement, then just as it reaches your position the dot vanishes, and the beeping fades.  With no visual threat you are free to move ahead, only to watch a vent overhead slam to the ground and a 6 foot alien emerge, swinging its bladed tail towards your face.  The Alien charges into you, slamming your back to the ground, and your flashlight blinks out from the force.  Muzzle flashes from your firing pistol illuminate the now darkened hall, as the alien lets out an elephant like screech.  Acid blood from your impacting bullets splash upon your face, draining your health as you empty your clip.  The alien jumps from wall to wall swiping madly until your last bullet connects with it’s head, and it drops to the ground.

Wear dark pants, because moments like this happen all the time as a marine.