AvP is a game that does some things very well, but falls short of being a must play title.
For those unfamiliar with how Rebellions Aliens vs Predator game will work, just know this, choose your species(Alien, Predator or Marine) and let the carnage commence in either 3 separate campaigns or head online for some brutal species vs species vs species competition. AvP allows you to take control of 3 very different and very distinct species in either single player or online game modes.
The Alien, or Xenomorph as its referred to in the films and this game, relies completely on short range melee attacks and its blazing speed. The Xenomorph is by far the fastest of the 3 species and can go from the floor, to a wall, to the ceiling in a flash. Once the Xenomorph is close enough it can unleash a light quick attack, a heavy slow attack or a pounce and if you happen to be sneaky enough to catch another character unaware you can unleash a devastatingly visceral stealth kill. You are also able to block light attacks which can set you up for a counter and then a quick kill. Learning to do all these moves however, will take some time, no scratch that, will take a LOT of time. Aliens vs Predator features a very steep learning curve that will put most gamers off. Due to the Xenomorphs speed and ability to cling to any surface, controlling it can become slightly disorienting. There is an on screen indicator that will let you know which way the ground is, but when you are at a full sprint trying to take down a group of heavily armed Colonial Marines, sometimes that little indicator doesn't seem to help much. Once you have familiarized yourself with the Xenomorphs controls there is some fun to be had. The single player campaign is short but there is no lack of throats to cut or bodies to impale. The story is forgettable, but then again, is that why you really wanted to play as a Xenomorph, to hear a great narrative?
The Predator is easily one of cinemas coolest characters. The dread locks, the gadgets, the blood curdling scream, all of it equates to a very bad ass character and for the most part Rebellion did a good job of capturing the character. The Predator comes equipped with 3 vision modes, standard, heat vision to detect Marines and the third vision allows you to see all Xenomorphs in bright green. The Predator also comes equipped with a nice array of killing devices. First up are the wrist blades. These serve as your melee device. Like the Xenomorph you have a quick light attack, a slow heavy attack, a lunge and once again the super satisfying stealth kills, you also have access to the block like the Alien. The Plasma Caster is one of the Predators most deadliest weapons and its recreated here. Once equipped hold down the corresponding fire button and the classic red laser will lock onto your target, release the button to see a flash of light and your unlucky opponent brutally destroyed, however using the Plasma Caster has a few negatives, it will drain energy(causing you to search out an energy node in order to regain energy) and like other attacks will force you to de-cloak. Next up, the Predators throwable blade. This works in the same fashion as the plasma caster but does not feature an active lock on. Instead you must continue to aim the blade once its released in order to ensure you achieve the kill. The blade will continue to bounce of objects in the direction you are aiming making it a tool that can wipe out multiple enemies in a single throw. The Combi Stick works in much the same way the throwable blade does. It doesnt feature a lock on so you must take time to carefully aim before throwing and it doesnt continue to bounce around the same as the blade. Mines are used just the way you would think. Toss a few on the ground and hope an unsuspecting enemy comes too close. You also have access to the Predators cloak which can render him almost invisible to the Colonial Marines giving you a hunters advantage. The Predator is also capable of leaping large distances. Holding the Focus mode will bring up an icon that details if your desired location is in range of the Predators leap. As with the Alien, the campaign is short, with the only real difficulty being in getting from point A to B without alerting every marine in your vicinity. The narrative isn't much better here either, with the standard tale of a young Predator heading to a planet to clean up a human mess and to protect its sacred hunting ground.
The Colonial Marine will probably be the character most tend to shy away from. They cant cling to walls, they don't have a cool helmet that lets them see in 3 different vision modes but what they do have is some heavy fire power. The Pulse Rifle, Smart Gun, Shotgun, Flame Thrower, Sniper Rifle and Pistol all make an appearance and all are deadly in the right hands. The Pulse Rifle is especially satisfying due to the perfect sound effects. Firing off rounds of the Pulse Rifle and hearing that classic sound is a thing of beauty. The Marine is also capable of using a light attack and block like the other species but here its more of a defensive maneuver compared to the other species. The Marine also has access to another classic item, the motion detector. Once an enemy comes within range, the motion detector will start to beep, indicating where the threat lies. Like the films, this really helps to create tension and its also recreated flawlessly for the game. The Marines campaign is the best campaign due to the amount of tension you face throughout the game. The campaign tends to play out closer to a survival horror title than an all out run n gun(but don't worry, theres plenty for you to shoot). The story for the Marine isn't anything you haven't heard before, but is a step above the Alien and Predators narratives. All 3 campaigns are basically the same, but seen from a different point of view.
As quick as the campaigns come and go, it must be deduced that Rebellion added the campaigns in order to prepare one for the online portion of the game, which is where this title shines. There are a total of 7 different online game modes. Infestation has a group of Marines working together to take down one single Xenomorph, the catch? Each Marine that is killed returns as a Xenomorph until there is one man left standing. Survivor is a mode similar to the "horde" modes of other games. 4 Marines vs wave after wave of deadly Xenomorphs. Deathmatch is your standard death match with Alien vs Predators vs Marines. Species Team Deathmatch pits 3 teams of either Aliens, Predators or Marines all vying to be the top species. Mixed Species Deathmatch has 2 teams of a mix of Aliens, Predators or Marines fighting to be the top team. Predator Hunt determines who the best Predator is. Killing the Predator allows you to take control of the character in a fight vs the Colonial Marines. Domination is your basic "capture the control points" style game. The team(either Marines or Aliens) that has the most controls points held the longest wins. As previously stated, online is where the game truly shines. All 3 species have their strengths and their weaknesses and its up to the player to learn both for each character. Rebellion did a nice job of creating a good balance between the 3 species. AvP features a ranking system with alternate skins you can unlock for all 3 species.
Aliens vs Predator is a game that probably could of used a little more polish. The visuals aren't quite on par with what we have been seeing with titles like Modern Warfare 2. The sound, however, is top notch. All the classic sounds from the films are recreated perfectly here. The campaigns are extremely short and with the exception of the Marines, are mostly dull. However, taking the game online yields a completely different experience. Fast, brutal combat over multiple game modes makes this title feel like a different experience compared to its single player counterpart. If you are one to shy away from multiplayer then Aliens vs Predator will probably not satisfy you enough to warrant a purchase. Considering the campaigns can be completed in 8 or so hours total you may want to just give it a rent. However, if the Aliens and Predator universe captivates you the way it does so many others and you are fond of online gameplay then Aliens vs Predator is a game you will want to add to your collection.