Alien vs. Predator

Aliens vs. Predator, the latest installment from science-fiction’s most well-known hybrid franchise, looks to make up for two critically reviled films from the last decade. Though it aims to join the ranks of its celebrated gaming predecessors, AVP shares more in common with the series’ more recent cinematic duds.

The game, a first-person shooter, proceeds through three separate campaigns for the Alien, Predator and Colonial Marine. Although none of the storylines run directly parallel, missions share levels and some plot points. Since the game allows the player to switch freely between species, it was not always clear to me whether I was experiencing an area before or after the last time I was there. The narrative wasn’t much help either—I understood the silent Marine protagonist’s motivation for escaping danger and finding other soldiers, but the Alien and Predator missions felt more or less like random violence. Violence is one area where the game does hold its own—although none of the basic combat is too extreme, special finishing moves by the two titular characters (including an unsettling rape-like animation for the Alien “harvest”) push the limits, with a detached head and spine even becoming a tool for getting through security checkpoints.

Where AVP truly falls short is gameplay. Of the three characters, the Marine’s controls are the least offensive (if uninspired), and some of the weapons are almost fun to use. The Predator’s purported ability to turn invisible, leap to any point and take down individual opponents is artificially restricted by limited range and a cloaking system that deactivates with any violent behavior. The Alien is by far the worst—though the promise of climbing on walls is alluring, rapid changes in perspective and orientation left me feeling out-of-control and slightly nauseated. For each of the characters, I found myself sprinting through areas simply to avoid having to engage in combat.

The rest of the game is passable—decent environments, blurry textures, repetitive music and sound effects—but the major flaws in the game’s mechanics prevent it from even being enjoyed as throwaway science fiction. By the time I had finally resigned myself to Aliens vs. Predator’s poor gameplay, the story was nearly over—and I can’t say that I was disappointed.