Review by: Tony Mitera

Though the movie franchise is more a joke than anything else, the Aliens vs Predator game franchise has seen a level of success. The game that launched the franchise back in 2000 is rightfully considered a classic today. Technically the third game in the series, the new Aliens vs Predator proves that it’s real hard to capture that proverbial chestburster in a bottle. Though the new game clearly has high production values thanks to its shiny new engine, its gameplay falls short thanks to a bevy of clichés and flaws that permeate the experience at every turn.

The single player mode features three campaigns which can be completed in any order; one for each race including the versatile Marines, the cunning Xenomorphs, and the experienced Predator hunters. Each campaign has a unique vantage point of the storyline that twists the three of them together, and each one weaves through the same set of levels at different times in the plot and with different objectives. The Marine campaign has the strongest narrative thanks to your keeping in contact with various friendly voices over your communications gear guiding you to your objectives, but the two alien races have their own agendas as well other than simply killing anything in their way.

The Marine campaign starts with the clichéd beginning of your unconscious character waking up alone in a dark room due to your fellow marines having retreated due to a Xenomorph attack while you were out. Armed with merely a pistol at first, you must make your way to rejoin with your ill-fated squad to try and complete your mission of getting the facility you are in back under human control. As a human you have access to your pistol as well as the trusty pulse rifle, smart gun, shotgun, flame thrower, and a sniper rifle with each weapon serving a very distinct and balanced role. You also have a flashlight as well as flares to illuminate darkness with, though neither of which are very good at it with the former having a very narrow beam and the latter having absurdly short illumination range and burn times.

As the Xenomorph, specifically the subject branded as Number 6, you escape containment during a power outage that wracks the entire facility and begin your murderous rampage through the facility. To kill you must use your ability to move quickly and quietly over walls and ceilings to get up close to your prey. If you catch them unaware or knock them down you can execute a melee kill, which are gory events such as punching a hole through an enemy’s head or impaling them with your tail. Your claws can be used in quick light attacks, slow heavy attacks, and to block incoming melee attacks, while your tail can be used to attack enemies at a slightly longer distance.