Aliens vs. Predator 2 Review

I should've known; never judge a game by its 5-minute demo. Sometimes, I take the review assignment with a silent moan, but then, as the hours go by, I realize I'm actually enjoying myself and having a good time. This rarely happens, but it did with Aliens vs. Predator 2.

Although it seems on the surface that there is essentially nothing new in this sequel, once you've dug a bit deeper, you'll realize that the series have matured and that Monolith actually delivered an even scarier and more atmospheric game than the first one. As its title suggests, Aliens vs. Predator holds enormous entertainment potential. The game incorporates three very different and original movie characters: Ridley Scott's Alien, Predator, from the movie "Predator", and of course the strong and silent type, armed-to-the-teeth army marine. Each of these "heroes" (well, of their own kind anyway), is equipped with a set of completely unique weapons and abilities, and what was seen in the movies has been modified and improved in the games. The marine is keen to use the "nuts and bolts" weapons, like the heavy machine guns, assault rifles, and flamethrowers, while the Predator uses sophisticated hunting gadgets and his ability to enhance his physique with the use of technology. The Alien on the other hand is a parasite, and as such it uses the weapons provided to him by a process known as the evolution (yes, it applies to aliens, too). Each of these characters has different physical abilities, and that dictates that they move and attack in different patterns.

As it was the case with the original, the players will get to lead all three characters in three creative campaigns.

Naturally, each of the campaigns is different, but they're all connected by a consistent storyline, which makes playing all three races even more appealing. Although each mini-game has its idiosyncratic charm, the marine campaign is the principal one, and it ties the rest of the game together. The other great thing about the intertwined plot is that you will only get the full picture by playing all three campaigns. No need to reveal the storyline here, so let's just say it's on a par with a decent action flick and it provides plenty of twists to keep the player occupied. You can clearly see than Monolith has more experience in making cinematic FPS games than Rebellion, and although Rebellion came up with the concept, it was Monolith that followed it up by taking the series to the next level.

However, these positive changes are only the beginning. Aliens vs. Predator was known for its gripping atmosphere, and this is another area where Monolith raised the bar a notch or two. Horror scenes are masterfully done, and playing as a marine can do wonders for your heartbeat. The eerie feeling I had heading into the alien hive was as scary as it gets in games, and when you turn the lights out, you're really in for a fun and adrenaline-pumped ride. I'll give you an example: after you finally get out from the claustrophobic and slime-covered alien hive, realizing in the process that your fellow marine has been made an empty shell, you'll be set on a frantic run as you try to get away from a rushing horde of screaming aliens. The scene reminds me of a classical nightmare: you constantly run while swarms and swarms of parasites keep coming back at you no matter how many of them you kill. The next thing you know, you're running short on ammo, and since you literally have to run backwards, you're getting stuck in various corners and stumbling on boxes. The ammo is low and they're still coming; you see the door and you need to seal the passage, but can you make it?

This is just one of the typical scenes from the marine campaign. In all fairness, I didn't get the same rush (wasn't scared as much) playing as Aliens or Predator, but those campaigns have their own trinkets as well, especially the Alien campaign where you get to eat people from the inside (literally) and watch your alien mature and grow. Naturally, they are less cinematic, because you cannot really relate to the character (sorry can't understand Predator talk), but the experience you get from playing as Harrison (the marine) more than makes up for the fact that you cannot be an active participant in the dialogues in the other two campaigns.