‘Aliens Versus Predator’ a satisfying shooter

“Aliens Versus Predator”

Sega

Xbox 360

First-person… “Aliens Versus Predator”

Sega

Xbox 360

First-person shooter

Grade: B+

Taking two of the most successful and widely recognized science fiction franchises ever made and combining them to make a kind of mega franchise is a move that shouldn’t require much second-guessing. Though the mediums of the “Alien Versus Predator” include comic books, novels and two feature films, the video games are generally considered to be the highpoint of the series.

Now, nine years after the last true “AVP” game was released, Sega has released a remake for the Xbox 360 (as well as Playstation 3 and PC), and though it may not offer any striking innovations to the first-person shooter genre, it’s an entertaining and atmospheric game equally enjoyable when played alone or with others.

The single player campaign can take three different forms, depending on the species that you decide to pick, though all three occur within the same basic story frame. As the Alien, you’ll run around trying to sneak up on unsuspecting Marines and eat their faces (literally). The Predator campaign offers a more brutish, typical first-person shooter experience, while the Marine campaign incorporates more survival-horror elements before becoming similar to the Predator missions.

Because, you know, humans don’t really measure up against ravenous, terrifying monster aliens.

The graphics are excellent, with characters and environments looking crisp and detailed. The lighting design is especially impressive — as the Alien and Predator, you try to stick to the dark spots to provide maximum surprise on your victims, but as the Marine, the darkness ramps up the suspense, and you never quite know what could be lurking in that shadow down the corridor.

As a survival-horror fan, I found the iconic motion detector in the Marine campaign to be an unnerving (though necessary) tool for staying alive. Hearing the blips of the machine, combined with the fast-moving dots indicating an enemies position never got old.

The controls are all fairly intuitive, although effectively controlling the Alien requires a pretty steep learning curve. The movements are fast and jerky — as is appropriate for the Alien — but sometimes scaling walls and ceilings leads to some serious disorientation, which can be a problem in the more intense battles.

As for multiplayer, “Aliens Versus Predator” offers the standard deathmatch modes, along with some more interesting ones catered towards the Predator and Aliens. Infestation was my favorite, where all players except one start out as a Marine, while a sole Alien kills and transforms others into fellow xenomorphs. Being the last man standing in a swarm of Aliens is one of the most exciting shooter multiplayer matches in recent memory.

Unfortunately, even multiplayer gets old, and one of the game’s biggest flaws — it’s lack of replay value — is revealed. There are far superior shooters on the market that give a better multiplayer experience, and the campaigns are all extremely straightforward and not very lengthy.

Still, if you are a fan of the series, or just looking for a simple shooting diversion from “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” “Aliens Versus Predator” might be exactly the sci-fi shooter you need.