Alien vs. Predator

"...a most-have for fans of the movies, as well as the games...  Gamers.at
"Its atmosphere, concept and overall proposal are of great quality...  VandalOnline.com
"...good old fashioned fun and if you're a fan of either of these two franchises, than you'll definitely be alien heaven.  John Aldino, ImpulseGamer.com

GameTrailers.com 8 of 10
Good licensed games are hard to pull off, even moreso when you're talking about Aliens vs. Predator, easily two of the most recognizable sci-fi properties in movie history. It's a good thing, then, that Rebellion Developments is up to the task, having developed the well-received AvP games in the 90s. The franchise returns, respawned and ready for a new audience, but is this sci-fi shooter still a blockbuster at heart?...The Weyland-Yutani company's set up shop on a remote alien planet, inciting the ire of the territorial predators who don't take too kindly to the idea of humans tainting their sacred training grounds. Then there are the serpentine aliens, who finally decide to run amok after years of being used as training fodder and test subjects. Between the power tripping humans, the feral xenomorphs, and the menacing predators, it's never really clear just who the good guys are in this deadly triple tango...Aliens vs. Predator's single-player missions are successful primarily for providing three distinct playstyles across each of its campaigns. Whether by the survival-horror inspired dread of the marines, the hivemind propelled impetus of the aliens, or the lone wolf mentality of the predator, each campaign looks, plays, and feels completely different from the other. The campaigns show some flashes of brilliance, but the overarching design doesn't go far out of its way to reinvent itself. What few new additions are present, like a stealth-action and platforming segment, are few and far between. Other original and intriguing elements, like narrowing out decapitated heads for security clearance, feel underused and never fully realized. You'll still hit your fair share of switches and monster closets, which keeps this 2010 reboot feeling decidedly plain and old school...As a standalone single-player adventure, Aliens vs. Predator hits a shaky equilibrium with carefully planted franchise winks and underwhelming set pieces. But for someone with an inclination for diverse experiences, interesting multiplayer modes, or even the AvP franchise as a whole, the game casts a pretty wide net of appeal. It perhaps isn't ambitious enough in today's age of shooters, nor does it tap into the creative reserves of its rich IP as deeply as we'd like, but as a game that channels entertainment and nostalgia, it capably and enjoyably does its job right.

IGN.com 7 of 10
Ever since the Predator and Aliens franchises made their debut on the silver screen, people have wanted to see them wage war against one another. In 2004 their wish was granted with an abhorrent film adaptation, followed by another poor attempt in 2007. In an effort to breathe new life into the struggling franchises, Rebellion Games (the very same studio that brought us the last great AVP effort in 1999) is taking a stab at a virtual iteration for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. It delivers three short single-player campaigns along with a suite of multiplayer modes and maps...Now, one might think that when you venture into the two alien campaigns things are bound to get cooler and more fun. That's not really the case in AVP due to the poorly constructed mechanics. Both the Alien and Predator campaigns make use of melee attacks. While the Predator has some ranged options in his repertoire, your main attack is still going to be the blades strapped to your right and left hand. As anyone who played Namco's Breakdown knows, first-person melee is tough to pull off. Sadly, AVP is no different. The camera can be entirely too shaky, the pseudo-lock-on function can cause needless deaths, and, to put it frankly, melee attacks with these characters should be more fun...Aliens vs. Predator could have been a truly great game. It's there, you can almost feel it, but it's constantly ripped away from you because of some poor design decisions and a general lack of quality that keeps the game from having that triple-A feeling. It's by no means a bad game and will almost certainly please fans more so than either movie effort, but when compared to other first-person shooter titles on the market, the difference is clear. - Nate Ahearn