Aliens Versus Predatorhas a long history stretching back much further than the 2004 Paul W.S. Anderson-directed flick. In fact, the first piece ofAvPmedia was a1989 comic by Dark Horse Comics, simply titled “Aliens vs. Predator”, in which humans attempt to colonize a planet that is used by Predators as a hunting ground. The Predators soon arrive on the planet, inadvertently bringing along some Alien eggs, and chaos ensues. The plot of the original comic will be more than familiar to fans of the series, with the majority of subsequent iterations, particularly video games, using this plot layout as a backbone to their own storytelling.
TheAliens Versus Predatorlicense has had a fair amount of success in the video game market, with releases cropping up fairly regularly over the last thirty years. But that doesn’t mean that allAvPgames are equal, and there are definitely some entries that stand out more than others in the memories of long-time fans.
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The Dawn Of AvP Games
A few years after the originalAvPcomic (1993,)Alien vs Predatorfor the SNESreleased. Developed by Jorudan, this first entry saw Predators and Aliens go head-to-head in a side-scrolling beat ‘em up. The player takes control of a Predator, who intercepts a human distress call claiming that their planet has been overrun with Xenomorphs. The Predator takes it on himself to hunt down every last Alien on the planet, fighting through a total of six stages, each with their own boss at the end that’s based on a cross between a Xeno and an animal (a winged Alien coming from a bat, an aquatic Alien from a dolphin, etc.) The firstAvPgame was met with very mixed reviews, but that didn’t deter developers for long.
Alien vs Predatorfor the Atari Jaguar came out the following year (1994). Developed by Rebellion, this game is the first FPS in the franchise. With gameplay and graphics similar toWolfenstein 3D, this game gave players the option to choose from three campaigns based on each faction: Marines, Aliens, Predators. This is a feature that becomes a staple of theAvPvideo game franchise. There was some pretty unique game design in this title, with mechanics significantly changing between playable characters, such as the Alien, who can’t heal but can infect injured Marines with a Facehugger, which allows the player to respawn in that location upon death. Generally, this game was met with very positive reviews, with many outlets citing the game’s unique mechanics and atmosphere as stand-outs for the FPS genre.Alien vs Predatoris still widely considered to beone of the best games on the Jaguar.
The Golden Age Of AvP Games
When many players think ofAvPas a video game series, there tends to be two particular titles that come to mind:Aliens Versus PredatorandAliens Versus Predator 2for the PC. Released in 1999 and once again developed by Rebellion, this game is essentially an improved and shinier version of the 1994 Atari Jaguar game, with three full-length campaigns based on each faction. This game plays around with lighting and vision to imitate each of the playable characters, such as giving the Alien a fisheye lens view and giving the player an echolocation ability, or usinginfrared vision as a Predator. Critics were quick to praise this game’s visual and gameplay improvements over the Jaguar predecessor, but did find its story and lack of any save features to be some pretty big downsides.
The direct sequel,Aliens Versus Predator 2, released in 2001, swapping out the Rebellion developers for Monolith Productions. This game once again follows the same three distinct campaign formula, but there are some particularly memorable moments in this entry, such as the opening of the Alien campaign, which sees playerscontrol an Alien from birth, taking it through each lifecycle, from Facehugger, to Chestburster, to fully grown Xeno.AvP 2also had an online multiplayer mode which added a mercenaries faction to the game. While it didn’t reach the critical heights of the first entry,AvP 2is still fondly remembered by many today.
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The Modern Era Of AvP Games
After those PC entries, the franchise takes an interesting turn, ditching the FPS roots and moving the series to some new genres.Aliens Versus Predator: Extinction(2003) for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox dipped the series’ toes in the RTS genre. Retaining the three separate campaigns from previous entries, the game focuses on unit management and upgrading, as opposed toa traditional RTSwhich often puts base-building and resource gathering at the forefront of the gameplay. While critics praised the differences between the factions and the surprisingly impressive first foray into the RTS genre, most agreed that the AI imbalances, the controls, and the visuals let it down.
The next mainline release for the series was in 2007, whenAliens vs. Predator: Requiemreleased forthe PlayStation Portable. Based on the much maligned movie of the same name,Requiemadopted the third-person action-adventure genre for this entry. Unfortunately, not even Rebellion returning for development could save this title, with critics across the board panning the game for being just fine, with lackluster level design, poor and unresponsive AI, and no real difficulty curve, leading to unsatisfying gameplay.
Aliens vs. Predator, released in 2010 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, is likely the game that most recent fans of the series will have played. Acting as a reboot to Rebellion’s original PC series (and developed once again by them), this entry brings the franchise back to its FPS roots and provides the three separate campaigns as expected. Players will likely rememberAvP2010’s brutal and gory executionsthat involve limbs being severed and heads being ripped off, among other grisly acts. Reviews were fairly mixed for this entry, with critics both praising and criticizing the game’s attempt at melee mechanics, claiming that it gave combat depth but relieved some tension when playing as the Marines.
In the decade that’s followedAliens vs. Predator’s release, there hasn’t been another mainline entry in the combined video game franchise. While each individual franchise has had its own video game iterations over the last few years inPredator: Hunting GroundsandAliens: Fireteam Elite,the two haven’t clashed against one another for quite some time, aside from appearing as DLC fighters in the excellentMortal Kombat X. Hopefully, the presence of these recent releases hints that we might see the two come together soon.
Aliens vs. Predatoris available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360
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