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By Contributing Writer Mike Bean Rating: Awesome Aliens vs. Predator (AvP) is one of the first major game adaptations of a movie concept that I've truly enjoyed, and it's easily the most atmosphere-intensive first-person game to come along in months. AvP lets you play as a colonial marine, an Alien, or the Predator. Each of the three games show flashes of brilliance and are beautifully crafted. No matter who you're playing as, there’s always just the right amount of uncertainty about what’s around the next corner. It makes for a very tense experience because you know that whatever is lurking around that corner might drop you before you have a chance to blink. The marine game is great, with clever enemy placement and lightning quick attacks that will have you on the edge of your seat. The sheer speed of the Alien game, combined with your ability to climb walls and rip limbs off your victims in seconds, really captures the feel of being an Alien. The Predator game is incredibly detailed, and it often feels like it was taken directly from Predator 3 (which is a good thing). Like every game, AvP is not without shortcomings. I can't even begin to fathom why the makers of the game chose to release the game in a form that isn't compatible with Riva graphics chipsets. In theory, there are new drivers available that will support the chipset, but in practice, it took me a long time to get it to run on a system that is well above the game's minimum requirements. It took several hours of web research and time spent on the phone with Fox Interactive's support before I finally got the game to run. No game should ever be unplayable out of the box. I don't know which commandment of game design that is, but it is certainly one of the biggest. In terms of gameplay, AvP's biggest shortcoming is its lack of a mid-game save feature (you can only save your progress between levels). Considering that the possibility of a sudden, abrupt death lurks around many corners in the game, you may find yourself playing more than one level over and over again. This often adds up to enough frustration to seriously detract from the game. A patch is available that will enable you to save in mid-game, but this option should be been available right out of the box. Multi-player support is available through Mplayer.com. However, from what I've played of it, AvP in multi-player is buggy and somewhat unreliable. I often found that the wait for a game to begin lasted longer than the game itself. This is a pity because there is massive potential here for some wild multi-player free-for-alls. You will almost never hear this from me, but AvP really earns its Mature rating. For example, you restore your strength in the Alien game by feeding, and the results can be less than pretty. I am no stranger to violent video games, but to me, it is one thing to kill a marine that is trying to kill you, and it is another thing entirely to feed on an unarmed man who collapses into tears in front of you. Don't get me wrong, it's touches like this that give the Alien game its distinctiveness and atmosphere, but that doesn't change the fact that AvP is not for the faint of heart. If your sensibilities are easily bruised, you are probably better suited looking elsewhere for a good action game. Overall, Aliens vs. Predator is an exceptional piece of craftsmanship. It is not without its little dings and scratches, but I wholeheartedly recommend it to any fan of first-person shooters. Send your thoughts on this review to mike@mastergamer.com
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