AvP the Game

AvP... the new game... Although it's just simply called Aliens vs Predator, it's in fact the 3rd game of the franchise (The other 2 being released long before the films). I've played the original 2 on the PC, and it's made me a little sad to buy this on the PS3 as it marks a milestone in my life where I've moved from PC gaming to console gaming. But without a serious amount of money I'd not be able to do this game justice... as it's gorgeous!

I'll get the comparisons with the PC versions that were this games forbearer over quickly, as I'm probably being over critical... scratch that I know I am, it's a different era in gaming now from then (only 10 years ago tho,but that's an eon in gaming). Anyway... there's a couple of things that I'm sad to see missing from the new game, the first being the fact that you start as a fully grown Alien... not a chestburster, I thought that was a nice touch, having to "break free" and run off so I could feed and then grow to full size. The second being the view modes for the Predator, IR and normal only? come on, in Predator 2 it was established that there's several viewing modes to the helmet, OK so perhaps it was too easy to see Aliens in the first two, but it's impossible in the new game. ok now that's off my chest I'll continue to look at the game as new, as in fairness it's a re-imagining of the franchise.

I ordered the Hunters Edition, which is the Special Edition of the game... it was expensive, but well worth it, it came with a steel artbox for the game, a 1/3rd size Facehugger:



A 3D postcard:



And a Weyland Yutani embroidered badge (What I would have done for one of those as a kid!):



I pre-ordered it from HMV, and I have to say it arrived on time at least... my friend Matt received his (A standard edition) the day before. After starting to get a bit apprehensive to it arriving (I booked the day off to play it... sad I know), I was ecstatic when it arrived at lunchtime.

Many hours of gameplay later, I can safely say that I love it! The controls are a little different to other 1st person shooters, and will take a while to master, but they do make sense given the complexity of the weapons and "senses" involved in the Alien and Predator species, the Marine is just like other games of its kind.

The Predator and Alien lock on feature makes for very fluid melee combat, and although the game uses the "Chronicles of Riddick" style wobbly camera during melee combat, it actually doesn't make me feel disorientated, and actually adds to the immersiveness of the game... dare I say I love the camera work!

I can't pass comment on the storyline, as I've not completed it yet (I'm some 30% of the way through it now on "Normal"), but what I've seen so far I like, simple yet engaging.

So in summary buy it! along with some Redbull and a Pizza, then sit back relax and be the Hunter the Prey or the Survivor.