By: Lee C. Howley
Introduction
SEGA is finally bringing back our favorite combat trio for the most epic action to date. Alien VS. Predator has some truly stunning graphics along with revamped game play, making it attractive for the fans of the first two games or anyone who loves a good combat oriented FPS. Read on for our coverage of this most exciting game.
On-Floor Developer Walkthroughs
Part 1:
Part 2:
Story
Details on the story are still sketchy, but what we do is that there are three separate campaigns, one for each of the three playable races. You will take turns alternating between each faction as you complete missions.
The basics premise revolves around playing as marines who are trying to rescue colonists that have stumbled across a Predator temple. After the colonists accidentally uncover alien eggs and are attacked by ‘face-huggers’, which means bigger aliens come shortly after. Predator trainees, alerted by a distress signal from the disturbed temple, are then sent in to claim back their temple only to be massacred by the waiting Aliens. After the loss of their initiates a fully trained Predator with all of the usual gear is sent in to settle things once and for all. The storyline will be linear in nature, but the game play will offer you a multitude of ways to tackle your objectives.
Gameplay
The on-floor demonstration only included part of the Predator’s playable campaign. SEGA has made vast improvements over the original games by clearly defining each race and giving them each unique abilities. In previous AVP games the Predator played very similarly to the marines. However, this time around they added new weapons and the ability to make large leaps just they do in the movie.
The game also does an excellent job of setting up some great rock-paper-scissor battles. While Predators have the ability to cloak, Aliens are blind and ‘see’ through their hearing and heightened sense of smell; this makes cloaking while battling Aliens pointless. Marines on the other hand rely on sight making cloaking a very effective attack strategy. Each class has its own counter to the others advantages, but you are going to have to have your wits about if you plan on taking the opposite two factions at the same time. These elements will likely play wonderfully into the multiplayer element SEGA has planned.
Our behind the scenes interview with SEGA also got us a good look at what it will be like to play as the Colonial Marines. The Marines are the least mobile of the three, but have a more expansive arsenal than the rest. Much of the weaponry is sourced from the original movie, including the pulse rifle. There will be a shotgun as well as a pistol. They did say that there would be other weapons, but were not too keen on disclosing them. Marines will have the ability to throw flares, which light up dark rooms with an orange glow. This and flashlights (aside from motion detection) are the only help the marines get when they are battling in the dark. As mentioned motion detection will be in the game, but will not always be available. Marines will always want to keep their opponents at range. Aliens will not only make short order of any Marine near to them but even on their death bed will spew out acid, causing severe damage to anyone caught too close. Marines will have med-packs available to heal themselves with, but this not be something you can access quickly enough to save yourself from an Alien melee attack.
Graphics
As you can see from our videos, the graphics are impressive. The environments really look amazing; you can almost feel the humidity as you walk around the jungles. Player models and weapons all look great with a respectable amount of detail.
The game is running on Rebellion’s own Zero Engine. This engine seems to stress dynamic lighting. In the demo any additional light source would dynamically create its own shadows based on its position even when moving. As an added tidbit, all lights in the game are destructible. The behind the scenes developer walkthrough also showcased what inside the buildings will look like in comparison the jungles we saw earlier. These inside environments are dimly lit and eerie. Very convincing texturing was used to create much of the acid burns and other scaring that was consistent through out the level. Needless to say, playing as the marines will be slightly more scary than any of the others.
Conclusion
For anyone who loves an adaptive FPS be sure to pay attention to this game. It offers three playable classes each with their own very distinct style of play. The game even correctly references the movies with its recognizable spine-removing finisher attacks and weapon arsenal. Unfortunately no footage of any Alien gameplay was shown nor was it commented on by any developers. The game will released on PC, Xbox 360, and PC simultaneously in early 2010.