Preview by aliensvspredator.net

February 16th (NA) and 19th (EU), 2010 will see the release of the highly anticipated reboot of the Alien versus Predator game universe with the upcoming eponymous title from the original AvP developer Rebellion studios, alongside new publisher SEGA. A few members from aliensvspredator.net had the chance to get some somewhat in-depth research and playing time in on the game and as a result, we’ve compiled a detailed review on each of the three tumultuous factions: the hardened United States Colonial Marines, the mysterious Predators and of course, the abominable Aliens.

Species Preview:

Marine:

Overview:
Marine played akin to other casual first-person shooter platforms, aside from the close-quarters blocking and countering, marking the species which may be the easiest to transition into from non-AvP titles.

Picking up weapons was activated by pressing the action button, ‘X’ (all controls are for the XBOX 360), though weapons (not surprisingly) did not register on the Marine's motion tracker, making an increased and impressive arsenal challenging to obtain.

The Marine also has a light melee attack causing minimal damage, but its real strength lies in the “shove” it provides, allowing the “puny Ooman” to knock back and fire upon its oppressor.

Controls:
The controls for the marine, aside from the “block” and “counter” features, were quite the same as any other FPS, with the subtraction of a “crouch” ability, which none of the three species is apparently privy to. The marine can also sprint, albeit much slower than the insurmountable Alien, which can be useful in some situations.

Marines in Comparison:

• The Marine wouldn't seem to stand a chance against an oncoming Alien or Predator in a one-versus-one situation, but if the player times a block against a light attack (Marines cannot block heavy attack) and counters it with a shove, the opponent will be briefly stunned, allowing some time for the marine to back away and cause some serious damage with its vast array of weaponry. It is a very useful and surprisingly successful tactic.
• There are also Stim Packs the one can use to help the player survive. The Marine spawns with three of these regenerating kits which provide small health boosts when utilized.
• Perhaps the most important piece of equipment and ‘rine’s best friend is the shoulderlamp; dim or non-lit areas are inevitable and require light to see literally anything at all. Just be sure to save it for when you need it, otherwise it will run out of battery and take some time to recharge. It should be noted that flares are disabled in multiplayer endeavours.

Arsenal:

• Pistol (infinite ammo; single-fire and three-shot burst firing modes)
• Pulse Rifle (fully-automatic rifle fire and underslung grenade launch firing modes)
• Smartgun (tracks enemies before “locking on” with crosshair-synch)
• Shotgun (unknown alternative mode)
• Sniper Rifle (six-round magazine rifle fire, zoom scope firing modes)
• Flamethrower (short-to-mid range continuous flame burst, area-burn firing modes)

Skins:
Sgt. Kaneko (DLC), Cpl. Hicks and Hudson

Predator:

Overview:
The Predator spawns with no weapon apart from his Wristblades and when cloaked is still visible on some parts of his body. The "Focus" mode attacks aren’t overpowered, though they do lock-on and lunge at the target in question (akin to the Energy Beam Sword found in the Halo series), as well as disallow you from performing Predator combinations. These attacks require time to charge however, and leave you open for attacks in the meantime.

The focus jump was very useful and easy to use even though it can't be used across very long distances. Focus mode can also be used to locate Predator weapon locations.

The Smartdisc didn't lock on as in previous AvP titles, but returns after every throw, making it impossible to lose.

The Combistick is introduced as well, but rather than the close-combat weapon we've seen in the movies, it replaces AvP: Gold's Speargun as a short-range (non-melee) one-hit-kill thrown weapon.

Proximity mines, while effective, have to be used with a strategem in mind as the Predator can only throw four or five of them before needing to recharge its energy reservoir.

All in all the Predator was a very complicated, albeit strategic, species to play as.

Controls:
The controls were actually better than we thought they would be; the directional pad was used to change between weapons (Wristblades were always selected), with a flick of the right trigger used to select your weapon of choice. I am glad to announce that even with the lock-on capability, the Shoulder Cannon wasn't extremely accurate. Activating the focus modes were simply started by holding the left trigger.

Predators in Comparison:

• The Predator is surprisingly just as balanced as everything else in the game. As powerful as his arsenal sounds, individual weapons have their downsides and more often than not a Predator will die before getting to find and utilize his weapons.
• While vision modes provide for easy location of the other species, it should be noted that Predators (even cloaked ones) can be seen using the thermal (blue) vision mode.

Arsenal:

• Wristblades (close-quarters, always out)
• Combi-Stick/Throwing Spear (medium/close-range)
• Plasma Cannon (medium-range, lock-on capability, charge-up capability)
• Smartdisc (medium-range, multiple-kill capability)
• Proximity Mines (multiple-kill capability)

Skins:
Dark, Stalker, King, Lord, Spartan, Alien Head (DLC)

Alien:

Overview:
The Alien probably does the same amount of damage as a Predator does, but its attacks are faster. It also has a relatively small amount of health, but not so much that is could be considered underpowered. The controls were so fast that at most times you can’t even keep up with the screen, let alone help being confused when it comes to climbing walls and stalking! It should be noted that the Aliens no longer gain health by “eating” carcasses, but can regenerate health by abstaining from battle over the course of ten to fifteen seconds.

Controls:
The Alien's controls were very simple however its speed made it a bit awkward especially when running on walls. I never had the chance to test it but I heard that if you pounce at someone while in focus mode you will jump on them and can perform a (counter-able) head-bite. Overall, the controls were smooth and practice will surely make perfect! To latch onto walls simply press the right trigger, and press it again to release the grip. To sprint, click the left analog stick in. Combos can also be initiated by using the light and heavy attack buttons (right bumper and left bumper). The “bug” can also focus jump simply by press the jump button when the crosshair on the screen lights up; this can be used to leap great distances when chasing prey, to escape heavy fire, etc.

Aliens in Comparison:
When played it can feel like the alien is under-powered, then sometimes it can feel like he is over-powered; it all depends on how you approach an enemy, ie. if you attack a marine head on, they will probably shoot you down right quick.

Arsenal:

• Claws (light attack)
• Tailwhip (heavier charged attack)
• StrikeTeeth (trophy/stealth kill only)

Skins:
Drone, Warrior Drone, Ridged Head, Praetorian, Net (Grid) Head, Specimen 6 (DLC)

Matchtypes Preview:

Deathmatch:
It was awkward; Aliens killing Aliens, Marine killing Marines – it was really weird but we didn't hesitate to score. It was tricky as well, because as a Predator in Deathmatch you have to also watch out for cloaked predators, which makes for continuous, necessary vision-switching; and since everyone is against one other, it is more likely that you will die faster, especially when playing with more than seven people. Now when the game comes out it will be 18 players, furthering ensuring that chaos will undeniably ensue. This game mode is interesting and different, though it might not be most popular.

Infestation:
It was very similar to Halo 3's “Infection”. One player is randomly selected to play as an Alien and every time that player kills the other combatants (who are all Marines), that killed Marine becomes an Alien as well. At the beginning of each round there is a 30-second countdown until the new Alien is spawned. This respawn time gives the Marines some time to attempt to find a place to hunker down and find weapons before becoming swarmed.

Predator Hunt:
Predator Hunt is played out just like the gametype Juggernaut from Halo. Basically, someone is randomly selected to play as a Predator and the objective is to kill as many players (again, all marines) before dying. The only way to score is to get kills as the Predator. To become the Predator, a marine must kill the existing Predator, thereby becoming the new “Juggernaut”. Points are only awarded to the Predator player.

Trophy Kills:

Trophy kills are pretty special, so we will have to explain them a bit to you. The trophy kills were tempting to perform however most of the time they are performed, that killing person also dies as trophy kills leave you unprotected and open for attack since it requires a couple of seconds to perform.

The most gruesome kills are performed on humans, of course. One included ripping the Marine’s spine out through his back with the head still attached, while playing as a Predator. Our personal favorite as an Alien was impaling a human from behind through the back and having the tail come through their mouth!

Thanks to:
Maelstrom.X, Proxy, sreteP & Tigerija

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The information contained in this preview is from our experience playing AvP, some details may be incorrect or have changed since and by the time this preview was published.