Aliens versus Predator (video game)
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| Aliens versus Predator | |
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| Developer(s) | Rebellion Developments |
| Publisher(s) | Sierra Entertainment, Fox Interactive |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Game Boy Advance (cancelled)[1] |
| Release date | 1999 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: M (Mature) USK: Not free for minors OFLC: MA15+ |
| Media | 1 CD-ROM + 1 CD-Audio |
| System requirements | 200 MHz CPU, 32 MB RAM, DirectX 6.0, 64 MB available hard disk space, Windows 98 |
| Input methods | Keyboard, mouse |
Aliens versus Predator is a science fiction first-person computer game developed by Rebellion and published by Sierra. It was officially released for PC and Mac in 1999, followed by an unofficial port to Linux in 2001, following Rebellion's public release of the game's source code. A sequel to Aliens vs Predator, Aliens vs. Predator 2, was developed by Monolith Productions, and released by Sierra in 2001. It is often considered the successor of the 1994 game for the Atari Jaguar.
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[edit] Overview
The game is a first person shooter (FPS), but differs from most other FPS in that the player can choose the perspective to play from: Alien, Predator or Human (Colonial Marine). These different perspectives afford distinct capabilities and weapons.
In the most conventional case, playing as a human is the most similar to other FPS, and the player is able to access a wide array of weaponry (mostly that from the films). As well as powerful weaponry, Marines wear armour for protection and have an image intensifier and flares to improve visibility in dark environments.
As a Predator, the player may make use of Predator weapons such as the Plasmacaster, Smartdisc and Wristblades. Predators are also somewhat more athletic than humans, are the most durable creature in the game by far (even surpassing the armor capacity of armored humans in terms of withstanding damage), can make use of a cloaking device to stalk prey, and have a range of different vision modes to aid them in hunting the other species; in addition, they are capable of falling from far greater heights than humans without fear of injury or death. In the game, default Predator vision is similar to that of humans, but an infrared vision mode is available for tracking humans (similar to that in the Predator films), while a vision mode sensitive to electrical systems allows Predators to track Aliens (and androids).
Playing as an Alien is the most significantly different perspective. Players are able to range freely over any surface regardless of its inclination. This allows wall-walking and completely novel means of attack. However, weaponry is restricted to claws, tail and jaws (for the infamous head-bite), though these themselves reward the player with a fairly unusual experience in FPS combat. By default, Aliens visually perceive the environment in a similar manner to humans, albeit distorted by a fisheye lens to increase field of view. Players can also switch to a "sonic resonance" or echolocation mode to increase visibility in dark environments (as explained in Aliens Vs. Predator 2). This is augmented by an ability to detect pheromones and to discern human or Predator prey. The Aliens in this game can drop from any height without fear of injury or falling, and are the fastest of the three character species that the player can use.
In the single player mode, the game presents a conventional series of levels to progress through. However, because of the differing abilities of the three species, the levels themselves are not always conventional in structure - Alien levels, for instance, often involve climbing through convoluted buildings. The levels are loosely structured, with progression sometimes a little arbitrary (e.g. Predator players find themselves, for a single level only, on the prison planet Fiorina 161 from the film Alien³).
[edit] Plot summary
During the game, the three single-player campaigns (Alien, Marine and Predator) are completely independent and never interconnect (unlike the three streams in Aliens vs. Predator 2, which intersect at various points). However, the game includes bonus levels that allow each species access to portions of the missions of the other species. To allow the more three dimensional Alien levels to be played, Marine and Predator players are supplied respectively with a jet pack and grappling hook for these bonus missions.
[edit] Alien
In the opening cutscene, Marines are in the process of securing a stone temple of unknown origin. Several scenes are shown, including one in which the marines are fighting an alien. The cutscene ends at the top of the temple, zooming in on the player-controlled alien.
[edit] Marine
The opening cutscene shows a facehugger attached to the player character's face. However, as the facility alarms go off, the player character sits bolt upright in bed and realizes that this was just a nightmare.
[edit] Predator
The Predator's mission is not as coherent as the other species' missions, and takes the player through levels on three separate planets.
[edit] Extra features
A number of features in the original game were "hidden" as unlockable extras for dedicated players. The game's difficulty level tended to make these extras somewhat difficult to attain, although the means of unlocking them are displayed as part of the end mission brief in each case. It is also possible to download and use custom game profiles which have all the extras already unlocked.
Notable unlockable extras include :
- Supergore mode, over 10x the amount of blood (or acid) emitted from wounds
- Pigsticker mode, the Predator's speargun fires 10x as many bolts per shot
- John Woo mode, the game dynamically slows down depending how much activity is taking place
- Sniper munch mode, giving the Alien the ability to perform the jaw attack from any distance.
[edit] Gold Edition
The Gold Edition of Aliens versus Predator was released approximately a year after the original game. It consists of more than 30 levels. This version includes 16 multiplayer maps, the Millennium Add-on Pack, and comes with Aliens Versus Predator: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.
[edit] See also
- Alien vs. Predator - The cross-media range of AvP titles
- Alien vs. Predator (movie) - The AvP movie, released 2004.
- Aliens vs. Predator (comic book) - The comic book series.
- Aliens vs. Predator (novels) - The sci-fi novel series.
