Aliens vs. Predator

By Oli Welsh Published 26 October, 2009

Three's a crowd: hands on with multiplayer.

Balancing three distinct factions in a competitive multiplayer game is one of the tougher challenges in game design. (Just ask Blizzard, which has seen StarCraft's tenth anniversary come and go before it's managed to nail down the second outing for the Terrans, Protoss and Zerg.) Three is too few to allow for variations on a theme; in such intimate company, each faction is going to have to stand out as an individual in the whole, not just in the detail. Each needs to present a completely rounded, completely unique play style.

But three is also too many for the easy trade-offs of a one-on-one war. Every strength or weakness, every ability needs to have not one, but two answers to it. You have to construct a world in which scissors can cut through rock and bounce off paper.

Creating three first-person shooter characters might not be as big a challenge as forging a triumvirate of strategy-game armies, but the nature of Aliens vs. Predator's source material isn't making things any easier for developer Rebellion. The feral, obscene Xenomorph and invisible, invincible Predator were created to scare people in cinemas, not for game balance. Each of them has taken an entire cast down solo before, while the Marines - the third wheel, the human contingent, as defined by James Cameron's Aliens film - were just made to panic and die. That's not a very valid strategy for succeeding in deathmatches (not that we haven't tried it).

So it comes as no great surprise that, at this early pre-alpha stage, multiplayer Aliens vs. Predator is a rather uneven experience. The best modes of the three we try on this PS3 version - Infestation and Predator Hunt - make a virtue of that. Standard deathmatch doesn't, but it does provide a good arena for finding out what each of these three unique combatants can do.

'Aliens vs. Predator' Screenshot 1

The game doesn't really do these screens justice: grainy textures, flat lighting and a chugging frame rate were all noticeable.

In broad terms, Xenomorphs (Aliens) are melee specialists, with no ranged attacks at all, some stealth skills, and very fast and free movement. Marines' heavy hardware makes them strongest at range - in theory - but they have no stealth abilities and move very slowly when not in a weapon-disabling sprint. Predators have on-demand stealth, great manoeuvrability and powerful attacks at both close and long range. Guess which was regularly reaping the highest kill counts?

The three species are relatively closely-matched in some areas. Melee attacks work roughly the same across the board. There are light, heavy and block moves; light blows are blockable and heavy ones aren't, but a heavy attack has a slower animation which leaves you open to a light counter. It's a simple and well-balanced system, although in our short playtest most melee encounters were over too quickly to put it to the test.

Marines lack the heavy attack, but that's not what leaves them at such a disadvantage. Both Aliens and Predators can lock on using their left-trigger "focus" and then do a powerful and very fast leap attack from the shadows or a vantage point. Both can also do an instant-kill stealth attack - telegraphed with a clear button prompt - from behind if they get close enough. Aliens need to be in the dark to access stealth, while Predators have their cloaking devices, which are disrupted whenever they use an attack.

The Marines simply have no answer to these - especially the Predator's wildly overpowered stealth - and the woes of the human soldiers don't end there. They are vastly inferior to their extraterrestrial enemies in mobility, too, with the Aliens able to run at lightning speed up walls and along ceilings (although not without some disorientation), and the Predators having a neat "focus jump" that allows them to target and leap to useful vantage points, like branches and overhangs. The Marines' ranged superiority isn't the consolation you might think; they might have assault rifles and shotguns, but Predators get mines, throwing discs with after-touch, and explosive lock-on missiles.

The species are more evenly matched in one area which AVP exploits better than many shooters - visibility. Predators have thermal visors and easy access to high vantage points, Aliens have a sense which allows them to see outlined enemies through walls, and Marines have their iconic, pinging motion detectors, whose radar blips are the best line of defence against a cloaked Predator.

Rebellion has described the single-player Marine campaign of AVP as "survival horror", and that's pretty much the multiplayer experience for the hapless humans too, only with a bit less survival. But what doesn't work in deathmatch - which, like all of AVP's modes, supports 18 players - works much better in Infestation and Predator Hunt.

In the former, a variation of Last Man Standing. all but one player starts as a Marine, with the other starting as a solitary Alien. Every Marine killed then comes back as an Alien, and since they get infinite respawns, the tide of Xenomorphic death can't be stopped - only delayed until you go down in a blaze of glory assisted by a last-minute weapons drop.

'Aliens vs. Predator' Screenshot 2

Predators won't start with a full weapons loadout in multiplayer matches. But with their stealth kills, they'll still be unstoppable.

In Predator Hunt - and you need no further indication of how overpowered the Predator is than this - there is only ever one Predator, with the rest of the match taking the role of Marines. Whoever manages to kill the Predator becomes it, and the goal is to secure the most kills as the Predator for the glory of the hunt.

Purely through the character and abilities of the three species, both these modes create great, spontaneous recreations of classic Aliens and Predator moments. Infestation had Marines with their backs together in a panicked huddle, defending against a multiplying horde of Xenomorphs (this will also be replicated in a four-player co-op mode that we didn't get to try). In Predator Hunt, we found ourselves hunting suspiciously for a lone Predator over tense, quiet minutes, until he suddenly materialised in our midst, strangling one of our number, and all hell broke loose.

At times like these, you're reminded that Rebellion has a long history with and great enthusiasm for this material - it made the 1994 Atari Jaguar and 1999 PC games, as well as a recent PSP movie spin-off. It knows exactly what being a Marine, Alien or Predator is supposed to feel like: feeling your heart rate double as the pinging of your motion sensor does; racing upside down through tangle of shadow; swooping, cloaked, on your prey from a high branch. Perhaps that's more important than balance overall, but if AVP is to contend with its multiplayer rivals when it launches next year, Rebellion will need to find one without sacrificing the other.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (83) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • M_of_the_sys #1 2 years ago

    Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen!

  • Hive #2 2 years ago

    Yes sadly the game cant be realistic at all as if it was, the Predator would simply massacre everything else even while outnumbered.

  • Charlie789 #3 2 years ago

    Can't wait for this game, if its anything like the originals then it going to be an absolute treat!....a scary treat

  • bodypopper #4 2 years ago

    I never really thought the multiplayer worked in the first games really.
    However the Horde mode should be fun if the Xenomorph AI is up to scratch.

  • TheBlueShmoo #5 2 years ago

    All right, sweethearts, what are you waiting for? Breakfast in bed? Another glorious day in the Corps! A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm. Every meal's a banquet! Every paycheck a fortune! Every formation a parade! I LOVE the Corps!

  • Trigga_Tybalt #6 2 years ago

    i hope they get this balanced out like in the pc versions. spent so much time playing these games, they're fantastic. also slightly worried by the reports of bad frame rate but they should be able to pull this together and make a classic out of it. can't wait for the release.

    oh and somebody wake up hicks.

  • BiscuitBase #7 2 years ago

    I'm moist in anticipation

  • M_of_the_sys #8 2 years ago

    Alright, sweethearts, you heard the man and you know the drill! A**holes and elbows!
    Edited by 1 at 26/10/09 @ 15:55

  • Artemus #9 2 years ago

    If this turns out bad I say we take off and nuke the game from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

  • Doctor_What #10 2 years ago

    Ten comments and still no-one's said 'Game over, man'. Blimey.

  • ratso #11 2 years ago

    Why must they have deathmatch anyway? The other multiplayer modes sound far more interesting! Balancing the characters is a waste of time.

  • Salaminizer #12 2 years ago

    was it running on a console or PC?

  • Canyarion #13 2 years ago

    Sounds like the first AvP FPS then. With better graphics.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #14 2 years ago

    It'll have to be really quite great to beat the Jaguar version.

  • jamhead #15 2 years ago

    The Jaguar version was 15 years ago..!?

    /feels old

  • Venkman90 #16 2 years ago

    Apone
    Frost
    Hicks
    Hudson
    Wabowski
    Vasquez
    Drake

    And thats from the top of my head, I know I am missing the pilot, co piolet, female Marine at least...

  • steviepunk #17 2 years ago

    Death match on it's own may not be necessary, afterall one of the advantages of the aliens is their numbers (in the films anyway).

    Team death match would be more interesting and could use numbers as a factor in that, such as 3 Predators Vs 6 marines Vs 9 Aliens

  • Maypolen #18 2 years ago

    This mostly looks alright. Mostly.

  • onyxbox #19 2 years ago

    can you play as Arnie... that would balance out the marines a bit!

    f you assolie !

  • steviepunk #20 2 years ago

    @Venkman90

    Spunkmayer and Dietrich are the only other two names I remember, not sure which ones they were though.

  • MrWonderstuff #21 2 years ago

    I remember Spunkmayer(only because of my schoolboy humour).

  • S.J.Rogers #22 2 years ago

    "Team death match would be more interesting and could use numbers as a factor in that, such as 3 Predators Vs 6 marines Vs 9 Aliens"

    Thats a really good idea.

    If i was any more excited about this game i may mess myself... \o/

  • Darknight #23 2 years ago

    Spunkmeier was the co-pilot, Dietrich was the female pilot. Crowe was in there too, but didn't get much screen time. And it's Wiersbowski, not Wabowski! :)

  • jools #24 2 years ago

    Leave the balance just as it is please it sounds perfect.

    Could scrap the deathmatch or do the team deathmatch idea mentioned above

    Also dedicated server support please.
    Edited by 1 at 26/10/09 @ 16:47

  • mungolikebeans #25 2 years ago

    Express elevator to hell.....going down!!!

  • Venkman90 #26 2 years ago

    Dammit, how could I forget Spunkmeyer!

    Oh and forgive the spelling, they usually just said "bowski" ;)

  • olinn #27 2 years ago

    Monolith AvP > Rebellion AvP.

  • hiddenranbir #28 2 years ago

    I WANT IT NOW.

  • Scimarad #29 2 years ago

    To be fair, the Predator should be able to kick the crap out of the other 2 but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be fun.

  • scooterwolf #30 2 years ago

    Is this gonna be a standup fight, sir, or another bughunt?

  • Rich72 #31 2 years ago

    I wish they would just make a fantastic shooter which involved that unique sound of the marines assault rifle coupled with the scream of the aliens as seen in Aliens.... instant buy from me. they technology of the machines would make this a treat now. The ps2 shooter wasn't bad but the tech just wasn't up to the job at the time.

  • IneptPercy #32 2 years ago

    "Monolith AvP > Rebellion AvP. "

    Think you got that the wrong way round.

    Really looking forward to the PC version, will be something else.

    Stay frostie...

  • cjb110 #33 2 years ago

    heh good article, but you go on about the fact that the humans are sooo puny compared to the other two, but forget to mention that they do 'win' in all the films due to that 'human factor', sheer willpower, tenacity or whatever.

    Couple of suggestions:
    Team mates: Humans go around in pairs, the 2nd controlled by the PC. When the first dies you jump to the 2nd without loss of life (in leader boards).
    Enviormental Aids: Maybe only the human players could use some of the environment to their advantage: flame jets, crushers etc


  • tachometer #34 2 years ago

    This game is going to be not bad...... for a human

  • Zephro #35 2 years ago

    I think if they do scalp the races to make them equally "competitive" for multiplayer would be a huge disservice and make a less interesting game. They were never equal in the original PC version and that was the fun.

    You play the game with different objectives per species, playing straight deathmatch AvP is like playing a Total War game as a Tower Defence game almost.

  • el_pollo_diablo #36 2 years ago

    Please Rebellion, we don't mind if you need to delay this by a few extra months, just MAKE IT REALLY GOOD.

  • Hypercube #37 2 years ago

    In nineteen minutes, this area's gonna be a cloud of vapor the size of Nebraska.

  • stoopidgreg #38 2 years ago

    not too fussed about the multiplayer. the solo experience of AvP 1 and 2 was sublime, i just hope they can better it this time round.

  • drumbaby #39 2 years ago

    Used to like being scared playing in Marine mode (multiplayer). The odd alien/ pred take-down was a real accomplishment.

  • Emmit_Assassin #40 2 years ago

    Even though they seem to be slagging it off a little for being unfair to human, that's what it would be like if it were real. I think it sounds like they've got the balance right. I personaly relish the challenge to take on the role of the hapless humans and I can't wait to make that last desperate stand against the hordes of Aliens, and turning the hunter Predator into the hunted. I can't wait for this....I rarely ever pre order games, until Modern Warfare 2 was announced that is, then Mass Effect 2...now Aliens Vs Predator.

  • Emmit_Assassin #41 2 years ago

    Hmmm......how many quotes and in-jokes can we all fit into this thread?

    Blip...blip...blip...

    They mostly come out at night...mostly.

    I can't wait to start screaming, 'They're above us!'

  • TitusCrow #42 2 years ago

    I'm looking forward to this and colonial marines. they best not fuck either up or we nuke them from orbit! look into my eye!
    Edited by 1 at 26/10/09 @ 20:05

  • Enzeru #43 2 years ago

    I don't know, AvP2 wasn't remotely balanced, but damn it was fun in death match..imo!

  • Nithron #44 2 years ago

    The question that really needs to be answered though: Can you duct-tape an assault rifle to a flamethrower?

  • George-Roper #45 2 years ago

    In the former, a variation of Last Man Standing. all but one player starts as a Marine, with the other starting as a solitary Alien. Every Marine killed then comes back as an Alien, and since they get infinite respawns, the tide of Xenomorphic death can't be stopped - only delayed until you go down in a blaze of glory assisted by a last-minute weapons drop.

    Sold. Where can I get the best price on the PC version?

  • DuX1112 #46 2 years ago

    Anyone else noticed the typo in "Developer Rebellion Debelopments Ltd"? :)

    Anyways I look forward to this game. Ripley is ready to kick some butt. Again! (AND BOY I MISS A NEW ALIEN MOVIE! Or a Predator movie... But not really an AVP movie.) :D

  • glaikit #47 2 years ago

    Man, I'm telling you, I've got a bad feeling about this game.

  • helo555 #48 2 years ago

    I loved the original games, i remember feeling a bead of sweat running down my neck while playing as a marine!

  • Fightclubber #49 2 years ago

    This is made by a company who last made shell shock 2 ffs. They haven't made a good game since avp on the pc and i was in fucking highschool then with a Pentium 100.
    I dont understand sega in pushing this pile of shit and not showing off colonial marines which from the odd screen shot looks superb, and is made by a trusted decent company.

  • Fightclubber #50 2 years ago

    O and "What you waiting for breakfast in bed?"

  • dominalien #51 2 years ago

    And it's Wiersbowski, not Wabowski! :)

    It's actually Wierzbowski. Polish name derived from wierzba, wilow.

    No idea why they chose such a difficult name. :/
    Edited by 1 at 27/10/09 @ 09:06

  • 3william56 #52 2 years ago

    Definitely - screw the deathmatch - there's no need for another one on one game, balance or no.

    I'd like to suggest some extra game modes:

    Newt mode - no weapons, no armour - massive points for surviving to the end.
    Burke mode - the last player standing gets the points - kill your teammates.
    Get To The Choppah mode - 1 Pred, lots of humans, who escapes wins.
    Arnie vs. Apollo Creed bicep buster armwrestling minigame.
    I ain't got time to bleed mode - who avoids damage longest wins.
    Rumour Control - kill the bald Geordie git before he reveals your location

    "I don't know which species is worse - you don't see them f**king each other over for a percentage"

  • neems #53 2 years ago

    I like to keep a copy of AvP handy for close encounters.

    Actually it doesn't seem to work on modern OSs. That was a rock hard game. Run around screaming and shooting at shadows, and then run out of ammo 8 feet down the first corridor. 'Blip'.

    Also, fuck facehuggers.

  • phatb0y #54 2 years ago

    If this can induce the same brick-shitting sensation as AVP2 multiplayer then I'm in.

    Sounds very promising so far.

  • septimus #55 2 years ago

    Makes me want to plug my Jaguar in again and have a go at the original. Ah, flat textures and sprites ftw.

  • powerup #56 2 years ago

    What do you mean, they cut the power? How could they cut the power, man? They're animals.

    Hope this lives up to the promise, I want to be an Alien and take down some Predators!

    Many of you may already have heard, but for anyone who hasn't - Ridley Scott is due to direct an Alien prequel...

  • gmjapan #57 2 years ago

    From the little exposure i've had to these games they managed to create quite the experience; the atmosphere, skinned bodies strung up in the rafters, the small hole busted into a vent shaft that makes you shit your pants...
    Be interested to see how this turns out.

    "Then why dont you put her in charge!"

  • M_of_the_sys #58 2 years ago

    @gmjapan

    Finally! I was waiting for someone to quote that. Funniest bit in it for me. That and sharp sticks.

  • actionfitz #59 2 years ago

    I loved the old PC games they made.
    "Fucking-brown-trouser-tastic" in single player :p

  • curtlikesmeat #60 2 years ago

    We've got pulse riffles, nuclear warheads, knives, sharp sticks!
    Edited by 1 at 27/10/09 @ 12:45

  • makeamazing #61 2 years ago

    "Look into my eye"... and tell me that last man standing sounds excellent :D

    Cant wait for this one... the bleep of the locator is scary by iteself

  • lmephisto #62 2 years ago

    Nice! But why again the predators must advance in killing to get their weapons??? LET US HAVE SOME FUN :p

  • kipper #63 2 years ago

    I'm not an expert on AVP canon, but is stealth useless for the Predators against Aliens, since the Aliens don't have eyes?
    Also, are the Aliens cold-blooded insects? If they are, then obviously the Predator's infra-red vison whould be no help either.

  • systems #64 2 years ago

    @kipper
    Predators have more than one vision mode. Aliens show up on their electrical vision mode because of their nervous system.

    Obviously aliens don't show up on infra-red - we know that from the Aliens film.

  • kipper #65 2 years ago

    @ Systems
    Thanks for the info. I forgot that the Marines did indeed have an IR vision mode in Aliens. Hang on, that means the Marines should be able to spot a Predator even in stealth mode?

    I'm still thinking that the Predator should be at a disadvantage against Aliens when compared to Marines - since stealth should not work, and Aliens generally attack in numbers, and I am not aware of the Predator having any high rate of fire weaponry. Melee combat would just cover it in acid. Laying AP mines won't help when Aliens can run along the ceiling.

    Still, it's only a game at the end of the day.
    Edited by 1 at 27/10/09 @ 15:36

  • Fitzmogwai #66 2 years ago

    What are we supposed to use, man? Harsh language?

  • powerup #67 2 years ago

    I guess she don't like the corn bread either.

  • Lankyn #68 2 years ago

    Hey Vasquez - have you ever been mistaken for a man?

    No, have you?

    Awesome. Most quoteable film evar.

  • Nephirion #69 2 years ago

    Lets face it most of the maps will be dark so who cares if textures arent amazing? ODST doesn't have the best graphics ive ever seen but the gameplay is great and lets hope thats the case for this too

  • Powerslave #70 2 years ago

    Anyone who played the original AvP on the PC back in the day, and have experienced multiplayer action through "Mplayer" (later acquired by GameSpy) would agree that despite the few imbalances, the game played absolutely great in Deathmatch/Team Deathmatch mode.

    Remains to be seen what a skillful player will be able to do with the Marine class, which personally I think Rebellion will give the proper attention to.

  • gorf #71 2 years ago

    This makes Cambodia look like Kansas, you lose it here ya inna world a' hurt

    Hey Dillon, the CIA got ya pushin' to many pencils?

    5 meta spwed, no zound

    Edited by 1 at 28/10/09 @ 12:38

  • kwarive #72 2 years ago

    "Uh,...Apone, I want you to lay down a suppressing fire with the incinerators and fall back by squads to the APC, over."

    "Say again? All after incinerators..."

    Marines and aliens are balanced pretty well. the main problem is the predator. A nice way to balance multiplayer is to make it points based like the BF2. Have lots of AI aliens and marines for the marine/alien players to rank up a score while simultaneously providing cover for them. So if the predators don't kill quickly enough the marines/alines will outscore them and win the match. So you can sneak around as a predator like a deadly ghost if you want to but you won't win a game that way.

    "Well that's great! That's just fucking great, man. Now what the fuck are we supposed to do, man? We're in some real pretty shit now!"

  • helo555 #73 2 years ago

    Game suggestion, if a Predator, is injured by fire from a marine rifle, the Predator should then be track-able using the motion tracker while moving or stationary.

  • curtlikesmeat #74 2 years ago

    They mostly come at night. Mostly.

    (this thread delivers on quotage big time)

  • Bulbatron #75 2 years ago

    Interesting that the way you play the game will be different depending it what species you choose to play as. So it's more like a survival horror for humans then...

    "How do I get outta' this chicken-shit outfit?"

  • B1G_D #76 2 years ago

    "Hey maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events, but we just got our asses kicked pal!"

    Can---not---wait---for---this---!

  • IronCladChicken #77 2 years ago

    Shame it's not a team of marines against 1-2 alien\predators?

  • Krusty #78 2 years ago

    "Hello Mother"

    Seriously buzzing about this.... " Ready to get... it... on, you know it!"

  • muttler #79 2 years ago

    The only ways I can think to strengthen the humans in deathmatch is their technology and also teamwork. ie Smart guns could have auto lockon even on a stealthed target- so it would encourage marines to work as a team, if one player has a weapon / technology item that can lock on like this he / she would have to communicate to teammates "Vasquez, take point!" Another item that could work this way would be the binoculars that Apone scans the colony with just after they first jump out the APC in Aliens. Humans should also be able to set up and use turrets, and be able to weld doors shut to prevent access and create a defensive position.

    Humans could also access CCTV monitors with IR and Alien detecting vision modes, and open/close doors remotely from a terminal if they take over a control room- so you could have predators/aliens chasing a squad of marines through a corridor, then a human player in the control room could let 1 pred/alien through then shut the door so the others are shut out and the squad could turn around and take down the outnumbered foe. Marines could also have a technology that interferes with the predators' visor so all they can see is the red fog like arnie vs pred, they could still lock on for insta kills and ledge jump (if they can see it) but cant use their shoulder cannons as the targeting system for that could be tied to the visor.

    A way to slightly nerf the predator would be that items in his arsenal could become damaged- eg his med kit could break so he cant heal himself anymore, if he lost his throwing disc and/or shoulder cannon he would be further disadvantaged against the humans ranged weapons. They could become damaged if he looses a severe amount of health in a fight or if he steps on a mine/trap etc, he could randomly loose one item in addition to a health hit. This would make it more important for humans to make full use of technology and tactics, ie close/weld doors so to funnel preds/aliens through a corridor that could be mined.

    Also one marine player could be an android, who would be stronger/faster/higher hp/sprint duration than the humans "Its standard practice, we always have a synthetic on board!"

  • jetsetdemo #80 2 years ago

    "Drake, we are leaving!" had to get mine in. I hope this is good!

  • Emmit_Assassin #81 2 years ago

    Personally I think they've got the balance right. I'd love to be the human battling infinte amounts of Xenomorphs, even if I know I'm going to die. Being outnumbered, outgunned and outwitted was what the films were all about. They were so great because these creatures were the ultimate killing machines, 100% perfect at what they do. Which is something we are so far from being.
    And to get to play as these creatures hunting hapless humans as well as being the hapless human in the dark with the blip...blip...blip...freaking awesome.

  • Jetset_UK #82 2 years ago

    Have not played any of the previous games, but judging by the way all you lot are going on, they sound great.

    Really hopes this is goo. I've pre-ordered just to play shooty with the marines awesome shooty shoots.

    "Hey, maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events, but we just got our asses kicked, pal!"

  • PYF #83 2 years ago

    I always enjoyed playing as a marine. Remember: short, controlled bursts.

    That ominous *ping* from the motion sensor has to be one of the most iconic and pant-wetting sounds ever. If you can have an iconic sound, that is.

    And I can't decide which scares me the most: predators or aliens.

    My mommy always said there were no monsters - no real ones - but there are.
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/10 @ 13:10