Aliens versus Predator Classic 2000

Aliens vs. Predator Classic 2000 is a VERY different FPS - even to its contemporaries. This game is very fast-paced. If the original Unreal Tournament feels like you're running around normally, and if Quake III is faster, this game plays like you're in some hyper-fast hovercar with perfect turning. In other words, very fast, yet very playable. Each race plays very differently, from the marines who rely on medkits and a wide variety of weapons to survive, to the Aliens which can climb virtually anywhere, sneak into passages no-one else can, and devour their foes to regenerate health, to the Predators, who utilize their stealth, vision, and weapon tech to hunt Alien and human from the shadows. The single-player portion is also quite good, with all three races playable. While each mission is effectively "Start here, complete x objectives, then go here to exit", the randomly-respawning enemies ensure you'll never be safe (and, in the case of the Aliens, never unable to regenerate your health). However, the much-vaunted multiplayer modes - online and LAN! - are locked behind a standalone version of GOG.com's GOG Galaxy client. If you own the game, fantastic! You and all your GOG.com buddies who also own the game can play just fine. If you don't own the game or lack an Internet connection, then you can't play the multiplayer parts of the game, PERIOD. This fact is conspicuously absent from the title card, and is in stark contrast to GOG.com's other DRM-free multiplayer games. Were the multiplayer components truly DRM-free, I'd give this game 5 stars; with them, the game only merits 2 stars only because there's so much to do in singleplayer.

Period. There's no other better way to put it. This game captured the very essence of the Aliens and Predator movies. Each race has its own single player campaign that feels like it came out of its own unreleased movie. The best part about this game is that each race plays exactly like they were seen on the big screen. The Colonial Marines were all about going in, guns blazing and setting up sentries at strategic choke points. The Xenomorphs are all about hanging on the ceiling in a dark corner, waiting for their unsuspecting prey to wander by so they could pounce on them and put their inner mouth through their forehead (yes you can do that in this game). The Predator, of course, is all about the hunt. Stalking their game until just the right moment and then taking the shot (because unlike the marines, their "ammo" is very limited). The beauty is that these aspects are also demonstrated in multiplayer. As a matter of fact, it's part of what made it so balanced. Contrary to popular belief, the Predator is NOT the "best race" in the game. There isn't a "best race". Each race is deadly in its own way, you just have to know how to use it. For instance, the Marines are the slowest, but they have their motion trackers so they can tell from what direction to expect trouble, and they have superior firepower. Every single one of their weapons is lethal. Most of them are "one-hit kills": if you hit anything with the minigun, it's dead. The Predator is the most durable, but takes some skill to land a hit. It is true, the plasma cannon and the disc are "homing", but they are also slow (think the rocket launcher from Quake), and can be outran, especially by the Xenomorph which has only two weapons, tail strike and claw swipe. But that's all it needs because it's got unbelievable speed. Combined with ability to climb all surfaces and leap incredible distances, it really is the perfect killing machine. Only downside is that they're fragile and die easily. The Gold Edition adds a few new weapons for the Marines that added a tad more balance and a bunch of multiplayer maps, many of which are recreations from scenes straight out of the movies (Leadworks from Alien 3, Slaughterhouse from Predator 2, etc.). Take it from a die hard Aliens and Predator fan, this truly is the best Aliens/Predator game ever made, and I've played them all. Aliens vs. Predator on the Atari Jaguar, Aliens. vs. Predator Capcom side-scroller, etc., and even Aliens: Colonial Marines. I bought this game when it first came out in 1999 and then again when it was rereleased on Steam. And I gladly bought it once again here on GOG, if anything just so I can have it DRM-free.

In a world where survival horror games try to ramp up the fear factor with scripted spring loaded cats, limited ammo, and sometimes even penalize you just for looking at the monsters, here's Aliens vs. Predator. It's a game where you slide through the scenery as nimbly as the Doom marine, your default weapon is an assault rifle with underslung grenade launcher that pulverizes enemies in seconds, and otherwise does nothing to handicap the player to ramp up the fear factor. AND IT'S TERRIFYING. Why? Simply because Weyland Yutani skimps on lightbulbs, you can have only 4 flares burning at any one time, and Xenomorphs are FAST! The monsters are coming for you, and if you don't spot them fast enough it's over. That's all it takes, and it never gets old. The Colonial Marine levels are the meat of the game, and I'm not gonig to penalize it for the weaknesses of the other two modes. The main thing I'll dock it for is occasionally obscure level requirements. There's one level in particular I was stuck on for weeks before I realized some strips in front of a locked door were actually shootable objects keeping it shut. The predator levels are amusing at first, playing with all the vision modes and other toys, but you're so indestructible it gets boring fast. The Alien levels were great in the original release, and they're still lots of fun, but they seem to be a little bugged, if you'll pardon the expression, in this release. You sometimes get stuck on geometry when crawling over polygon edges, human "auras" constantly change color, and the stealth mechanics seem to be completely broken. Even if you break every light in the room, the marines always spot you instantly. But I re-emphasize, this game is all about playing the colonial marine, and in that part of the game it's an absolute classic. Too bad the sequels didn't capitalize on this game's strengths and used the scripted Half-Life-wannabe funhouse ride approach.

An updated version of the Aliens vs Predator FPS released back in 1999. The year which UT, Q3 & HL:OppFor hit around the same time. In many ways, AvP got overlooked for these more popular titles, a shame really: the game truly has a unique feel and atmosphere to it and you'll find yourself coming back again and again for more, especially in the Multiplayer or Hordes/Survival modes. What's truly strange about AvP classic is that it feels very much like a concept game that was just so good as a demo it was rushed to full-game status. If you appreciate gaming history you'll be able to pick out the contributions that AvP 1999 really pushed forward - differing gameplay between playable races, random spawning enemies, a unique setting in mashing together two of the most famous Sci-fi alien franchises together. Overall the atmosphere is outstanding and there's truly a feeling of being alone against the odds. In many ways Rebellion set its own bar too high with this game, with the modern remake (AvP 2010) feeling quite lackluster in comparison. The game is not without faults - alot of the features in the game feel under-done; there's little voice acting or cut-scenes to develop the story and often you'll forget the purpose of playing. Levels can be confusing and difficult to navigate unless you have the "knowledge" and often it can be really unclear which paths will and wont open for you. With no "press m for a map," your direction can be quite unclear and disorientating. There's also no hand holding here - enemies spawn and respawn randomly through the level which lends to a truly scary atmosphere of not knowing where you can safely catch a breath; Health and ammo can become incredibly scarce because there's just no end especially if you end up going in circles. Originally there was no "In-level" save function but this update has added one, once a level is "solved" though you'll find you wont ever need it. Overall a great title worth every penny faults and all.