UK, December 23, 2009 - James Cameron has a lot to answer for. First of all for making me eat my own fists in boredom while I watched Avatar this weekend, and secondly for making Jamie Lee Curtis do that far-from-sexy strip-tease in True Lies. But more pertinently, he's got to answer for the excess of space marines over the past ten years of gaming.
Elements of Aliens run deep through so many spacebound first person shooters, with its look, aesthetic and cast as much a feature of the genre as hit-points and headshots. You might think that would work against the imminent Aliens vs. Predator, Rebellion's return to the series that made their name some fifteen years ago on the Jaguar.
After the repeated perfection of the Halo series, the growling gung-ho of Gears of War or the dread-filled Dead Space, it's not going to be easy for any game going up against the growing horde of games born from a love of that epoch-defining film.
Having seen the opening chapter for all three species in Aliens vs. Predator, it's clear that Rebellion's not going to have too much of a problem distinguishing its game from the crowd. In many ways, this is the game that all those others aspired to be, and Aliens vs. Predator doesn't have to be coy about its influences.
It's thrilling to hear the click and blip of the motion sensor, the violent ripple of the pulse rifle or the strangled elephant scream of a shotgunned Xenomorph being unapologetically – and expertly – used. For fans of the films – and that's likely every red-blooded male who's laid eyes on it – this is the game that they've been dreaming about.
All three single player campaigns begin with the same cinematic, showing Charles Bishop Weyland – voiced and modelled on B-Movie legend and Aliens star Lance Henriksen – stumbling upon an ancient temple and triggering a beacon. Soon enough the Predators are on the scene, their ship slip-spacing its way into orbit and triggering a story that's to be told from three distinct perspectives.
The Marine's tale starts in a dropship in orbit, its hold full of hard-worn soldiers. That Predator craft knocks their descent out of whack, sending the dropship plummeting and kick-starting the story. Following a violent landing the player is left dazzled and incapacitated on the ground, with scenes of struggle and chaos playing out as they slip in and out of consciousness.
What follows is an extended example of awesome stage direction, as the player comes to and tenderfoots their way around a colony that's bearing the marks of a recent assault. The only companions are fellow Marine Tequilla – a female character who's not dissimilar to Aliens' own Vasquez – who provides assistance via radio link, the persistent blip of the motion tracker and a sole pistol.
All this is played out under minimal lighting, with shadows being cast long and deep across the complex. It forces players to rely on a flashlight and flares, which are deployable by hitting the left bumper and only illuminate for a limited amount of time. It forces the player to treat every dark corner with suspicion, resulting in an introduction to the game that's dripping with dread.
For what feels an age there's no sighting of the enemy, with hissing pipes and strobing strip-lights leading to several jumps. When it finally comes the first contact is truly terrifying, the Xenomorph appearing from the shadows and providing the sharpest of shocks.
Several frantic encounters later and the player finally hooks up with Tequilla – who thankfully has a spare pulse rifle to hand, helping redress the balance in the battles with the Aliens. It's a wonderfully realised piece of kit, the sound of gunfire perfectly replicated from the movies and with a fully operational LED shot counter on its side.
From there it's through the battered remains of the colony to its recreation complex, home to Club Eden. It's a suitably grimy retreat, complete with a holographic pole dancer and other future noir trimmings. Some of the revellers haven't had the greatest of nights however; a skinned corpse hangs over the dance floor, suggesting that old scorpion face might have been cutting some rug recently.
It's the Xenomorphs that have taken up residence, however, the upper levels walled with resin secretions. Soon the walls come alive, commencing a siege that sees the player fending off Aliens from every angle.
Another siege follows soon after, this time behind a barricade set up by a team of fellow Marines. They're soon picked off one by one, leaving the player the frantic sole survivor as they fend off hordes of Aliens. It's tricky stuff – at least for us, our minimal skills deserting us as we died time and time again despite the encouragement of the development team who were watching over our shoulders.
After finally making a break and finding a working elevator, it's to the sewers for a pursuit that's reminiscent of the final act of Alien 3, with flares again used to light the way as the player scrambles to safety. It's nowhere to be found, however – at the close of the chapter an Alien strikes the player down, dragging them away and leaving us with questions – such as whether the player will take on the role of another Marine for the remaining five chapters - that Rebellion isn't willing to answer just yet.
Of all three campaigns, it's the Alien that's the most off-the wall. In fact, it's all over the walls, the Xenomorph's ability to cling to any surface the driving mechanic of its missions. Specimen 6 is the focus of the tale, an Alien bred and raised in captivity by the suspicious Weyland Yutani types.
