Alien vs Predator - overrated?

[kid_vidiot]

kid_vidiot: Yea but when you exit the elevator won't there be ton's of aliens waiting to greet you? I think I tried that before.

 

not really, and if there are then just reset and load the game again until they're spread out a little better

[JD6502]

 

 

not really, and if there are then just reset and load the game again until they're spread out a little better

 

 

At one point I kept my Jag running with the game on pause (when I wasn't playing) for three days to get around that problem.

[decayedmatter]

not really, and if there are then just reset and load the game again until they're spread out a little better

 

The fact you have to work around it means it's an issue.

[82-T/A]

not at all overrated. when it was released it was a great technical achievement I think... you really can't compare it to contemporary FPS games as it plays really completely different.

 

for 1994 the game was awesome but i would say it is a bit overrated because people get overly excited about the fact that the game is based around the mega popular movies aliens and predator etc etc. given the limits of the jag the game is really impressive and could have turned out much worse.

 

I agree with the animation but at the time when it was released at least I was stunned by the level of detail the textures and the sprites had. I don't think Doom or any other fps from 1994 has any more frames of animation though.

 

 

I DEFINITELY don't want to beat on Alien vs. Predator, because I REALLY like that game for the Jaguar, but there were a lot of good FPS that came out in 1992-1994 time frame. I think what limited the Jaguar was really the hardware. Again, not trying to bash the Jaguar, I love the system... but compared to what you could get on a computer, it was somewhat inferior. Still, the Jaguar was awesome, and I would think that in terms of FPS games on consoles, it was certainly one of the best, if not in the top 3 at the time it came out. Console systems were so expensive, and by the time they came out, significantly better hardware was already available. Things changed quickly from the 286-486DX time frame during the span of about 3-4 years. By today's comparison... the difference between the first 64-bit version of the Core 2 Duo w/ nVidia graphics, to the current Core i7 w/ nVidia graphics is minimal with the exception of actual speed.

 

 

Ultima Underworld 1992:

 

 

 

 

System Shock 1994:

 

 

[boxesofgame]

Ok, a long bit of writing here. I am a bit eccentric.

 

Any developer with enough time would sort out flaws such as not enough enemies, or some below average animations. Alien Vs Predator was a rush job, albeit a very good rush job for its time. Good though it may have been, the engine was very simplified meaning that there wasn't any geometry or elevations - that would have been nice. No lighting either.

 

Alien Vs Predator plays a lot like Doom if you reduced Doom to a few enemies and slowed the whole thing down with varying depths of play (play style) so there is an emphasis on ammo/resource management and stealth primarily. Then even though the engine is simpler, the textures are higher resolution and overall the impression is of a better looking game, so what you have is a fairly atmospheric experience due to play style and graphics style, with a few shortcomings such as samey sprites, zero lighting, and no music - though that part is debatable as you can hear some environmental effects. But then you also have some good attention to detail, like acid trails left behind, Aliens crawling through vents, a central elevator system, hatching eggs, the escape pod and self destruct, and the Alien Queen.

There isn't much AI, but there is slightly more AI than in Doom. Enemies have patrols... I think that is about it.

 

With all that said, some nice details, textures, and play modes won't be enough to change the subtleties of play. Subtleties - what subtleties? The ship doesn't act like a ship - it has computers, doors, elevators, med labs, barrels (not really a ship part, more cargo), air locks, and a few other things, but no real mechanisms or mechanical puzzles - nothing within the ship as an obstacle, no flickering lights, too much inertia, etc etc. The game is just an atmospheric maze, yet it is one that makes the spaces seem realistic, so it has a realistic feel. The enemies are well placed although perhaps too frequent earlier on, and the spaces you can walk through are well planned out for a stealth-thriller, run/hide, scenario. Weapons and ammo are placed conservatively and the whole game has a slow feeling of deliberation and satisfaction from it. The roles as each character are well done - you can feel each character and you get satisfaction from:

 

1. As a Marine, being gutsy and having a shotgun. Main reward is conservation of ammo and taking down large foe with cool weapons.

2. As a predator, stealth and a points system, cloaking and sneaking. Main reward is the Cloaking and points mechanic.

3. As an Alien, being vicious and fast, clawing, stabbing, etc. Main reward is the extra life mechanic.

 

The whole thing is like a collectors/fan dream. As mentioned, you get the feeling of being in the shoes of each character, you get the sensation of emergency and being on your toes, you get bursts of shooting, hiding, then retreating. All this is held together by an intense maze and a sense of gaining prizes like laying cocoons, slaying the Queen, Saving the Queen, gaining honor, escaping a self destructing ship leaving all inside. Best of all, the overlays. Having something in plastic feels really collectable and also personal to each role.

 

Fans will be pleased by the sensations and delivery of themes + character based themes.

Collectors are basically fans, but additional plastic is nice.

 

Thinking about all that I have written, I need to decide what really lets the game down. Thematically, the game is brilliantly done. Suspense and atmosphere are both good, the feeling of playing roles and controlling the characters is well done. The challenge is decent, the pace is slow and deliberate, which is appropriate.

Rewards are clever, logical, innovative, and satisfying.

Overall gameplay is slick, although not overall subtle when repetitious encounters set in.

 

So, let's look at this logically:

 

Take away these bits from the game:

- Beautiful texture work.

- The vents.

- Points System.

- The Overlays.

 

Alright, so actually when I think about it, that doesn't take away from the core experience.

 

Hmm..

 

Take away the other characters and just leave the Marine?

But the core experience is still intact. The Marine campaign lasts long enough and offers the slow, deliberate, maze/stealth exploration experience. I bet people would still rate the game pretty well if there was only a Marine Campaign.

 

Take away the slowness and difficulty in killing enemies.

Now we have a bad game.

 

But that's like saying: make all enemies in Doom die from 1 hit and also turn clipping mode on.

 

Truly, it is simple elements that hold games together. You could strip a lot away and replace what is missing with a basic element that gives the experience feeling, so that the player wants to investigate/feel/sense the design.

If you switched all clipping mode on, where is the investigation?

If you make things too fast or too slow, where is the sense of atmosphere for the environment?

 

Then I suppose there is one way of summing up Alien Vs Predator:

Tasteful and consistent. We have a very well defined play style, a solid game engine, and a well rounded variation on a theme.

 

Conclusion:

The game is sensually and thematically compelling with a good thrilling edge to it, there is a very satisfying set of rewards and plenty of different ways of experiencing the same design each play session. Game difficulty is good and well rounded, with a lot of longevity. Presentation and programming are well held together, however, there perhaps aren't enough enemies or parts to play with. When an enemy encounter takes place, the player is compelled to kill (which breaks from the mode of thought that is exploring, sneaking, navigating, etc) but then after the enemy is killed, one wonders what will come next. Nothing. The player is only brought back to the core thematic experience. This can be likened to having a huge, diverse, atmospheric world with computers dotted about so that the player uncovers the computers every 5 minutes or so, but each computer offers the same reflexive/management experience. Considering one of the main points of reference in Alien Vs Predator is the protagonists themselves, there needs to be a bit more depth in the encounters.

Otherwise, all that is within is held together very consistently, and this is something that can be said for many of the higher rated jaguar games;- the engines are solid, the themes are well set, there are satisfying rewards and some surreal experiences to be had, but somewhere, in most of these games, there is a mechanic or element that keeps on being accessed, and little changes about this element each time.

 

 

Well, I hope that helps. Maybe I should write a review properly somewhere.

Edited January 25, 2013 by boxesofgame

[Drixxel]

That's a very thoughtful breakdown of what makes AvP tick, boxesofgame, and I'm inclined to agree with all of it. Despite the game's flaws and missed opportunities, I've always felt it to be effectively immersive and the slow, deliberate pacing does give AvP a feel of its own. My wishlist for improvements is pretty long, but I like what's there in the finished product.

[decayedmatter]

I just FINALLY beat the Marine campaign on it. And I feel it was a hellish maze. After awhile I actually started memorizing the repeating corridors to some extent but it was very easy to lose track and get frustrated due to all the repeating walls. Not fun. But yea I eventually did it, killed the queen and blew up the ship. Doesn't seem as hard now that i semi memorized the layout. But yea I still think it's overrated and not a very user friendly game. The most hilarious thing is the level that has the "training maze" in it. I just laughed at that like,

 

"Oh so THIS specifically is the maze? Not the rest of the game?? -_-"

 

However I just started playing the predator and it's a ton easier and more fun, since you actually feel powerful. Plus playing the Marine campaign first really helps you to navigate as the predator (apart from not being able to use ducts), Predator is definitely way shorter but more fun, just annoying that none of his vision modes actually help anything, they just make it more annoying to see while cloaked.