After some serious anticipation, we here at XboxMessiah finally got to play the Aliens Vs Predator demo. While it downloaded, I eagerly watched a little of the Alien Vs Predator movie, and had some high hopes. Surely combining the cult classics of the Alien series and the Predator series couldn’t be a bad thing, right? Well, sort of. I was a little  disappointed by some of the things in this demo, but I still have good feelings about the game itself. Allow me to explain.

The Demo is a multiplayer deathmatch demo. This was my first point of contention. I had hoped for a tutorial level for each one of the factions, or at least the Aliens and Predator. (Who would want to play as a Marine when Xenomorphs and Predators are available?) I eventually realized that it was a bit much to ask for, so I pressed on.

After waiting for a match for what seemed like several minutes, I finally got to a match lobby. I was assigned to Predator, and could change my species, but  there was a limit as to the total number of each. There were eight players to a match with only one map being available.

Playing as the Alien can be a confusing experience. You are very low to the ground, can run up walls, and sneak around quickly. While these all sound cool, it makes the gameplay difficult to adapt to. Running along walls and ceiling is very disorienting with only a crosshair that shows which direction is down. Also, you move so quickly, there is a risk of running past enemies. Playing as the xenomorph definitely took the most getting used to. The fisheye camera and motion sensitive sight made things interesting, but it also added to the confusing factor. It should also be noted that the other species have no problem killing Xenomorphs, and you must get close to even hurt your enemies.

Playing as a Marine was just like playing a shooter, but instead of enemy soldiers, there are Aliens and Predators. With a quick trigger finger and an almost paranoid level of caution, you can do surprisingly well as a marine. I chose to play as one last, but had the most fun with it. There is one incredibly annoying thing to consider. I had to mute the game because of a heartbeat sensor that, while mildly helpful, wouldn’t stop beeping. It tracks the motions of anything nearby, whether you’re on the same floor or not, so you might panic when the enemies aren’t actually a concern. It even made a noise when enemies weren’t around. Also, being the human means that close combat will kill you. Period.

Playing as a predator was fun, but a little different than I expected. You mainly use your claw-blade things to kill people. A long-range option is available with your shoulder-mounted gun, but the blades will be used the most. Predators can jump really far, as opposed to humans who seem to be able to only jump a few inches off the ground. A cloaking option is available also, though it doesn’t last forever. Predators are the hardiest of the bunch, and the rarest to play as.

Both Aliens and Predators have special mini scenes that play out if they can sneak up on an enemy. Some of these brutal finishers included stabbing people in the face, impaling people, decapitation, and extend-o-mouth induced kills. Should you be the unlucky recipient of these, you’ll have the pleasure of seeing them from the opposite side.

The Game is a little more violent than this.

The matches themselves are quick, and reminiscent of the Unreal Tournament games. Though it can take a painfully long time to find a match, and after each you are sent back to the main menu, I had some serious fun.

Overall, I had a good time, and there is some good core gameplay there, albeit a bit hidden under some annoying factors. Unfortunately, the demo doesn’t give the player any idea of what the campaigns will be entail, which is what I had hoped for. It’s worth downloading, and I’ll be sure not to miss out on the game itself.

Related posts:

1. Dante’s Inferno: First Impressions I just played the Dante’s Inferno Demo for about the...
2. Divinity II demo Impressions Before I sit down and write out what I think...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.