Aliens Vs Predator

The light from the torch at the end of your pulse rifle seems pitifully small as you swing it left and right, peering hard into the darkness. There are blips on your Motion Tracker, but you can’t see anything as you tightly clench your massive pulse rifle. There! You spot an Alien creeping up on you from the shadows and open fire as it leaps, cutting it down in a shower of bullets and acid. You pant frantically with relief, only to suddenly notice a tight cluster of red dots on your chest. Tilting your weapon to the source you see a hazy silhouette in the tree line just before a flash of blue fire hits you…

It’s been ten years since Rebellion’s first Aliens vs Predator game, which enthralled PC gamers with its claustrophobic and horrifying take on the battle royal between the three species. Now, as Rebellion return to the AvP franchise, Total PC Gaming went to see just how it’s refining that concept. We started by quizzing David Brickley, senior producer at Rebellion, on the game’s three unique campaigns. “We’re particularly taking inspiration from the films Alien, Aliens and Predator, as well as the first Rebellion game,” Brickley told us.

Both single player and multiplayer, he said, are about mastering the skills of three deadly species: the Marines, Predators and Aliens. Just like the first AvP movie, Aliens vs Predator opens with humans desecrating ancient Predator ruins on colonist planet BG386. But rather than finding the treasure of an alien civilisation they uncover the horrific Aliens, which plunges the human colony into a nightmare.

The Marines, Brickley explains, come to BG386 as part of a rescue operation following that outbreak, but it quickly degenerates into a desperate struggle for survival. “One of the advantages Marines have is strength in numbers,” claims Brickley, “but for the most part you’ll be spending lots of time in the dark alone, and this portion of the game is very much a survival horror.” As a Marine you’ll have a ton of fire power to fight back with, sporting famous USMC Pulse Rifles, shotguns and smart guns. Naturally the unsettling beep of your Motion Tracker will be your constant companion in the darkness. “Our game is set thirty years after events portrayed in Alien³, so USMC technology has moved on,” explains Brickley, “and there will be some new weaponry that’s never been seen before.” And from what we’ve seen you’ll need it, as the other two races claiming BG386 are truly formidable.

For their part Predators are there protecting their ancient secrets and Rebellion promises to add to franchise lore by revealing some of the species’ history. As you’d expect, the Predator is gifted with all manner of weaponry to aid him on the hunt, with his duel blades for close quarter kills, the famous throwing disc that you can control with subtle after touch, explosive mines and, of course, his shoulder plasma caster. Given your vast strength, you’ll be able to leap around levels in Focus mode and use heat vision to detect prey.

… continued