By Alec Meer on July 29th, 2009 at 6:18 pm.
BRING ME ALIENS VS PREDATOR. BRING IT TO ME NOW.
We’ve seen the Predator at play already – and in fact I sat through a live demo of ol’ crab-face in action just last week. In short – he’s a lot more agile, a lot more outdoorsy and a lot more assassiny than the tank-like role he took in Rebellion’s original Aliens vs Predator. Also, the spinal cord-removal death move is one of the most gruesome things I’ve ever seen a videogame do. Even so, I don’t really give a single facehugger poo about the Predator. Always thought there was something oddly boring about him, at least when he’s not wrestling with Arnie. For me, AvP is about the age-old conflict between the Aliens and the Marines. The latter may be the most vanilla of the three races, but survival horror always suited this IP better than anything else – so Marine is the campaign I know I’ll be playing first. Bidee-bee… Bidee-bee… Bidde-bee…
And here’s Mr Marine in action. Well, briefly – this trailer isn’t an attempt to prove that the jarheads share equal baddassery-billing with the Xenos and Preds. Poor fella.
On that note – why still a fella (apparently)? The Aliens movies have always been about female protagonists, so it’s a real shame that we’re here defaulting to textbook macho yet again: it was a golden excuse for a woman character without resorting to base sex-appeal. Ah well. Perhaps I’ll yet be surprised.
Here’s the footage, anyway: I reckon it does a stand-up job of evoking the incredigood original game whilst also showing off its super-sparklo-graphics.
29/07/2009 at 18:25 SuperNashwan says:
The first game was indeed excellent, more of that with modern graphics providing enhanced atmosphere would be well worth a few of my notes. Any word on if they’re planning interesting online stuff with this?
Also, the pulse rifle is one of the finest bits of sound design ever, I love that noise so much.
29/07/2009 at 18:26 Diogo Ribeiro says:
Tank? I always thought the Alien was a bit more Scout-like, with the Predator being the closest to the Spy (come to think of it, I always had a tendency to go “Gentlemen” when cloaking and sneaking – it all makes sense now!).
The Marine was obviously the Engineer, though, hiding behind the gadgets he carried.
29/07/2009 at 18:28 The Colonel says:
I hope that encounter with the Predator at the end isn’t just a scripted moment in the game. It would be amazing to finish a firefight with some aliens and turn around to find a Predator had been standing behind you all along. As usual I hope and pray that consolification doesn’t do away with the hardcore-ness of the original, especially where difficulty is concerned. At least this game surely won’t have much use for boring cover systems? Looking promising, but the real test will be the immersion and real feeling of being hunted that the other games created.
29/07/2009 at 18:28 Pavel says:
Looks great.I hope they will not fuck it up like they did Shellshock.Also they better have good writers, AvP1 sucked in story department.
29/07/2009 at 18:28 Andrew Dunn says:
Fucking WANT.
God this looks so perfect.
29/07/2009 at 18:29 Diogo Ribeiro says:
Also, minor nitpick: the Dropship seems to take off way too fast in the trailer. Other than that, looking quite good. Better than I expected, actually. Although it seems the Aliens are going to be like CoD4′s dogs or something?
29/07/2009 at 18:30 Gorgeras says:
Wait, wait, wait. We need to sort this out first before ANYTHING else can be discussed regarding this game.
Predator = Hunter
Alien = Survivor
Marine = Prey
Innit?
29/07/2009 at 18:31 Diogo Ribeiro says:
@Pavel:
AvP didn’t need a good story. It’s just one huge interspecies gang bang. In fact, there was one single excellent piece of writing in the entire game – a Marine level where the objective was, bluntly put:
“Go out there and kill things”.
29/07/2009 at 18:48 Serondal says:
@Gorgeras Preadtor = Hunter/Prey Alien = Hunter/Prey and Marine =Prey . The alien hunts the predator and the human, the preadtor hunts the alien and the human, and the human just tries to survive :P
I agree in the first AVP games the pred had to tank most of the time due to his cloak not even working against aliens. There were a few good spots in AVP 2 where you could be a ninja but not enough for my taste
29/07/2009 at 18:48 Vexor says:
This game is made for the LAN parties. Can’t wait!
29/07/2009 at 18:49 Lack_26 says:
Correct me if I’m wrong, isn’t that a female to his left? But yeah a female lead would have made more sense.
29/07/2009 at 18:52 Pavel says:
Diogo Ribeiro – Wrong. Every game can use a good story.It was perfectly seen with AvP 1 and 2.1 sucked in story department and thus had no great impact, 2 rocked in story department and I loved all three campaign.
29/07/2009 at 18:53 sigma83 says:
I think the Hunter / Survivor / Prey thing refers to the ‘Which of these will you become, playing as your chosen race?’ rather than pigeonholing them into anything.
29/07/2009 at 19:19 LionsPhil says:
Hmm. I’m unimpressed by the way that the Marines give up on you the moment you cloak in that Predator gameplay vid. “Oh, he just vanished right there on that branch, we’d best stop shooting and look the other way, ignoring the series of thump sounds and rattling foliage around it.”
Also, aye, dropship’s too nippy, and let’s have some female marines in there. “You always were an asshole, Gorman.”
29/07/2009 at 19:19 Schmung says:
Looks jolly good. I loved the original – one of the msot genuinely terrifying games of all time IMO
29/07/2009 at 19:21 reaper47 says:
Looking authentic. AvP 1&2 were excellent.
Let’s hope 1:07 isn’t an indication of quick-time-events (“Press A-B-A to wrestle the Alien!”).
29/07/2009 at 19:27 TOOTR says:
Not wishing to rename the site Rock Paper Modgun but as with the great Morrowind graphic enhancement mods – is there anything similar for the original AVP game?
P.S obligatory quote – ‘Why don’t you put her in charge?’
29/07/2009 at 19:28 Fumarole says:
“This game is made for the LAN parties. Can’t wait!”
Indeed.
29/07/2009 at 19:36 Serondal says:
What Lan be disabled like in Starcraft :P
What I’d really love to see is a game that only focuses on the Marine and gives you a really in depth story where you’re in an alien vs predator situation and caught in the middle of the battle so they can really focus on the experice and make it as scary and claustrphobic as possible. I know the first time I watched Alien towards the end I felt like there was a weight on my chest waiting for that freaking thing to pop out and eat someone, I figure they could do even better with a proper video game. Also would like to see a predator open world game where you are free to hunt what you wish across many planets, allowing you to decide where your space ship goes ect and gain prestige among your clan and allowing you to keep a room for trophies that you can arrange as you like.
29/07/2009 at 19:47 Antsy says:
This does look good but what I’d really like to see is these two IPs being explored separately both in games and in movies. Theres a whole lot of background to both Alien and Predator that has been ignored.
29/07/2009 at 19:48 Diogo Ribeiro says:
@Pavel:
Perhaps, but I can tell you that at the time, whatever story AvP had left no impression whatsoever. I’m not sure I’d pay attention to it if the story was better. It’s a theme that probably does not need one. Most people will be familiar with the characters, and it actually works out as a sort of mash-up. “Aliens and Predators duke it out”. Does anything else need to be said? It’s as manly a sport as Street Fighter before they began shoving “backstories” into them. Who needs information like blood type, favourite food and love interests? All I care about is taking that floating Indian now before I’m BBQ, thanks.
PS: This is all in jest, my good man :P
29/07/2009 at 19:51 JKjoker says:
watching this video made me think two things:
is there any chance of the weapons *not* obscuring 1/4 of the screen ?
great, he encounters an alien –> QTE, he encounters a predator –> QTE, oh im sure everyone is going to love that innovative piece of gameplay and it will never get annoying, never i tell you!
29/07/2009 at 19:51 Poita says:
Damn. Do I upgrade my 5yo PC for a well patched Arma2/OpFlash2 combo or do I wait for this beast? I hope it’s not all Doom3ish though.
Fact, Alien, Aliens & Predator 1 were awesome. Predator 2 was ok but every Aliens since are really, really bad. AVP 1&2 are soooooooooo bad.
I once met Brian Glover in a chip shop in Edinburgh. He was performing in ‘Annie get your gun’. Strangely, although he was wearing an overcoat and flat cap I actually recognised him from the bald section of the back of his head between his coat collar and cap. Being from Yorkshire I said I was pleased to meet him. Then I told him Aliens 3 was aweful but Yank weirwolf in London was great and he agreed.
29/07/2009 at 19:54 Dominic White says:
@The Colonel – Funnily, what you claim to be PC-styled hardcoreness was actually almost all directly cribbed from Goldeneye, *THE* console FPS of the time.
Almost all of the original AvP’s structure was taken from that game. The bonus objectives, the increasing mission complexity on higher difficulty settings, the punishing checkpoint-free levels, etc.
I just hope they haven’t forgotten just how well that structure worked.
29/07/2009 at 20:10 RiptoR says:
@SuperNashwan: watch the Predator movie linked in this post, they mention something about multiplayer stuff.
29/07/2009 at 20:19 Jad says:
@Serondal and Antsy:
Gearbox is making an Aliens universe game focusing on the marines called Colonial Marines, so that might cover your requests. Although it seems to be more of a squad-based shooter like Brothers in Arms than survival horror, and sounds a bit console-y with QTEs and all. Anyway, we’ll see.
As for AvP, yeah, I’m pretty excited about this. As for difficulty, I really hope they have a bunch of widely differentiated difficulty levels. They’ll need an easy mode for the modern kids (and I’ll admit, I might play on that mode, too — I can be kinda wimpy when it comes to scary games), but I still hope they have some punishingly hard mode for the old-school gamers.
29/07/2009 at 20:39 Walsh says:
Story in AvP1?
All I remember was the game made me pee myself about 1 thousand times.
29/07/2009 at 20:45 fullbleed says:
There is a genuinely pleasurable feeling from hearing the bleep of the motion tracker or the burst of the pulse rifle. I really can’t wait for this game, I hope it doesn’t have a story as it would be entirely pointless, everyone knows the plot of predator and alien movies.
Vasquez: “Look, man. I only need to know one thing: where they are.”
29/07/2009 at 21:00 Scundoo says:
Ripley: I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.
Hudson: Fuckin’ A…
29/07/2009 at 21:02 We Fly Spitfires - MMORPG Blog says:
I’m absolutely a marine man myself. Never had much interest in playing as an Alien or Predator. Marines FTW!
29/07/2009 at 21:08 GreatUncleBaal says:
The first AvP nearly gave me a cardiac arrest just when a LIFT moved, setting off my motion tracker, let alone when the first alien showed up. This looks like it’s coming along very nicely, and will further shorten my lifespan. Cool.
“How could they cut the power, man? They’re animals!”
29/07/2009 at 21:25 jonfitt says:
The Predator was always the odd man out in the AvP games. They had him as the Swiss-Army Tank of the game with some very deadly weapons and high health, but limited by battery power.
The Marines were deadly at range, but fragile and weak (and tasty) close up, and the Alien obviously excelled close up, and had the option to come from anywhere, but was vulnerable when out of claw range. They perfectly balanced each other.
The Predator on the other hand, could dish out damage at all ranges, hide from Marines, and take sizeable damage. My guess is the battery power thing was added because he was just completely OP otherwise. You could even attack while cloaked if I remember rightly.
29/07/2009 at 21:26 Duckmeister says:
I really only get scared in a game when something gets in my face. Like the Berserker in Condemned, or something like that. So, give me all of your aliens crawling at me, but don’t give me an alien going all “graaaah” as it gets all in my face and being ugly and all that. Yeah.
29/07/2009 at 21:28 Celsius says:
Wow! This game really looks cool. I have been a fan of Alien Vs Predators and to find some game like this is the next best thing that happened. I guess I can take a break from grinding wow gold and raiding in Ulduar with my friends and just grab my own copy and start playing!
29/07/2009 at 21:43 Heroic Zero says:
I’m hopeful for this one. The earlier games really had great atmosphere.
Playing as a marine was almost too spooky, especially at the start of the campaign. I think a lot of that has to do with the sound, actually.
The predator campaign was the first one I finished though. I found his abilities the most satisfying, although the campaign itself wasn’t very innovative. Very sniper-ly, though.
The alien campaign was just brilliant (starting out exiting a chest, trying to survive until you grew large enough). It had some really good moments.
Multiplayer was all about playing as an alien though. :) Zipping along the ceilings and walls never got old.
29/07/2009 at 22:11 Dominic White says:
Just to remind people, Rebellion did AvP1, not AvP2. Personally, I vastly preferred the first game, which had very much a feel of its own – the second one felt a lot more like a standard PC FPS, at least to me.
29/07/2009 at 22:24 Mad Doc MacRae says:
Is this another bug hunt?
There was not enough overconfident wisecracking in that trailer – hell, there was none at all! :(
29/07/2009 at 22:51 dsmart says:
SOLD!!!!
29/07/2009 at 23:38 c-Row says:
WANT!
AvP1 (and to a certain extent, System Shock 2 and Dead Space) was the only game ever that made me stop and aim at a corner, virtual hands shaking. For 20 seconds. Not around the corner, but at the corner. And the motion tracker was a horrible thing to include. Well, in a good “horrible” way of course.
29/07/2009 at 23:39 G Hallberg says:
I remember playing the marine tutorial in one of the old versions, I dumped several magasines of ammo on doors and lifts.
That level didn’t have a single enemy on it.
I loved that game, gotta buy it and replay the marine campaigns some day.
29/07/2009 at 23:42 DMJ says:
Marines? Vanilla? Multiplayer original AvP was closest to the movie tension by a long shot. In that game you really are hunted by a creature as smart as you.
Or alternatively you’re hunting prey which carries an assault rifle and motion tracker…
Few games let you get into the head of a movie character like that.
29/07/2009 at 23:44 DMJ says:
Opinion: Supplementary.
This game just topped my excite-o-meter and has surpassed Modern Warfare 2 in the “if I have to only buy one game for the rest of the year based on impressions…” stakes.
29/07/2009 at 23:46 Timofee says:
Looking forward to this one.
Also lots of you are going on about female marines, isn’t there one right at the beginning to the right of middle – has a pony tail and looks distictly female. Also I thought the one with a smart gun at 33secs looked like a woman? I don’t know, I don’t care as long as it has a survivor mode where you have sentries and the like to place before hand and then have to hold out for as long as possible I’m happy.
29/07/2009 at 23:48 GlennS says:
Predator has its moments: play predator tag, where there is one predator who can score points and everyone else is marines trying to kill him, at which point they become him. It is a fantastic combination of high speed gunning and sneakiness, and one of the most intense, nerve-wracking experiences I have played. It always leaves me drenched in sweat every time.
The multiplayer from either of the previous games (both great), with better net code would do me.
29/07/2009 at 23:49 dsmart says:
Marine all the way for me. I LOVE being the underdog with a nice glow-in-the-dark bullseye on my back. *G*
29/07/2009 at 23:52 A-Scale says:
Never got a chance to play AvP when it was still hot, so I’m very much looking forward to this. If the quality of the game matches that of the trailer, we are in for a nice ride.
29/07/2009 at 23:58 PureUncut says:
It seems space travel has vastly outpaced torch technology.
30/07/2009 at 00:20 Nerd Rage says:
“Poita says:
Damn. Do I upgrade my 5yo PC for a well patched Arma2/OpFlash2 combo or do I wait for this beast? I hope it’s not all Doom3ish though.”
One of the things I liked about the original AvP game from Rebellion was that it ran really damn well on my not-so-top-of-the-line PC. And the Marine gameplay in that game is still better than all of Doom 3, even if it doesn’t look quite so flashy. So whichever way you meant that Doom 3 comment to be taken, I’m as confident as an outsider can be that Rebellion will pull it off.
30/07/2009 at 00:21 DK says:
I hope they go the AvP1 route with random enemies that have access to their own, entire-level-spanning vent system so you can never be sure where and when that Alien/Predator will attack. That one piece of design made the first one so much more replayable than the second.
30/07/2009 at 00:35 Gorgeras says:
The second non-Rebellion game was terribad. The Alien had ZERO stealth and unlike the first I wasn’t able to hide at all. I have fond memories of the first level of the first game smashing all the lights in the lab and hiding on the ceiling just inches from the investigating Marines. As long as it was dark, you could hide right in front of them just as the Alien is supposed to.
They were all given spider senses and telepathic communication in the second one.
30/07/2009 at 00:49 unique_identifier says:
obligatory quote # 471: `Get away from her, you bitch!’
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgFXlEg5XZs )
30/07/2009 at 01:11 Erlam says:
The Predator looks like a mix of a Spy and Sniper, to me.
While I think the Predator will likely be the best of the three choices, that’s hardly new.
I am so psyched to play some Marine meatbags. Such fond memories of letting Aliens sneak up, then 180ing them just as they were in range… good times.
30/07/2009 at 01:19 Antsy says:
Anyone remember Aliens on the C64? God I used to fill my drawers when the face huggers suddenly filled my screen!
30/07/2009 at 02:23 unique_identifier says:
re: Erlam’s “the predator looks like a mix of a spy and sniper, to me.”
hehe, i catch myself analysing other shooters through tf2 goggles all the time. (neotokyo’s recon class? scout crossed with a spy crossed with a sniper, and a bit of demoman)
30/07/2009 at 02:27 teo says:
QUESTION: WHY ARE THE ALIENS SO SLOW?
ANSWER: BECAUSE OF CONSOLES
30/07/2009 at 02:41 Psychopomp says:
I think Alien 3 was the best one
There, I said it.
30/07/2009 at 02:54 Psychopomp says:
“Celsius says:
Wow! This game really looks cool. I have been a fan of Alien Vs Predators and to find some game like this is the next best thing that happened. I guess I can take a break from grinding wow gold and raiding in Ulduar with my friends and just grab my own copy and start playing!”
It appears we have gold spammers now…
You know you’ve hit it big when…
30/07/2009 at 03:19 Scundoo says:
I think Alien 3 was the best one
There, I said it.
I agree. The “director’s cut” of Alien 3 is the best of the franchise
30/07/2009 at 03:25 The Colonel says:
This game shouldn’t be playable on a console because you shouldn’t be able to be quick enough to hit anything with a mouse, let alone a keyboard. The solution would be full-screen auto-aim. And yes, I know that’s what a smart gun is. 1999 was a good year for games, no?
@Serondal: Ash calls them “survivors” in the first film when he’s talking about them being the “perfect organism” and adapting to any environment. That film is a lot shitter than I remember. It just descends into standard horror film fare after the first 40 minutes.
@Dominic White: Really? Interesting. Don’t really remember all that stuff in the AvP game, but it was a long time ago. Goldeneye still is THE console FPS. AvP definitely had the edge over the second “colourful” affair. The marine storyline in that one was superb though.
30/07/2009 at 03:26 The Colonel says:
EDIT: you shouldn’t be able to be quick enough to hit anything with a mouse, let alone a controller stick.
30/07/2009 at 03:43 Nick says:
Just makes me want a Colonial Marines only game. ¬_¬
Still, I’ll take what’s released, naturally.
30/07/2009 at 05:58 TheSombreroKid says:
Oh My Holy Fucking Jesus Christ of Nazareth! i want this game.
the Alien films affected me permanently, i’m just plain not atracted to a girl unless i think she’ll be able to flush a xenomorph out an airlock.
30/07/2009 at 06:08 Howard says:
It’s about time that this franchise got another game. The advancements we have had in game engines, particularly those centred around lighitng and shadows, really have been crying out for another trip to LV426 (or similar).
While I am excited about this I will reserve any judgement until I actually see in game footage. That video may be “in engine” but sure as hell ain’t someone playing it. Also I have a VERY sneaking suspicion that 360 will get its claws in this and we will be as deep in QTEs al the time.
Just as long as Rebelion stick to their own guns (ugh) and ignore everything that was done in the shambolic AVP2 game we’ll be okay I guess. How anyone thinks that game was anything other than atrocious is beyond me…
30/07/2009 at 06:10 Howard says:
EDIT: “Ass deep” not “As deep”… (sigh)
30/07/2009 at 07:13 Psychopomp says:
“That film is a lot shitter than I remember. It just descends into standard horror film fare after the first 40 minutes.”
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeinfeldIsUnfunny
# Alien and its sequels. It looks like a clichéd movie, but invented or popularised most of the relevant tropes for that genre.
* This troper wouldn’t go quite so far as to label Alien “clichéd”, as it is still widely regarded as one of the scariest films of all time. Even later sequels like Alien III or Alien Resurrection fail to diminish how truly frightening the first movie was.
30/07/2009 at 08:38 Larington says:
I feel I should also say that this is crying out for a marine survival mode with placed sentry guns and such where you try to last for as long as possible.
It’s funny how folks now use analogies from character classes in other games to describe the different species in the game, as opposed to previously where TF2 hadn’t rooted itself into the public subconcious so much.
Good point on the goldeneye-esque structuring as well.
30/07/2009 at 08:42 DSX says:
“Guess she didn’t like the corn bread either.”
Contrary to the excitogasmic reactions above.. this trailer was slanted imho: The marine seems to get a tracker, and perhaps an auto-turret (brief scene of one) but none of the stuff needed to take on preds, (UV, IR, endless supply of chalk stick flares to throw at shadows lol). I know marines were supposed to be the underdog, but at least the pred wasn’t god-like vs. marines in the first game.
30/07/2009 at 08:44 l1ddl3monkey says:
Will there be tactical smart missiles? Phase-plasma pulse rifles, RPGs, sonic electronic ball breakers? Nukes? Knives? Sharp sticks?
30/07/2009 at 08:58 torchedEARTH says:
Maybe they don’t show up on the 360 at all.
30/07/2009 at 09:08 Sunjammer says:
As much as i dug the first one, calling it “incredigood” is a little off my map at least. It scared my balls clean off my body, but i’m not sure that actually makes the game any good. I really did miss a story, a little bit of coherence, and a semblance of a human story beyond “i’m going to die soon if i don’t watch out”. I think AvP2 absolutely curbstomped the first game in all these regards, and came out as more memorable for it.
This, coupled with the utter shitsandwich Rebellion has been consistently serving up wince AvP (a collection of titles so abysmal their Judge Dredd game stands out as a quality title relatively speaking); color me cautiously optimistic.
30/07/2009 at 09:16 Ian says:
@ Poita: I thought you said “Arnie Get Your Gun.”
I’d totally go and see that.
30/07/2009 at 09:24 Subject 706 says:
@Scundoo, @The Colonel
I’d say that the first movie is heads and shoulders above the rest, especially when it comes to the creture model.
Numero 3 comes second though.
30/07/2009 at 10:07 MonkeyMonster says:
Guns, lots of guns :D I’ll have a medium-rare want with a side salad of want and some want fries too.
You do indeed have to love the sound of pulse rifle – though the smart gun sounded better imho.
30/07/2009 at 10:33 Morph says:
What are we supposed to use, harsh language?
30/07/2009 at 10:54 GenuineEntropy says:
My interest in this title has doubled since RPS posted footage.
Lots of pro-rine sentiment from you guys.
Am I alone in that my fondest memories of the first two games were skulking about as a lone alien, destroying lights and picking off marines in AVP2 SP… (That’s after having face-hugged a sleeping man, chewed my way out of his chest and fed on rodents till I was big enough to bite peoples heads off)… Maybe it’s just me then. :P
30/07/2009 at 11:26 Karry says:
WTF, AGIAN ?!? How come everyone just lost the ability to add numbers to sequels ? What if i want to find info about original game, how hard will i have to look because of their numbering disability ?
Also, consoles.
30/07/2009 at 11:38 klumhru says:
@AvP1 proponents
Strange, I played AvP1 all the way through on release primarily by way of a dearth of other games to play and on the basis of its license. I found that AvP2 blew it away in all respects, most especially with the alien campaign, where you played all the way from birth. The other two parallel campaigns were weaker imo, more so the pred campaign, but still very very much better than anything avp1 offered…
Regarding the movies, the single-xeno’s (1 / 3) stand out for me, always, while Aliens is a nice action movie. 4 and the avp’s, well….
Regarding this game. The QTE’s need to be really sparse, and the aimed jumping, wtf is that? It’s like you’re remote controlling the pred, not actually playing it. Haven’t seen alien or marine game play yet, so can’t speak to that…
30/07/2009 at 11:39 Psychopomp says:
@Karry
Um
What?
30/07/2009 at 11:42 Chaz says:
Bloody hell that is looking tasty.
30/07/2009 at 11:50 Psychopomp says:
“As usual I hope and pray that consolification doesn’t do away with the hardcore-ness of the original, especially where difficulty is concerned.”
Consoles gave us Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden, Ghosts’n'Goblins, Godhand, and Viewtiful Joe to name a few.
Of all the things some people worry about when it comes to consolification, difficulty shouldn’t be one.
30/07/2009 at 11:51 Karry says:
@Psychopomp
What ? Its the fucking consoles again, they got rid of number 3 so more people will want to pick it up. Dumb console crowd, not knowing about the first two games…
I mean, they did this shit with Prince of Persia TWICE, first everyone called “Sands of Time” just “Prince of Persia”, now there is yet ANOTHER straight “Prince of Persia” ? WTH ?!?
And this new Mechwarrior thing, why, why not just call it MW5 ? Console crowd, thats why. Dumb.
Also, Rebelmind ? There isnt a single person there now from the original AVP team, and lately they released mostly trash, so my expectations arent that high. Not to mention…consoles. In original game Alien was freakin fast, i cant imagine anyone being able to play that with a controller, which means Aliens will be seriously gimped, so that kiddies in front of TVs can follow and actually aim and kill them.
30/07/2009 at 11:58 Psychopomp says:
@Karry
So, in short “consoletards” ruin everything?
Get a grip.
30/07/2009 at 12:06 EvaUnit02 says:
@Alec
If you end up as another mute FPS protagonist with zero personality, does the character’s gender really matter at all?
30/07/2009 at 12:11 TooNu says:
Sweeeeeet
30/07/2009 at 12:19 Owen says:
Now all we need is a deck of cards.
30/07/2009 at 12:20 reaper47 says:
@EvaUnit02: Point taken.
Also, If you look at the “booth babe” discussion below, you’ll see that gender mainstreaming in games usually doesn’t work out that well, either. A videogame Ripley would be cool, but you know what we would actually get…
So what’s worse? A male emotionless space marine ass-kicker stereotype? Or a hyper-sexed assassin with over-sized breasts in skimpy clothes? Isn’t the former almost less offensive to women? (I know, it’s a loose-loose situation)
30/07/2009 at 12:44 The Colonel says:
@ Psychopomp: I didn’t say the film was copying anything else. I was criticising the whole model. Reviewing the film now, the reaction to a seriously powerful evil monster who begins killing crewmembers is to wander around alone, follow cats around the ship whilst not being armed and not even shoot it when it appears. That doesn’t create an atmosphere of tension, just inevitability. It quickly becomes clear the characters are there to be killed one by one. Very entertaining I’m sure but doesn’t make high quality horror.
I’m not talking about old consoles. Consoles and their gamers have changed a lot in the last 5 years. Their current problems are…. the problem.
30/07/2009 at 12:54 Richard Beer says:
Oh pleeeease get this right Rebellion. I will reward you with actual money in exchange for your software if you do!
30/07/2009 at 14:01 Demiath says:
I found that AvP2 blew it away in all respects [...] The other two parallel campaigns were weaker imo, more so the pred campaign, but still very very much better than anything avp1 offered…
I couldn’t disagree with you more. I can’t for the life of me remember even as much as one second of the entire AvP 2 singleplayer experience, whereas many of the simple but intensely atmospheric Marine and Aliens levels from the first game have been permanently etched into my memory. From the look of the embedded gameplay video above the new AvP game seems closer to Monolith’s exceedingly generic game in style and execution, but I really hope that Rebellion also manages to return to that eerie, foreboding quality which set the original game apart from just about every other FPS on the market.
30/07/2009 at 14:28 Nick says:
It’s not the people playing consoles, its the people marketing it to consoles who have no faith whatsoever in any form of basic human intelligence. Although reading some PC gamer comment threads I have the same feeling at times.
30/07/2009 at 14:31 Psychopomp says:
@Nick
Exactly
I’ve seen my fair share of PC gamers who fail to realize the “shakespeare” scene in DMC4 is *supposed* to be a hilariously large ham.
HE ROLLS IN
ON A BENCH
AND CONFETTI
HOW DO PEOPLE NO GET THAT THAT’S INTENTIONAL?
30/07/2009 at 14:51 Man Raised By Puffins says:
Man, that trailer pushes my buttons a little too easily. As soon as I hear the ping of the motion tracker the hairs on the back of my neck stand right up, and the thunderous roar of the M41A pulse rifle spewing 10mm caseless all over the shop just makes me weak at the knees.
The proof, as ever, will be in the pudding. I’ll need to get my hands on a demo of some sort to see if this will deliver the same level of atmosphere as Rebellion’s last AvP effort.
@ The Colonel: Yeah, Alien is fairly heavy on the old horror tropes. It isn’t referred to as a haunted house movie in space for nothing. Still a great film though.
You are somewhat misrepresenting the film, however. When the crew is first hunting the Alien they’re expecting the cat-sized chestburster not a man-sized death dealer. It’s not until Brett buys it that they quite realise what they’re dealing with, at which point they make a concerted effort to trap and kill it.
It’s also worth noting that, as a bunch of space truckers, the crew doesn’t have access to any weaponry. The tools they use to hunt the alien in the film are, if I recall correctly, all jury-rigged by the engineers.
30/07/2009 at 15:20 Comment system, what comment system? says:
So colonial marines is dead right?
30/07/2009 at 15:41 Greg Wild says:
Apparently still in development, Comment, according to Randy. Can’t remember where I read about it though.
Also just noticed: there’s at least 1 woman marine in that trailer. And I have a feeling the Smartgunner is a Vasquez-a-like too. So it’s not entirely without the bussomed ones.
30/07/2009 at 16:02 DK says:
“I’ve seen my fair share of PC gamers who fail to realize the “shakespeare” scene in DMC4 is *supposed* to be a hilariously large ham.”
What does not getting that DMC doesn’t take itself seriously have to with PC or Console gaming?
30/07/2009 at 16:28 klumhru says:
@Demiath
I have the reverse recollection. I couldn’t remember a single thing from avp1 when I first gave it a bit of thought, but I could probably recite most of the plot points of avp2 from memory.
Interesting how people’s experiences differ :)
30/07/2009 at 16:59 G_Man says:
@Diogo Ribeiro,
When he said Tank, Im pretty sure he as referring to the Predator.
The game is looking awesome BTW.
30/07/2009 at 17:39 Pod says:
I have a gutiar tuner that makes the exact same “pock….pock….pock” noise that the motion sensors make.
30/07/2009 at 17:58 Sunjammer says:
Demiath, If you can’t remember eating your way out of a dude’s chest, or the way the music swells from James Horner type Aliens bombast into a very Predator 2 inspired tribal drive as you’re chasing down Rykov as the Predator, or rushing into an alien hive trying to save your friend but coming too late, then i pity you. AvP2 had an absolutely killer storytelling device in its 3 intersecting timelines, and while the engine was so-so, the sound work smashed AvP1 to bits.
The worst thing i can say about AvP1 is that it didn’t capitalize on the potential of its protagonists. It has little to keep you coming back other than novelty.
30/07/2009 at 20:17 dsmart says:
And this had better come out for the PC in good shape because no way in hell I’m getting this on inferior console platforms.
30/07/2009 at 22:58 The Colonel says:
Maybe we’ll finally get the Aliens ability to buckle and break down doors unless you weld them shut promised for the second game ;). Deforming scenery?!
I wonder if there will be another “ha ha look what a massive team of alien fuckers we are! We’ll cut through them like a knife through butt- oh no they’ve all been locked outside leaving me all on my own”.
When is a mindless shooter not a mindless shooter? When you’re cowering in a corner gibbering and trying to pretend the little blip moving closer on your motion tracker is just a cat.
30/07/2009 at 23:42 D says:
Magic 8-ball said to the question “Will AvP be entirely without NPC allies?” – Absolutely!
31/07/2009 at 02:08 caramelcarrot says:
In AVP2 single player I spent the first level shitting myself every time a door shut because it came up on the motion tracker.
Also, to agree, the pulse rifle sound is the best weapon sound ever.
31/07/2009 at 03:08 The Colonel says:
One second watch those Aliens looks so ridiculously easy to fight. Hopefully that was CONSOLE gameplay and the PC version will be better (ie. good).
31/07/2009 at 03:30 Psychopomp says:
““I’ve seen my fair share of PC gamers who fail to realize the “shakespeare” scene in DMC4 is *supposed* to be a hilariously large ham.”
What does not getting that DMC doesn’t take itself seriously have to with PC or Console gaming?”
It’s one of many things that show many PC gamers are just as dense as console gamers, with an added sense of superiority.
31/07/2009 at 04:53 Will says:
I have very fond memories of both the existing AvP games, particularly when played on a LAN at work. I thought the abilities and sometimes vertical level design in the second made for very good role-playing – sitting on top of poles as the Predator and shouting challenges, that kind of thing. I used to live for the girlish shrieks of one colleague (who I shan’t name…) when I netted him and cut his head off for a trophy.
Anyway, what I really wished for and never got was a drool button for the aliens. It would be so much fun to go ‘drip drip’ when a marine comes past while you’re hanging on the ceiling – just to give them a quarter-second of despair before the clawing and biting :)
03/08/2009 at 10:46 R. says:
@Will
Yes, and a hiss button would be handy in that regard as well. Throw in a wave your tail menacingly so it casts a shadow across the room one while you’re at it. No, I’m not being sarcastic, I just want to scare the shit out of people before I tear a hole in their head. The Predator hasn’t got anything on those creepy bastards in that regard, ugh.
@Psychopomp
Well said.