Overview
Aliens vs. Predator has spawned a multitude of video games based off of the popular movie and comic book franchise. The first such game, Alien vs. Predator, was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993. Since then, numerous sequels, ports, and standalone games have been released, spanning across a wide variety of platforms.
The series has scattered reception among critics. The first few games for the Jaguar, SNES, and arcade are relatively well-received. In fact, the Jaguar version is considered to be one of the best games on the Jaguar. Other games have reached scores as low as 49%, such as Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (based on the 2007 film). In general, however, the franchise has tended to receive scores towards the middle, typically in the 60% to 70% range. Despite this mostly negative reception, the Aliens vs. Predator franchise has proven to be a long-lasting and profitable franchise for the publishers and developers.
Controversies
The most recent game in the franchise, Aliens vs. Predator (for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC) received some controversy when the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) refused the game classification, essentially banning the game from Australia. After Sega appealed the classification of the game in Australia, the game was classified, and received an MA 15 rating in Australia. In addition to this minor controversy, the refused classification of Aliens vs. Predator has reignited the issue of an R18 rating in Australia.
Games
The Aliens vs. Predator franchise began in 1993, and since then has spanned a wide variety of platforms and genres.
Alien vs. Predator (SNES)
Originally released during September of 1993 in North America, Alien vs. Predator was a port of the arcade game. The game was published and developed by Activision. A traditional beat-em-up, in Alien vs. Predator the player takes control of a single Predator fighting aliens across a variety of levels, protecting a human colony from an attack. The game, despite sharing titles, is different from the arcade and Jaguar games.
Alien vs. Predator: The Last of His Clan (Game Boy)
The second Alien vs. Predator game to be released, The Last of His Clan debuted in November of 1993 for the Game Boy. This game is an action game, once again starring the Predator. The Predator uses a variety of methods to eradicate aliens in The Last of His Clan, including multiple weapons (e.g. shoulder cannons, spinning discs, etc) and bombs.
Alien vs. Predator (Arcade)
One of the most famous of the Aliens vs. Predator franchise, this arcade game was published and developed by Capcom in 1994, spanning across seven levels. While this game is a beat-em-up game akin to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it differs in several ways. Naturally, the game plays different due to the large gap in controls. One of the largest differences is the fact that the arcade version allows players to control one of two different Predators, rather than being constrained to one Predator.
Alien vs. Predator (Jaguar)
This 1994 Jaguar game is among the most well-known and well-received games that Atari published on the platform. The game is a first person shooter, and the first in the franchise to offer the option to play as the alien and humans. Playing as the Predator, the objective is to kill the alien queen, the alien must rescue the alien queen, and the human (Private Lewis) must merely escape the military base without being killed by the aliens or Predators.
Aliens versus Predator (PC)
Just like the standard set with the Jaguar game, 1999's Aliens versus Predator has three separate campaigns to play through. The game is also a first person shooter, and was very well-received by critics (just like the Jaguar game). The three stories offered are an unnamed Colonial Marine (whose objective is to fight his way through a research station, and eventually kill the alien queen), an alien (whose primary goal is to reach the Ferarco, a marine ship, and destroy it), and a Predator (who visits several different planets in order to recapture a Predator ship, fight off Alien/Predator hybrids, and kill the alien queen).
Aliens versus Predator 2 (PC)
The sequel to the 1999 PC game, Aliens versus Predator 2 continues the trend of allowing for three different campaigns. The game was just as well-received as the first, nearing scores of 90% from major publications. Besides the "Classic 2000" version of Aliens versus Predator, Aliens versus Predator 2 introduced multiplayer to the franchise.
The game had an expansion pack released in 2002, titled Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt. Primal Hunt was received very poorly compared to the first two games, receiving scores ranging from 50% to 60% from publications such as GameSpot and IGN. The plot lines presented in Primal Hunt intersect with the alien, Predator, and human storylines from Aliens versus Predator 2.
Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction (PS2, Xbox)
The first game in the franchise to be a real time strategy game, Extinction was released in 2003 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. The game was deemed mediocre by critics, averaging a 65% on Game Rankings. Extinction is unlike traditional real time strategy games in that it doesn't have players build up their bases. Rather, the game is entirely focused on producing units and fighting with said units. All three factions are represented in Extinction, with each having unique units and abilities.
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (PSP)
Released on November 13, 2007, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem is based off of the film of the same name. Requiem is a third-person action-adventure game, and the lowest rated game in the franchise. The game stars the Predator in 15 different missions, utilizing stealth and a variety of weapons to dispatch aliens. A new feature added into the game was the requirement to remove all traces of the Predator, including the dead bodies of murdered aliens and humans.
Aliens vs. Predator (PC, PS3, 360)
The most recent game released in the franchise, Aliens vs. Predator debuted on February 16, 2010. The game has received mixed reviews from critics, with a 67% on Metacritic and a 64% on Game Rankings. Returning to the style of the Aliens versus Predator games on PC, this game once again contains three separate campaigns (alien, Predator, and humans). Aliens vs. Predator places a much higher focus on the multiplayer aspect of the game, with many multiplayer modes and game types.
Canceled Games
Two Aliens vs. Predator games have been canceled since their announcement. The first, Alien vs. Predator for the Atari Lynx, was a planned port of the Jaguar version of the game. The game was a first-person shooter, similar to the Jaguar version, but it was canceled before its 1994 release. Another game, Aliens vs. Predator, was planned for the Game Boy Advance. Very little details had been announced about the game before its cancellation, and all that was known is that the game was going to be published by Ubisoft, and was going to have the typical three campaigns--alien, Predator, and humans. The game was planned to be released in 2003, but was canceled shortly after being announced.
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