(Xeno)Horses For Courses
Hm. I usually find that Jeff's opinions on games coincide pretty closely with mine, but I'm gonna have to agree to disagree on this one. I'm having a great time with this game. Yes, it has its problems and yes, it's not the most modern-feeling of FPSs out there, but once you start getting the hang of the three species (Which will take a little while) there is some hugely enjoyable stalk-and-pounce gameplay to be had.
It's certainly a strange game to write about, as Jeff, along with a lot of the reviewers who have marked AVP low, do have valid points. Normally, these flaws would make a game pretty much universally hated by everyone, but this seems to be one of those cases where a large number of people love a game even while recognizing those flaws. Maybe it comes down to love of the franchises involved. It's certainly the main reason why I'm having such a great time with it, and Rebellion evoke the atmosphere of the movies brilliantly through the lighting and sound design. What's more, the species do feel very much like their movie counterparts, with Aliens being lightning fast and wall-darting, Predators being agile and deliberate and Marines being jittery yet vulnerably sluggish at the same time.
Older gamers will in general find the game the most comfortable, as Rebellion have gone for a decidedly 'old school' feel in the game mechanics and map design, and perhaps that is to a fault at times - the Campaigns do feel a little too rote, but are still enjoyable in that 'I'm in the movie!' sense. And as for the 'No Crouch' brigade: If anything, crouching would be a liability in this game. Marines need to be fast on their feet, and even when in a group have to be ready to move and move FAST at a split-second's notice to get out of tail swipe/insta-kill range. You might as well call crouch a 'Die Button'.
So there you have it. Flawed? Yes. Scrappy in several key areas? Yes. But this is one of those occasions where the core game is solid enough that if you're a fan of the movies and are open to a game that has a little more deliberate and sparse feel to your MW2s, you might find this game a hell of a lot more fun than you'd expect. It's very much its own beast, what Brits might call a 'Marmite game': you either love it or hate it. Personally, I love it, even if my critical faculties compel me to knock off a point and a half (One for general flaws, plus a half for the lack of splitscreen co-op)
For me, and a lot of other people judging by other reviews and message board talk, it just... Somehow... Works. Don't ask me why. I'm having too much bloody fun to question it!.
