Demo

[essence]

Where has the steam demo gone? I want to play it before I buy.

[Thorp]

iirc there was no steam "demo" just the beta build before the game released. As far as I know, the closest thing you'll get to playing a game without buying it nowadays is to watch live stream videos or youtube gameplay videos.

Of course I am going to recommend a video I have recorded. The first few minutes are just awful to watch as I am killed very quickly but I recuperate over time. However what is shown in the video IS what happens in multiplayer so if you do not like how often I die or you notice a cheap maneuver, that's what you'll get when you play.
http://youtu.be/ets3iWCoORc

[essence]

Thank you for that, however, seeing a game isn't the same as playing it. I heard the controls for the Predator are mediocre and most reviews don't give the game above 7/10. How come the video is 4:3 ratio? (i.e. not widescreen).

[Thorp]

it is a 4:3 because I was playing on a 19" square screen at the time. Video quality is not amazing either because my system specs were not great and I was using xfire to record.

The controls for the predator are pretty stiff and takes some time to get used to but it does work; it's not awful but it does take some practice. In fairness the difficult controls do hinder the score rating for me but there are 2 other species to play so ya, just don't play pred or at least spend time to understand the pred's poor mobility.

I would agree 7/10 is accurate and I would say it is what it should be. AvP 2010 is not a failure nor is it a mind-blowing game. The singleplayer alone is solid but is very linear thus starving the game of replayability. Singleplayer provides the suspenseful and sci-fi fantasy action experience and does it well. imo the Alien campaign is the best providing the most "replayablity" as stealth kills can be done in various ways in every playthrough. Marine campaign is the second best as the sense of fear, suspense and dread combined with method of shoot first and ask later is exciting. I played the Predator campaign once...not much to say except the gameplay there is more about manipulating the AI than the suspense if you'll be spotted and killed.

In a nuttshell AvP 2010 provides 3 different experiences in both singleplayer and multiplayer. Playing as a marine provides a unique fps against aliens that stealth and aliens that can leap and climb on walls. Xeno gameplay patient and is very fast with both melee combat and stealth mechanics when done properly. Predators are primarily long ranged stealth projectiles but are very strong in melee combat. Untlimately however, melee combat is almost as simple as rock/paper/scissors because light attacks counter heavy, heavy breaks block, block blocks light. (M41A 10-mm Pulse Rifle counters almost everything when done right :p)

Multiplayer is all about who else is playing with you. Players can either play by the tacit rules, group up and work together. They can also unfortunately work the unfinished bugs of the game and exploit people to death, literally. As for all games, exploiting ruins most if not all of the good experiences (though some shenanigans are hilarious from time to time). When people play by the rules that would be expected in any online game (no cheating, exploits, glitches, ect) the multiplayer is very rewarding, exciting and suspenseful; surviving a wave of xeno players with allies is exhilarating. Unfortunately the game can get old and tiring very quickly when the server population is too high and exploits run rampant to the extent that the life expectancy is around 15-45 seconds.

I have put over 200 hours into the online multiplayer and I have regretted very little of it. I prefer shooters and AvP 2010 provides a unique shooter in the Alien universe. Sure reviews say the game is unfinished, clunky, and a blight on the Alien name but common, the solid singleplayer and the competitive unique multiplayer for less than $10 when on sale, I'd buy it if I did not own it already. Sometimes diving into a game is the best way to find those niche games. I must say though...Colonial Marines comes in February sooo idk...perhaps the multiplayer will be the same or better. ($10 now for singleplayer and multiplayer then $50-60 in 4 months for the new singleplayer with coop and multiplayer).

[essence]

Thank you very much for the mini-review. It sounds like I expected - I was just looking for something like the classic Aliens vs Predator 2, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The single player is what I was looking for mostly, and I expected it to be linear, just like a movie. AVP2 did a nice job of frightening me when it first came out.

Yes! I can't wait for colonial marines. But does it have the predators?

[Mister Torgue Flexington]

Originally posted by essence:

Thank you very much for the mini-review. It sounds like I expected - I was just looking for something like the classic Aliens vs Predator 2, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The single player is what I was looking for mostly, and I expected it to be linear, just like a movie. AVP2 did a nice job of frightening me when it first came out.

Yes! I can't wait for colonial marines. But does it have the predators?

Are you talking about the classic "AvP 2" PC game? If so, yeah you do indeed play as the Predator, and can even headshot people with the spear-gun (with hilarious results) and watch their bodies go into brief muscle spasms.

[Thorp]

Colonial Marines will not have predators at release however knowing how DLC crazy the gaming market is...

[essence]

@Iceman: Yes, AvP2 classic! I do recall the decapitations rather well :)

Well, check this:

http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/04/aliens-vs-predator-2010-demo-now-available-on-steam/

The link is dead, just directs you to the steam homepage.

[DreamBreaker]

I was a huge fan of avp2 and i preorder this game because i tough it would be nice... terrible mistake.... yeah graphic are good... campaign is OK but very short.... and multiplayer.... always finish with someone getting behind and one hit kill.... that "one kill" move is the worst idea ever.... I don't recommend this game unless you got it for 5$ during steam holiday.