Alien vs Predator - overrated?

[volkanik_destruktor]

AvP is claimed to be one of thy best Jaguar games. However, I find it very disappointing. Endless maze of corridors, small variety of enemies, too slow gameplay, nice-looking sprites being destroyed by poor animation... complete boredom. What are the AvP's strong points you would mentioned to convince the player to finish this game with all characters?

 

PS. I'm not Halo or Gears of War fanboy, fps from 90' are awesome for me but so far AvP isn't a worthy rival for Doom, Quake, Strife or Hexen - it's kinda like Amiga's fps level of quality (Genetic Species, Breathless, Gloom).

[losbjer]

Well, the variety of enemies I think is mostly due to the franchise. I don't know if I would want any more characters that someone just made up for the game, it would destroy the atmosphere I think. The expression "Less is more" comes to mind. There are not many more characters that I can think of from the movies to put in.

 

I agree with the animation but at the time when it was released at least I was stunned by the level of detail the textures and the sprites had. I don't think Doom or any other fps from 1994 has any more frames of animation though.

Edited March 23, 2012 by losbjer

[Goochman]

When it was released it was a great game - was def a bit slow but otherwise was a great concept and varitey in gameplay.

 

Playing today its nothing special.

[kevincal]

my favorite way to play AVP is turn on all cheats to get all weapons and keycards and play the game like Doom blasting everything. If you play the game how its supposed to be played its more like an RPG than a first person shooter and is a long and hard game to complete this way. Try playing as the Predator I find this mode the most balanced and fun without cheating. be cloaked most of the time and just become uncloaked right before you kill enemies to increase points and get new weapons. The marine scenario is extremely difficult, you might want to invest in the jaguar gamers guide can find it on ebay or simply search for a walkthrough on the internet.

 

for 1994 the game was awesome but i would say it is a bit overrated because people get overly excited about the fact that the game is based around the mega popular movies aliens and predator etc etc. given the limits of the jag the game is really impressive and could have turned out much worse.

 

Oh ya and to properly experience the game, play at home, alone, at night, with the sound cranked up, big tv. cool experience.

[Jagman]

not at all overrated. when it was released it was a great technical achievement I think... you really can't compare it to contemporary FPS games as it plays really completely different. Slow paced yet, but one that suits the game very well. My biggest gripe with the game is that the map doesn't save when you change levels so it can get pretty annoying to make your way around the rather large levels and back tracking basically resets your progress unless you have an exceptional memory (which I don't) I think the game holds up pretty well as long as you're not expecting some fast paced action packed shooter. Would have been really awesome if they have had incorporated some sort of 2 player, vs or co-op mode though!

[Amstari]

I only got the game a few days ago. I did see the game when it was first released but I didn't own it.

 

My first impression is that it is very different from most FPS from that time, there seems to be more strategy involved. I've already made the mistake of killing aliens in front of a door way leaving puddles of acid that I cant get around.

 

So if you are comparing it to Doom, Quake, etc. it might seem over rated but I don't think that is a suitable comparison. I would compare it to Slayer on the 3DO because of the strategy and exploration aspects of the game.

[Willard]

I agree in the sense that the limited texture variety combined with the maze like levels (no distinct locations) really hinders the game on the marine mode. especially because the marine mode relies so much on navigating the levels to find ammo, key cards, locked doors .etc

 

I found the predator and alien modes to be much more playable. Since the objectives don't really rely on knowing where to go (when you're the predator for example, you just look for enemies to kill so you can upgrade your weapons) u don't have to worry about the level architecture and can focus more on survival.

[JagChris]

This game at the time was the goddamn scariest game out there. No other game made my heart pound or me and my friends jump out of our seats like AvP did. No game before or since.

[xenomorpher]

I thought the map system could have been better, navigating air ducts is confusing, but I think it adds to the atmosphere and immersion. You really feel like a rat in a deadly maze as the marine. I still find the game refreshing when compared to FPS games today that tell you exactly where to go, what to do, how to do it, and hold your hand all the way. I just like nonlinear and slower paced FPS games since there are so many fast paced corridor shooters.

Edited March 24, 2012 by xenomorpher

[racerx]

Blasphemer!

 

Next you'll be speaking ill of Tempest 2000, lol.

[JagChris]

oh yeah I liked mapping AvP. I had to get graph paper and everything. It was fun overall and didnt take all that long. But now they have online maps for that sort of thing which is cheating.

[Jagman]

I could never beat the game with the Marine.. got to the end where you had to make a break for the escape pod, but always ran out of time maybe some day.

[JagChris]

You just gotta find the route that works. Thats half the fun lol. That and the stomach ache

[Austin]

So if you are comparing it to Doom, Quake, etc. it might seem over rated but I don't think that is a suitable comparison. I would compare it to Slayer on the 3DO because of the strategy and exploration aspects of the game.

 

I was going to state the same thing. AvP is vastly different from DOOM and Quake, nor should it be sat next to them in terms of gameplay (maybe in visuals, but that's a different boat all together). The game is meant to be slow, plodding, and strategic, so it likely will only appeal to those who enjoy those types of games.

[Jag_Slave]

When AVP came out I was amazed. I thought it blew away most of the shooters I had played at the time. As far as console shooters in those days, I personally only thought DOOM rivaled it.

[kevincal]

the jag had the trinity of great first person shooters in 1994. Doom AvP and Wolf 3d. I would have to say Doom is best followed by AvP then Wolf 3d but they are all great.

[+save2600]

AvP is a Jag staple. Every jag owner owes it to themselves to experience the game. Kick ass concept that's a great Jaguar game, but not exactly the most playable fps out there when you start comparing it that way.

[ZylonBane]

Worst first post ever.

[JagChris]

Worst first post ever.

 

Goddammit ZB, we've missed you buddy!

[A_Locomotive]

I personally am not to big a fan, its fun but not engaging enough to keep me playing for a very long time. Its a shame I can't save and pick up my progress later as that would greatly increase how much I enjoy it. As is its just collecting dust, been thinking of parting with it.

Edited March 25, 2012 by A_Locomotive

[kevincal]

they should have made the marine scenario easier and not made the airducts or maze levels so huge and confusing. im all for free roaming gameplay but it is way too easy to get lost and frustrated in avp. they also should have made the marine move and turn a bit faster and not hidden the guns and ammo so much. the difficulty level puts a lot of people off. they die quickly over and over etc. predator is the best mode in the game. not too hard, fun, get new weapons fairly quickly without having to search for them. moves faster. alien scenario straight up sucks though, constantly having to caccoon and die and retrace steps, no thanks. predator mode rocks, marine mode is good but too hard, lots of fun if you turn cheats on, alien mode, blows. i would give avp 8 out of 10, it really is a great game for its time. just with a few tweaks could have been better. and still not many games can rival its cool and scary atmosphere. and for a cartridge game its pretty amazing the size of the levels etc. but thats part of the problem, too many places to explore... and not enough hints helping you to figure out how to progress, and not enough extra health scattered around.

[Zogging Hell]

Think this might be my first post in the Jag forum here!? When I was playing this a lot I got within two or three blips of wiping out the entire alien infestation on Marine mode, i.e. killed all aliens in the game (not wanting to brag or anything ). There is just enough ammo on the ship if your careful. Eventually, with almost no aliens on the ship, I was killed by probably the last face hugger left that caught me off guard in the training maze. I reckon I could do it given the time to play for that long again, though it takes about six hours to kill everything I would estimate. The Marine mode isn't that hard at all if you know where things are, and are willing to spend time trogging about to make sure your health is good. Getting into the Medicentre so you can top up your health early on is essential. I'd say if you grew up on games like Dungeon Master the maze elements are a doddle. I'd give it a 9/10, after Goldeneye and maybe Doom this is the FPS I've spent the most hours in.

[+LS650]

The first couple of times I played AvP I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about - I thought DOOM was far more enjoyable.

 

Someone then recommended that I read the FAQ and print off the maps that are available online. With those I then found I could really get into AvP and enjoy it - though I don't know how the heck anyone could last long enough at the game without maps to create them in the first place!

[potatohead]

I don't know about making the marine easier. Back when we got this game new, it was the shit. Graphically, it exceeded our expectations. Of course, it's seriously dated now, but all 3D titles are. A quick look through PS1 titles will show a lot of the same dating, and highlight some of the over-rated elements mentioned here.

 

3D classics don't appear to age as well as 2D classics do, IMHO I feel some of the same things when I play them today myself.

 

Re: Play it on a big TV, sound turned way up, room dark. Yeah! That's the way to play this one. Honestly, I would do this with a CRT television, 32" or so, sitting fairly close. The analog tends to blend the graphics a little, making the visuals a little more reasonable. But, just darken the room, and twiddle the screen contrast until you see things clearly. IMHO, color art direction could have been a bit better in that game,

 

Back to the marine.

 

I find this game is best played with a friend, or friends. When we got it, my brother in law and wife were there and we like games. We took turns, going until we couldn't, then handing the controller to the next person, everybody taking notes or talking about ideas to progress, or highlighting areas unexplored. Doing the marine scenario this way is kick ass, because there is a LOT of playtime.

 

This game impacted my perception of 3D games. I would call it what it is, a SIMULATION type game, not a run 'n shoot or death match. As a SIMULATION, the overall feel of the game is spot on. If one is expecting the far more common "3D on rails" experience, then this game will be very frustrating. Try thinking of it as a sim and see whether or not that doesn't help some. I think it actually says that somewhere. Can't remember now, but I'm sure I saw it in the docs, title screen, somewhere...

 

What I thought was beautiful was the level design and the use of the security cards and terminals. Everything somebody needs to know is right there on the screen, only requiring the player to think about what they've experienced. The end stage with the count down is great! Took us a few tries. Finding security card 10 took a while too, and when I bumped into it down deep, I failed, but knew where it was. Called my brother in law, who said, "don't do a thing, I'll be right there!" Great game. We got that card, and had to nurse the marine out a save at a time too.

[kevincal]

Think this might be my first post in the Jag forum here!? When I was playing this a lot I got within two or three blips of wiping out the entire alien infestation on Marine mode, i.e. killed all aliens in the game (not wanting to brag or anything ). There is just enough ammo on the ship if your careful. Eventually, with almost no aliens on the ship, I was killed by probably the last face hugger left that caught me off guard in the training maze. I reckon I could do it given the time to play for that long again, though it takes about six hours to kill everything I would estimate. The Marine mode isn't that hard at all if you know where things are, and are willing to spend time trogging about to make sure your health is good. Getting into the Medicentre so you can top up your health early on is essential. I'd say if you grew up on games like Dungeon Master the maze elements are a doddle. I'd give it a 9/10, after Goldeneye and maybe Doom this is the FPS I've spent the most hours in.

 

Yes but did you figure out where things were on your own or using tips or cheats from magazines or players guides etc? Personally I think it is a flaw in a game if you have to resort to getting help to progress through a game, that means the game is too hard in my eyes. My favorite games ever were games I could just play and eventually beat without getting too frustrated because the game was too hard or confusing. I have a feeling almost anyone who has beat avp at one time or another resorted to cheats or tips or some kind of help. To beat AVP all on your own, marine scenario, extemely difficult. you must have the patience of a saint. It would take you atleast as long as it would to beat a big RPG (30-40 hours) half that time walking around lost confused trying to figure out what to do and where to go next, similar to rpgs...

 

The first couple of times I played AvP I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about - I thought DOOM was far more enjoyable.

 

Someone then recommended that I read the FAQ and print off the maps that are available online. With those I then found I could really get into AvP and enjoy it - though I don't know how the heck anyone could last long enough at the game without maps to create them in the first place!

 

this proves my point of what most people have to resort to with avp, for 99% of us its simply too hard to progress very far with the marine on your own and you have to resort to some kind of help.