Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem Review

Those who read the original Alievs Vs Predator graphic novel will have known considerable woe at the constantly underwhelming expansion of that unequivocally cool premise. The original movie was a shallow disaster (following the comic in name only) and all but a couple of the games that arose in its wake were equally unfulfilling.

Well, now it’s time for the movie sequel, and Sierra have landed the opportunity to bring us the first game license of this cryptically titled follow up. While it doesn’t challenge gamers as much as the concept would allow, it does make for a lithe, escapist arcade diversion.

A Predator ship has crash landed on Earth, and just so happened to be carrying a consignment of Alien eggs. For those who aren’t aware of the original premise (and I’m back on the graphic novel here – not the awful, one-dimensional film, which never actually explored the relationship between the two hardest alien races in the galaxy), it was established that Predators face a test of adulthood by hunting the ultimate prey; Aliens. Since the Aliens have no eyes, the cloaking abilities of the Predators are worthless, and it’s down to pure hunter skill to survive the ordeal.

Presumably, this Predator spacecraft was on its way to set up a new hunting ground when it crash landed (due to inevitably escaped xenomorphs). The Aliens are now free on Earth, and alongside rounding up the wayward, viral extraterrestrials, you (the Predator warrior) must face off against a rampant and panicked human army trying to defend itself against the bugs.

A worthy, if simplistic premise, and one which is quickly established so play can commence. “Simple” is the keyword when it comes to this videogame license of Requiem, though that’s not a fundamental problem by any means. In fact, simple can be a huge benefit to an action packed third person shooter like this. No, if there’s a problem with AvP, it’s that it’s a little too easy – a fault which sadly hampers the game’s longevity.

In some ways, this fault is exasperated by the initial addictiveness of the title, which successfully keeps would be hunters glued to Sony’s portable device long enough to break the game’s back before they become fully immersed in the gameplay. All manner of Predatorial weaponry that we’ve seen throughout this extensively explored tenet is available – from the original shoulder cannon and forearm blades to the powered razor discus and spear. The way cool cloak is also in full use, as are the variant imaging systems that allow the hunter to seek his dangerous prey.

The shoulder buttons serve to rotate the camera view in third person mode (which is the majority of the game) and works well enough, though the slower speed necessary for accurate control conflicts a little when being attacked from behind, and it takes a valuable few seconds to track down the attacker. Switching to a first person mode is also an option for those who prefer it.

Removing traces of the crashed Predator technology and reclaiming the face huggers is the crux of the 15 atmospheric levels, and there’s little ambiguity about how this is achieved; kill everything that moves. In that respect, this reminds me a little of the Final Fight reimagining of AvP we saw in the arcades of the early ‘90s, which was easily one of the best AvP games ever seen – even to this day. The rampant action and constant onslaught of multiplying assailants keeps the gameplay white hot, though the mechanics of this uninhibited action system ultimately let the game down.

The player’s energy gauge dwindles as they’re attacked, as you’d expect, but killing an Alien (of which there are many), rejuvenates it – so dying actually becomes incredibly difficult to do. Thus the challenge of AvP: Requiem becomes one of quick fingers and patience. If you’re willing to play the game for long enough, you will complete it and, as already stated, the immediacy of enjoyable action prompts prolonged play.
A multiplayer mode is available, allowing two Predators to work in unison, although individual scores aren’t kept, so there’s no form of quantifiable competition between the two players. Again, this mode lacks a little depth or challenge, but the thrill of portraying the Predator still manages to permeate the proceedings which, after all, is the main factor that’s going to attract people to this game. And it is as attractive as it sounds, so fans of either canon should certainly raise a quisative eyebrow.

While a review must remain objective, hence the discussion of problems with difficulty and longevity, on a personal level I found AvP: Requiem to be good, honest, arcade escapism. If, like me, you prefer third person over first person view, and don’t care for strategising and decision making in your PSP games, the raw action and recognisable nuances will provide a significant, if short, appeal. A particularly good game for the teenage lad who’s just got his PSP and wants a manly, bullet-soaked shooter filled with brutal action. For those who demand depth and ingenuity in their handheld games, however, Requiem might fall short.