Ok, so I recently had the chance to play the Aliens Vs. predator demo on my Xbox 360. While the demo is assuredly going to be a bit different than the final product, it can give us some glimpses into what we are actually going to be able to expect. As an idea, Aliens vs. Predator is awesome - you get to play as either the humans, the aliens, or the predators in the multiplayer, and that is what this review will cover - basic game mechanics and the multiplayer.

First of all, I played as the humans. I spawned into the only map on the demo, which is sort of like a dark underground of tunnels and larger open spaces that looked like storage areas. The game looks ok… but keep in mind, it was the demo, so I am glad that the final product will doubtlessly look a lot better. I spawned with a pretty basic assault-type machine gun, which I was NOT too thrilled with, because when you fire it automatically, it kicks and sprays fire from the nozzle so badly that you cannot see anything. I killed a few enemies with it,  but then got to pick up a shotgun, which I liked a lot better.

The shotgun also had a sort of secondary mode that allowed it to fire a huge spread, which I learned would kill a predator in one shot at point black range - now THAT is cool! The handgun you get as a human is decent… but lacks the firepower needed to really fend off attacks from aliens or predators. The humans do have the advantage of being the most ranged species, which gives them an advantage - but you can also see them coming from a mile away, and they have a very primitive sort of motion-body heat sensor for radar.

When I played as the aliens, it was a whole different ballgame. The aliens have the ability to blend in well in dark areas because they crawl low to the ground and are black. They can also crawl on the wall, the ceilings, or any other surface in the game. This is cool, but takes a bit of getting used to. The aliens are at a serious disadvantage right away because they can only engage at melee range… so while people might like the aliens initially, I foresee most of the really good players of this game being either human or Predator.

Predators have an active camouflaging device that, while is not completely effective, does help them to blend in well. Since Predators are mostly melee in combat, this can give them the edge they need to get closer. The claw-like attacks that they utilize at melee range are pretty sweet, and easy to use in comparison to the alien attacks. They are also pretty effective, as opposed to the basically worthless human melee attack.

The game play is cool, but I look forward to a more expanded experience in the real game. It is a game that has a fun aspect, but it gets sort of old after awhile… but I am sure that with more maps, game types, and weapons, it is a multiplayer game that one could really get into! I give it two thumbs up, just because it is different and refreshing in the way of first person shooters.