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Platform: PS2, XB Genre: RTS Publisher: EA/Fox Interactive Developer: Zono ETA: Q2 2003
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Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction
The Aliens vs. Predator games in their various incarnations have enjoyed success in the first-person shooter genre. But Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction (AvPE), the newest title slated for the franchise of Aliens, Predators, and Colonial Marines battling for ultimate species survival, is tackling a new gaming frontier: the real-time strategy genre. What’s even more surprising than the change of genre is the fact that this game is only scheduled for the Xbox and PS2, not the PC, the traditional stomping ground of most RTS games. Based on the screenshots, this bold change of genre could be a good move because while graphically a notch below WarCraft III standards, it appears to be developed with a Blizzard RTS-game style in mind that should make AvPE’s gameplay easy to adapt to.
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Here’s the official AvPE information: Outthinking, outmaneuvering and overpowering the enemy in a race to dominate the planet is what players can look forward to in AvPE. The game, based on the blockbuster Aliens and Predator sci-fi film franchises from Twentieth Century Fox, is the first game of its kind for next-generation consoles, giving players the ability to play as one of three species: Aliens, Predators or Colonial Marines. Co-published by Fox Interactive and Electronic Arts (EA) for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox, AvPE is scheduled to ship in summer |
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2003. Fans will appreciate the action and ferocious battles that are true to the movie franchises as they embark on a quest to annihilate their enemies in a fight for survival. The three fiercest species in the universe have been locked in a bloody conflict for years with no end in sight. After a small unit of Colonial Marines, dispatched to planet LV-742, reveals the presence of both Predators and Aliens, it is decided that the conflict must end once and for all with the ultimate goal of total universal supremacy. In numerous missions, players will take to the all-terrain, futuristic battlefields such as mysterious jungles and treacherous caverns in an attempt to root out their enemies. With ten upgradeable combat units per species, players must lead their virtual army to victory in an all-out battle for the planet or face extinction. In this tactical strategy game, players will control the forces of one of the three species, planning their attack strategy, creating their own custom army, and choosing upgrades ranging from vision modes to weapon modifications. Each species offers a unique set of attributes forcing players to master a variety of tactics and play styles in order to be victorious. As Colonial Marines, players will rely on military training and the latest hi-tech weaponry from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation to save the human population of LV-742. The Predators must use their stealth and highly evolved hunting techniques to gain the respect of the council of Ancients. Aliens will attack in hordes to kill their enemies, impregnate them with facehuggers that evolve into the ultimate weapons. A variety of units will be accessible to the player, from basic infantry to specialized warriors like the Alien Carrier able to carry facehuggers in groups, the Predator Hydra, or the Marine Sniper. Based on the worldwide blockbuster film franchises, this is the first in the award-winning Aliens versus Predator video game franchise created specifically for next-generation consoles. A real-time strategy game, you can create and control your forces as one of 3 species across 21 single-player missions with 10 upgradeable combat units per species. Decide your attack strategy; order up your own custom army from a list of units, choose your upgrades from enemy detecting vision modes to devastating weapon enhancements.
Key Features 21 single player missions: seven Marine, seven Alien, and seven Predator.
Game played as one of three different races; each race comes with its own characteristics and abilities to suit any style of play.
Control and upgrade up to 10 different unit types of various races including new never before seen units such as the Predator Hydra or the Alien Ravager.
21 unique maps across environments spanning jungles to deserts.
Dozens of weapons including brand new ones to choose from such as Pulse Rifles, Spear guns, Blazer cannons, and the Exo-Suit equipped with twin miniguns.
Tons of upgrades including the Marine Commtech's orbit-launched airstrike. Sounds great, and since there’s no chance of StarCraft II seeing the light of day anytime soon, sci-fi RTS fans looking for a new gaming fix will definitely have to consider if AvPE is worthy of their gaming dollars this summer.
With an established franchise universe complete with its own solid backstory as its basis, I don’t see how this title could turn out anything but good. It remains to be seen if an RTS title can entice big numbers of gamers on a next-generation console, but there’s only realy one factor that can doom AvPE among gamers: terrible gameplay mechanics. We’ll have to wait and see how good it is when the final product is released, but AvPE has the potential to be the summer blockbuster that won’t be found in any movie theater. - Lee Cieniawa (March 1, 2003) |
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