Aliens Versus Predator 2
It's better than the original Aliens vs. Predator, and it's one of the best action games released so far this year.

In lieu of the traditional review preamble, here's the answer to the question you're probably wondering about: Yes, Aliens vs. Predator 2 lets you save anywhere. In fact, the first game is so notorious for its end-of-level-only save system that the sequel has become the first shooter to proudly list its unrestricted save feature right on the box. Monolith, taking over the series from UK-based developer Rebellion, has also added a few other things that the first game lacked, such as a compelling campaign structure, an in-game server browser, some interesting multiplayer modes, and the ability to play all the various Alien life stages. About the only thing it managed to screw up was the unimpressive single-player demo released a couple of months ago. So in answer to your second question: Yes, Aliens vs. Predator 2 is better than its demo. It's better than the demo, it's better than the original Aliens vs. Predator, and it's one of the best action games released so far this year.

The original Aliens vs. Predator was essentially a series of unrelated levels. It concentrated on creating a mood of relentless dread while relying on the well-developed and well-known Alien and Predator universes to provide an implicit story. For the sequel, however, Monolith has made a complete turnaround. Aliens vs. Predator 2 not only has a plot, but also has one of the most cleverly constructed plots ever attempted in a shooter.

Each of the three seven-level single-player campaigns takes place simultaneously. The events that are made up of one especially bad day for the humans manning a research station on planet LV-1201 are presented from three different perspectives: an alien research subject, a member of a predator hunting party, and a colonial marine who is part of a squad sent in response to a distress beacon. Though each story is self-contained, all three intersect at certain points, and the results of actions in one campaign can be seen in the others. For instance, as the marine, you'll encounter a predator trapped in a cryogenic stasis pod, which you must move so that it can fit down a ventilation shaft. During the predator campaign, it's you in stasis watching as the marine works the pod controls, inadvertently freeing you. The game is filled with little crossovers like these, and it becomes almost like a minigame in itself just keeping track of them, if for no other reason than to appreciate the impressive level of thought that went into creating the story's complex underlying structure.


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