Aliens Versus Predator: Extinction

"Can Aliensvs. Predator:Extinction survive extinction?"

As a child I grew up with both Aliens and Predator. At many points I wondered who would win in a fight between a group of Predators and an alien horde like in Aliens. Well, though my dream may never be realized on the big screen I can at least determine the victor on my Xbox. While this is a sequel of a very popular series it is nothing like it's predecessor. While Aliens versus Predator 1 and 2 were both first person shooters, Extinction is a real time strategy. Now hold on before you start remembering those great times playing Age of Empires, Extinction has it's own unique style.

Graphics 7/10- While the visuals are pretty well rendered I believe they could be a little better. Let me explain my position. There were many times I could not tell what type of unit a character was and I had to highlight the unit to find out. There is also very little difference between a basic unit and an upgraded unit. There are also some very nice and detailed touches that add to the realism of this title. There was one time I saw a Discmaster Predator attacking my Flamethrower Marine. After the Discmaster was dispatched my unit removed the blades from his armor and tossed them away. That was an unexpected nice touch!

Control 5/10- This is an area that I know could have been better. There were so many times I was trying to dispatch new units to certain areas and across the map a battle was raging at two or three points on the map and by the time I had found the units under siege they were already dead or on the brink of death. The highlighting system is very simple, which is a plus and the attack command is natural too. The only real complaint is the scrolling command which I feel is bad enough to bring this section down to a five.
Sound 8/10- The sound in Extinction is great! There is nothing better than hearing the roar of a victorious Predator as he removes the skull of his less fortunate opponent. Or the sound of a scurrying face hugger on the way to it's host. The sound really sets the mood in this game.

Gameplay 7/10- This is where the real the real value of Extinction is at. Extinction differs from a traditional real time strategy in that there are no buildings to build and fortify. The population limit is rather small. And the method in which units are spawned is unique at best. Each species has a special unit that is used to access new units and upgrade those units. If you lose or don't have this unit then you are most likely going to die very soon. The way in which currency or spending points is also very different. The Predators earn points by capturing the skulls of their victims. The Aliens earn infestation
points from using hosts to reproduce. And the Marines earn money from ''Atmo'' generators that can only be accessed by special units.

Overall 6/10- While this is a good, solid game it might not be what most fans of real time strategies and of the series are expecting. I would recommend that you rent it first and buy if you like it. Although if you beat it while rented I doubt you will purchase it seeing as how the replay value is quite limited.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 10/28/03