Gameplay -Marine

Hard to work with alien hands

The game interface is simple, typical and concise. Numerous commands are shared between the three races, and each has special commands unique to itself on top of that. However, those are quickly learned and easy to use even with default settings - particularly the Alien. Even the Predator, however, with its numerous commands, complicated (relatively speaking) targeting systems and vision modes becomes intuitive after a while. Don't confuse intuitive with easy - the vision modes have their drawbacks and those drawbacks are part of the game balance, so frequent switching between them is part of the game.

Gruesome!

Splat!

Mommy, is that you?

The integration of the interface as part of the gameplay itself is a nifty feature and a way to add depth to the gameplay without appearing too obvious in the task. The in-game HUD for each race ranges from completely basic (as with the Alien) to extremely elaborate (Predator.) It takes some time to get used to the Predator mode, especially when it comes to counting ammunition or health.

The front-end interface could use a bit of tweaking, particularly in multiplayer. An in-game character/race selection menu, such as the one in Half-Life would be priceless.

Predator below

Prey on this!

Tunnel vision

Marines - WE ARE LEAVING

Be thankful that the Marine is the first character you should play in the game. Aside from the fear of anything that moves, the Marine is just a typical shooter character. Stoic, stupid and alone, he is like any Gordon Freeman wanna-be. A rather typical arsenal (except for the flamethrower) would make him a rather uninteresting character if not for the environment he was thrust in.

That most of your enemies need to get in melee range before they can hurt you is a definite change of pace, and the difficulty of spotting them makes for some tense moments. The nigh -invisible Predator is a definite challenge and can make life as a Marine unbearable. Capable of dismantling you up close and out-gunning you from far, you need to rely on sheer luck and your own skills as a player to beat one. AI that takes it easy on you helps as well. This is why, more than any other race, the Marine needs a higher difficulty setting to be interesting. Without the fear of imminent death around every corner, there is little going for the Marine when you can be the Predator or Alien.