Aliens vs Predator: Playing as an Alien

The Marines call them Xenomorphs, the Predators call them serpents but to most of us they are known simply as Aliens. The Alien is a beautifully designed creature which seems to embody all of our deepest fears. Two sets of razor sharp jaws, cruel talon like claws, and a tail capable of impaling the unwary. Everything about them is imbued with horror, even their early days, delivered as a parasite by the creepy Facehuggers only to kill their host by bursting from the chest. Fast, deadly and with acid for blood what could be more frightening?

In Aliens vs Predator you get to assume the role of an Alien. In the campaign you play as Specimen 6, a smart Alien intent on serving the Queen and leading the species to a glorious future. You can also play as an Alien in many of the multiplayer modes. So what’s the trick? How do you survive against gun toting Marines and stealthy Predators? Let’s take a closer look.

The key aspect to succeeding as an Alien is to master their graceful and incredibly speedy movement. They are extremely agile and very fast. As an Alien you can run up walls and even across ceilings. You can also pounce onto targets or sneak up and grab them for gory kills.

Speed is the most important factor. Your default speed is fast but you can hold Q to run even faster. If you stick to the shadows you will be very hard to see. You can take out lights with a swipe of your tail to create more dark patches. However remember that Marines are equipped with torches.

If you approach a wall or ceiling you want to run on simply press the middle mouse button to make the transition. This manoeuvre must be mastered before you can become truly deadly with the Alien. Always try to flank your enemy and drop down behind them. You can fall from a great height without sustaining damage so use this ability.

Your sight is based on pheromones and so your enemies are color coded:

• A red aura means the target is armed and dangerous – Marine or Predator.
• A blue aura indicates an android or a sentry gun.
• A green aura means the target is an unarmed human and ripe for harvesting.

In order to kill you have to get up close. Your default attack is a light swipe. This attack is fast and useful as an opener to stun your opponent and buy time for a heavier attack. The secondary attack is a tail swipe which takes longer but does far more damage. A mixture of these attacks can be used to kill Marines, Predators or Androids.

The most efficient way to kill is to sneak up behind your target. When you get in range you’ll get the option to press E for a stunning gory kill where you’ll chomp their head off or impale them on your tail. This attack is always successful but if there are other enemies around it will leave you very vulnerable.

Since Aliens have to get in close to kill their prey the approach to each type of enemy is exactly the same. Use speed and stealth to get as close as possible without being spotted. You can target a victim with Left Shift and use Space to pounce on them but you’ll have to follow up fast to get the kill.

The easiest way to despatch all three targets is to sneak close enough to pull off a devastating gory kill. The prompt to press E will pop up when you get close enough.

Marines and Combat Androids

Always stick to the shadows and approach enemies by running on the walls or, even better, the ceiling. If they don’t see you coming then you’ve got a great chance of getting the kill. The weaponry of the Marines will tear you up fast but you can regenerate health over time so if you are spotted at distance then run away, heal up and plan a new attack. Charging into gunfire will result in a quick death. If you can get in behind them then both enemies can be killed instantly with the E attack.

Predators

When you’re up against Predators you’ll have to use your superior speed. Since they can also fight well hand to hand, or blade to claw, you don’t really want to go toe to toe with them. Zoom in and swipe and then swing round for another attack, don’t get bogged down. Once the Predator is seriously hurt you can attempt the sneaky kill with E.

In the single player campaign you shouldn’t have any difficulty. Stick to shadows, run on the ceiling and sneak up to enemies until you get the E prompt for easy kills. The Predators will provide your biggest challenge but following the advice above you should prevail.

In multiplayer you need to plan attacks carefully. The vital aspect for the Alien is to co-ordinate attacks with your team mates. If you rush, even a lone Marine, yourself then you will be an easy target for gunfire and you’ll get dropped fast. Either co-ordinate attacks from different angles so your enemies can’t fire at all of you at once or, if you have to operate alone, creep close enough for a gory kill.

Many of the multiplayer maps have abundant dark spots and architecture which allows you to get close to your target without being spotted. You can move so fast over a short distance that you can be on top of them before they have a chance to let off a shot.