Alien, Predator, and Alien vs. Predator are all franchises that tend to be wildly polarizing. From epic hits to abysmal failures, it seems that both the best and the worst come from this ever-growing cinematic universe.
For Alien vs. Predator, that cycle has transitioned over to the games as well. Since the first AVP game was released in 1993, the franchise has seen some stunning, groundbreaking hits...but also, some lackluster duds that many gamers have likely forgotten about. These are all 10 AVP games that have been released so far, ranked.
10 Alien vs. Predator: The Last of His Clan (Game Boy)
Over a decade before the first AVP film would even be released, Nintendo's Game Boy received Alien vs. Predator: The Last of His Clan.
The story follows a lone Predator who is trapped on Alpha Centauri 3 after aliens have killed off the other predators. It's a pretty basic Metroid-like sidescroller, except for the fact that the Predator doesn't really have a gun, and moves much slower. All in all, the game is considered forgettable and dull.
9 AVP: Evolution (Mobile)
Critics and gamers weren't pleased with 2013's AVP: Evolution. The game is a standard 3D brawler where gamers play as both Alien and Predator. However, being a mobile game, it lacked the engrossing atmosphere needed to make AVP games work. Instead, it looked cartoonish and lacked an interesting plot.
Adding to the problems is that when the game was first released, it had lots of bugs and glitches. It might be a worthwhile play for anyone who loves aimlessly roaming hallways and killing bad guys, but for everyone else, it's a game to skip.
8 AVP: Requiem (PSP)
2007's AVP: Requiem was designed to accompany the film of the same name to create a big win for the franchise. However, the film was panned by audiences and critics (it has a 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and the game was similarly despised.
The game had many complaints similar to AVP: Evolution - the vibe was all wrong and the gameplay was monotonous - proving that Alien and Predator games just aren't meant for the handheld market. They need immersive atmospheres that help set the tone, something that's very difficult to accomplish for games on a tiny screen that's probably being played in an airport terminal.
7 Alien vs. Predator (SNES)
In 1993, the AVP franchise saw its first game get released on the Super Nintendo. Alien vs. Predator was a sidescrolling beat 'em up and was met with mixed reviews. The main complaint was that the game was a generic brawler and the pacing was way too slow. It lacked a story and felt monotonous, leading to many negative reviews from critics.
However, the characters were Alien and Predator, and at the time, that meant something. Furthermore, beat 'em up games were extremely popular in the early 90s, so for many players at the time, plotlines and theatrics didn't matter... they just wanted to punch things.
6 AVP: Extinction (PS2, Xbox)
It's 2003. StarCraft is massively popular, and the entire real-time strategy genre is going through a real boom...which will only get bigger in the coming year when World of Warcraft gets released. The folks over at EA figured now was a good time to transition the AVP franchise into an RTS game, which wasn't necessarily a horrible idea.
Much like StarCraft, the AVP universe saw three dueling races - humans, Predators, and Aliens - so it's possible that the concept could have worked well. And in general, it worked fine. It isn't the kind of game that would ever be described as a "must-play", but it also wasn't completely despised.
5 Aliens vs. Predator (PS3, Xbox 360)
In the 90s and early 2000s, AVP had a golden moment of three well-received first-person shooters. In 2010, SEGA decided to try and recapture that glory by releasing Aliens vs. Predator. Gamers could play as the Predator, as an Alien, or as a human. It received tepid reviews, with many criticizing it the same way they criticized Resident Evil 6: The game lacked horror and focused too heavily on action.
For fans of action-heavy shooters, it was a worthy title, but for fans of the fear and tension that the franchises are known for, they had to wait three years for Alien: Isolation to satiate their appetites.
4 Alien vs. Predator (Arcade)
One of the most highly regarded AVP games was the 1994 arcade release. This sidescrolling beat 'em up enabled gamers to play as Predators and cyber-enhanced Colonial Marines to save the world from an alien invasion.
It's quite different from every other AVP game because it really embraced its arcade setting. The game was full of bright colors, explosions, and tons of combat action. Fans were happy to hear that Alien vs. Predator was included in the Capcom Home Arcade plug-and-play console that was released in 2019.
3 Alien vs. Predator (Atari Jaguar)
1994 also saw an Alien vs. Predator game released for the Atari Jaguar, a console that claimed to be the first-ever 64-bit gaming machine. And while the Jaguar was an absolute failure, Alien vs. Predator was praised by all. Doom had only been released a year before for PC, and players had never seen a console build a totally 3D world like this before.
The game has three campaigns, one as human, one as the Predator, and one as an Alien. This gameplay style would be recreated repeatedly throughout the franchise. AVP ended up being described as the Jaguar's "killer app" and has become a massive collector's item for fans of retro gaming.
2 Aliens vs. Predator (PC)
In 1999, the Jaguar game got a reboot with Aliens vs. Predator. Rebellion Developments, the same company behind the '94 game, helmed the project. Thanks to better technology, the graphics and sound effects were greatly improved, creating a game that was able to build a truly encompassing world.
Better yet, the three storylines all varied. The human campaign has definite horror vibes to it, forcing the player to sneak around in the dark. The Predator campaign is more action-based. And as the Alien, players are able to climb up walls and sneak through air ducts, turning gamers into the ultimate stalker.
1 Aliens vs. Predator 2 (PC)
The 2001 sequel was praised even more than the '99 game (which itself received a lot of praise). In fact, Aliens vs. Predator 2 was even nominated for two Game of the Year awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. The gameplay remained similar, with three campaigns for the three races, but the graphics and controls were improved, creating a superior gaming experience.
AVP 2 even had popular online multiplayer levels where gamers could compete in teams against each other. Despite both games' successes, the traditional AVP game format wouldn't be revived until Rebellion and SEGA teamed up for the reboot in 2010.
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