Overview
The 2001 sequel to the original AvP on the PC, Sierra released, Monolith developed Aliens vs. Predator 2 took the game one step further. It used the Lithtech Talon engine which also supported the Mac. Each race was refined completely to feature their own unique playstyle, and this time even the campaign mode had a complex storyline which involved all three races in the same place, at the same time. As of now, the master server is no more online as Sierra pulled the plug long ago, but the active community has created a mod to fix that issue to ensure multiplayer capabilities. A gold edition containing the game + the Primal Hunt expansion was released 2002.
Story
This time around, the stories are very relevant and you get to meet the key characters of other races in every campaign. As an alien you control a facehugger gone loose in the Primary Operations Complex on planet LV-1201 and follow its cycle into adulthood. Other aliens also do this and together you will battle through the complex. Your hive eventually becomes threatened and you must defend the Queen!
The humans, of whom you will be controlling "Frosty" Harrison, are on USS Verloc traveling to LV-1201 after there has been no contact at all from the planet for roughly six weeks. As they find the facility to be infested with Aliens, the player must save anyone they can and attempt to escape. There are also some unlawful things going on on the planet, which you must also unravel.
A group of three predators will meanwhile arrive on LV-1201. At some point they all become captured by humans, but you regain your freedom through an unexpected turn of events... you must then defeat those who attempt to usurp the Queen in your place and reclaim your trophies!
Game Types
The game has various different game types, most of which are in the multiplayer part of the game.
Single Player
-Campaign: the single player mainly tells the story of the Alien, Marine and Predator from each of their respective perspectives with an interjecting storyline.
Multiplayer
-Deathmatch
Free for all. Everyone basically attempts to frag everyone they see. Simple!
-Team Deathmatch
Every race forms a team of their own, which fight against the other two races.
-Hunt
Two teams clash, with one being the hunter and other being the hunted. The prey can become hunters by killing the hunters, thus becoming able to score points.
-Survivor
One player is designated as alien or predator, who in turn attempts to wipe out the survivor team.
-Overrun
Similar to survivor, but this is between two teams and everyone has limited lives. After the time has run out, points are calculated per living team member.
-Evac
One team tries to find the evac point, one tries to kill them. Simple again!
Species
- Alien (Fast - Deadly - Strong)
The xenomorphs or also known as the aliens/bugs in Alien vs. Predator are an insect-like creature with armoured skin and lightning fast agility, before you know it... it might be to late, so you need to be wary when dealing with these. The xenomorph will hide in the dark corridors, and will stop at nothing until its prey is dead or captured for hosts. The xenomorph will protect its queen until the bitter end, and you will come across these in the game all of the time. Make sure you use flares or the image intensifier in dark sections - otherwise it will be too late for you.
- Predator (Hunter, Silent, Stealthy)
The yautja, also known as the predator, is a humanoid-type creature. However, they are fast and deadly sporting an endoskeleton structure along with their large muscles and a high intelligence of advanced weaponry. They can often get overconfident at times. You will encounter these hunters throughout the game in certain locations. They are difficult to see when they are cloakced, so keep an eye on your tracker at all times - when the beeping begins be alert, be very alert.
- Colonial Marines (Shoot first - ask questions later!)
The Homosapien, also known as Human, is the race always in the middle of this chaotic war. They have a large collection of weapons, vehicles and ships and always end up on the wrong side of things, but they will stop at nothing and give you one hell of a fight till the end. They are also perfect for 'hosts' for the aliens, who have been known to use human hosts to amass massive colonies. The colonial marines' weapons are not as powerful as the predators', but they will pack a punch and get the job done one way or another.