Aliens vs Predator: Extinction (Playstation 2)
LOCR Producer: Our first ever Playstation 2 review, and maybe even a sign of things to come? The Playstation 2 has an immense library of fantastic games, some great compilations/anthologies and it is a system that’s incredibly easy to collect for.
We picked up Aliens versus Predator: Extinction around the same time as Alien Resurrection, but we chose to review that game first. We’ve covered Sega Dreamcast games before, we felt comfortable tackling a Playstation title. We’ve generally always considered ourselves to be a ‘retro’ videogame review show, but this is our first big step into relatively current, mainstream gaming and if all goes to plan, we’ll be kicking it up a notch again come Halloween Month.
We’ve decided the Leftover Culture Review should be about the games and content and not specifically the ‘age’, the ‘Leftover’ in our title can be loosely translated to fit Alien vs Predator: Extinction on the PS2 in there and seriously, this is a game that when we found out about it we needed it. Other critical reviews gave this game an average score and we didn’t set out to defend Alien vs Predator: Extinction, we just wanted to have fun. Very easy to do when you’re ripping through the Aliens versus Predator universe with a powerful army ‘exterminating’ the opposition… Not so easy to do when your rag-tag group of foot soldiers happen upon an enemy base and get ripped to shreds.
Aliens vs Predator: Extinction can swing both ways easily, making it incredibly fun or incredibly frustrating. Slowly you learn the maps, there’s the option to save at any time and you get better working with your team but I still feel this game would have been stronger on the PC.
The only way to play this game is via a PS2, a strange exclusive, but in its own right one of the most successful, widespread and currently affordable systems. Worth checking out if you’re a fan of the Alien and Predator franchise/s but for most people, there’s stronger, more interesting strategy titles, especially on the PC. The influence of games like Starcraft seem obvious and without a direct appreciation for the AvP franchise, might seem a lot more interesting and engaging.