Alien vs. Predator

About

Alien vs. Predator is a 1993 beat 'em up that casts you as a Predator hunting Aliens across six levels. You swing, stab, and blast through hordes of creatures, from standard Aliens to mutated hybrids like a dolphin-born aquatic beast or a bat-winged predator. The stages shift from the city of New Shanghai to the Orion Nebula, with each level introducing new enemy types and larger bosses. Play solo or team up for co-op, using the Predator’s signature tools like cloaking and plasma casters to survive waves of attacks. The controls are tight for a SNES-era brawler, emphasizing fast-paced combat and strategic use of the Predator’s arsenal. The game’s standout is its co-op mode, which was rare for the time, letting two players tackle waves of enemies together. The variety of boss designs, including the Alien Queen finale, keeps the action fresh despite repetitive level layouts. While the story is a barebones sci-fi setup, the focus on chaotic, over-the-top battles gives it a rough charm. It’s a relic of early 90s brawlers, best for fans of arcade-style mayhem with a sci-fi twist.

Storyline

The game is set on the planet Vega 4 in the city of New Shanghai. A work crew performing underground construction discovers a colony of Aliens which attack them and then quickly moved to the surface. The city is quickly overcome by the Aliens, but the citizens send out a distress signal to Earth which is also received by a passing Predator ship. The Predators decide to hunt the Aliens on Vega 4, seeing them as challenging prey. The player battles through six stages, fighting various types of Aliens and bosses. Many of the boss enemies are Aliens which have gestated in different types of animals and thus demonstrate characteristics of those animals. These include an aquatic Alien that emerges from a dolphin, a primate-like Alien gestated in an ape, a winged Alien gestated in a bat, and a snake-like Alien. After battling the Aliens on Vega 4 the player Predator travels to the Orion Nebula for the final stage and battles the Alien queen.