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Simply Awful

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: August 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A word of warning: MacPlay's claims to the contrary notwithstanding, "AvP2" will NOT run ok on a G4. I've got a 1GHz G4 with 512 MB (well within the requirements, supposedly) and the game runs so choppily that it looks like stop-motion photography. Add to that:

1) Endless load times. We're talking minutes here.
2) So-so graphics (you have to turn the detail way down to get anything approaching an acceptable frame rate)
3) Constant, irritating bugs. "AvP2" crashes ALL the time. Incredibly, even the end credits are glitchy.

The game concept may be kind of cool, but MacPlay's "AvP2" has got to be one of the worst, most slapdash ports in history. Again, DON'T buy it unless you're running a G5 or dual 1.25 G4s--you'll be wasting $...

Better than original, but not without flaws.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: July 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you have ever played the original Aliens versus Predator and enjoyed it you're sure to love its sequel. Just as terrifying as the original, AvP2 is sure to deliver the same thrills and chills as its predecessor (Especially with the lights off). Simply put, the game is intense.

However, it is far from the perfect game, especially on my Mac (which is sad, considering the system requirements for the Windows version are minimal). Unless you have a dual G4 or G5 tower, expect frequent lag and delays in the game. Even with a 1GHz processor, 1 gig of RAM and a 64 meg video card, the game runs too choppy too frequently. In the end, too many visual effects must be sacrificed for gameplay. Part of this problem is the game engine that AvP2 utilizes (The same as "No One Lives Forever". If only it used the Quake III engine!)

Unfortunately, the Aliens are not the only "bugs" in the game either. Loading screens do not display properly at times nor do the different visual modes work all the time (i.e., Marine night vision, Alien vision, Predator infrared, etc.).

Between the slowdowns and the graphic jitters, AvP2 seems like a lousy port to OS X, which is sad since MacPlay has been sitting on this release for over a year now. If you have ever purchased a game ported by MacPlay, then their rushed ports and lack of tech support should come as no surprise to you. Their motto seems to be "At MacPlay no one can hear you scream".

iMac users beware: "Not recommended for iMacs" is clearly stated on the package! This game WILL run slow!

The Good: Awesome game, cool atmosphere, great weapons. Like 3 games in one between the different species.

The Bad: Not much graphic or plot improvement over the original, some graphic and gameplay bugs.

The Ugly: Ported to OS X by MacPlay, Unacceptable frame rates, even with newer systems, too choppy, not recommended for iMacs, G4 chips only

Umm.. Problem with the review below....

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: May 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The reviewer below was talking about the PC version of the AVP2. The other reviewers who gave one star for the game are talking about the Mac version. The minimum video card requirement is 32MB for mac. You really need 512MB video card to make this game run smoothly. This is the worst ported game I've ever played. I'm running a dual G5 and it glitches, chops and crashes all the time. Its been over 8 months since Macplay and The Omni Group have known about the multiplayer problem with Mac OS 10.3 and they have done nothing about it. The people at The Omni Group and Macplay should be arrested for taking people's money for an incomplete, unplayable game. Seriously...

Windows Version is Great! Mac Version is terrible.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: October 13, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Ok... Both the Windows and the Mac version are the same game, one catch though. The Mac version was ported (converted) from the Windows version. The conversion is terrible. The Mac game is CHOPPY, SLOW, UNPLAYABLE on even the fastest computers. The Omni Group did slip-shoddy, piss poor job at porting this game to the Mac platform. Go get the Windows version of this game on Amazon or www.aliensvspredator2.com and play it on your friends PC.

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I don't profess to be anything close to a 'Video Game Guru", but I have never, ever played a more aggrevating, inept, poorly made video game in my life!! I have heard that the first AVP game was very good. This version is very bad. From what I have heard so far, unless you have a computer system that rivals the United States Department of Defense, forget about playing this game on anything else.
This lousy game is FULL of mistakes, and don't even bother to contact the so called "support group" at MacPlay. They are in complete denial over this crappy thing.Mac Play should be ASHAMED of this piss poor effort!! DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!!!!!

Even a dog runs better than this

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Did someone mention you had better have a G5 to run this game?

Well I have a G5 and this game is bloody shoddy. The macintosh port is a complete disgrace and gives PC gamers some great ammunition to use to put down Apple's systems. Even with all the graphics settings turned down to complete minimum, my 1.6 mhz G5 with Nvidia Geforce 5200 still has loads of problems.

This game stalls, sticks and chops all over the friggin place. My suggestions to anyone is:

1. Do not buy this unless you are using a server bank comprised of 50 G5's with a terrabyte of RAM and a Geforce 10 1 gigabyte. (you might have to wait a few years)

2. Do not bother asking Macplay for an answer because they will not respond and really couldn't care about their customers. Don't expect them to make a patch that actually does anything.

3. If you already own it, I suggest dressing up in a predator costume and using the two dics included to go hunting cats. This will give you a much more authentic gaming experience.

NO MULTIPLAYER in PANTHER OS 10.3 !

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

i had played this on pc and really enjoyed it. this would be a great game if they hired back the programmers who knew what they were doing. this is an insult to mac owners and fans of the first game, which was incredible. I am far within the min. req. on my G4. The patch that macplay has releases, does little to nothing to cure the jumps, 15 sec freezes and lack of ability to enjoy the single player missions on anything but the lowest settings. to top it all off, any of the internet multiplayer server is not compatible with os 10.3 !!! i for one would like to see macplay make amends with a refund, a significant patch, or revision to the whole game. With so many programmers out of work, whoever headed this one up needs to be held accountable. wtih the movie comng oout next summer, this game is not up to 20th century fox standards of quality and is an embarrassment and a disappointment. go buy the first version for mac cheap and download the patch for os x.
shame on you macplay.

Just like the movies!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Even reading all the bad reviews I bought this game. I held my breath when I popped it into my eMac. Things didn't start out good as the game wouldn't install to my brand new external drive. I installed in to the internal drive and started up the game. I chose to be a Predator and the hunt began. I was immediatly awed by how alike it was to the movies. All the preformance issures people had warned about weren't a factor. It ran smooth as anything. I then en-trusted the next 3 hours to getting through the Predator campaign. The game was a blast and I felt like I was in the movies.

Review for Alaska Apple Users Group

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: September 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you're as big a fan of the Aliens and Predator films as I am, then the recently released port of Aliens versus Predator 2 (AvP2) for Mac OS X is for you! AvP2 is a top-notch first-person shooter from Sierra Studios, published by MacPlay, and touted as the "sequel to one of the most frightening games ever made."

AvP2 is a big game and spans two discs. The installer CD contains a lot of extras - demos (including its predecessor) and documentation to augment the thorough printed manual. The installer will ask you to switch discs once and then you're done. You must have CD 1 inserted to play the game and input the CD key from the box in order to access multiplayer games for the first time.

Opening the AvP2 folder now on your hard drive will reveal a stand-alone server in addition to the game. While I didn't test the server, it's a rarity for Mac games to include one in the box, so it's a welcome extra and a great way to host your own dedicated game.

As soon as you launch the game your desktop will swirl away like a vortex and a title screen will flood in. That first title is the Omni Group's credits and the app launching animation helps you realize that this game was ported by the same talented folks that brought Oni, Freedom Force, and more to Mac OS X.

After the Twentieth Century Fox intro you'll find yourself at the main menu. It offers options for customizing the game and controls, starting a single player or multiplayer game, and exiting. Selecting single player you are presented with three campaign options, which are identified by the three classic AvP species.

Before I move on though, let me explain how cool these menus are. They are actually real-time 3D animations. So if you pause on the main menu, you'll see a dropship swoop by and head for a planet and in the options menu you get to watch an Alien egg twitch and open. There are even character animations for each species - there can be no doubt which species you've selected when there is a Predator making menacing noises right in your face!

Once you've made a selection, you'll find a very detailed environment in which to romp. As long as you're not trying to push the resolution or texture qualities beyond your capabilities, game play will be smooth. Even if you've got an older machine, this game looks great at just 800x600 pixel resolution thanks to its advanced LithTech engine. But the good looks and frame rates are only the beginning.

For those not familiar with the franchise, the big players are the Aliens, Predators, and human marines. Just like it's predecessor, AvP2 has a separate campaign for each species that, though complete on their own, combine to form a single spanning plot of twenty-one missions.

The AvP games are not the only ones to do this, but unlike Warcraft III, for example, the campaigns are not linearly chronological. Instead they feature different tempos and span different time frames. Each intertwines and even intersects in several places. Though they can be played in any order, the stories are meant to build on each other in a certain order, so you'll get the most out of them if you start at the top and work your way down.

It's potentially a very involving form of story telling; and the story isn't bad. It's not on par with Marathon or Myst, but there is a solid plot with a lot of cut scenes and in-game dialog to flesh it out (that's part of why the game takes up a whopping 1.28GB on your hard drive). It also has some very colorful characters to play opposite each species as arch-nemeses. Strangely, while the Aliens and Predators are the antagonists in their respective films, they are the heroes in this game. Despite this apparent contradiction, neither is pulled too far out of character so playing them still feels right.

And boy is it fun to play out those characters! Clinging to the ceiling and dropping on shocked victims as the Alien, collecting trophy skulls as the Predator, and wielding the smart gun as the Marine are all equally fun in their own right. The different species have different tools and abilities at their disposal as well as different ways of seeing and navigating. You will unavoidably find a favorite species since the game play is so different for each.

The first game did a great job of putting the Aliens universe into a game, but just sort of tacked on the Predator. In this game, outdoor environments and trees that you can (and sometimes must) move in, bring a lot more of the Predator aesthetic to the game. The Aliens campaign has a little bit more to offer this time as well - participation in the Aliens full life cycle. That means you start the game as a face hugger seeking a host and even get to recreate one of the most shocking film moments ever by being reborn as a chest burster, ready to feed and grow. According to MacPlay's Mark Cottam, "you'll want to leave the lights on."

Indeed the game is chillingly enjoyable. It's complex enough to provide a lot of replay value too. You can change the difficulty, replay individual levels, or load saved games. You also get really great cross-platform multiplayer support via LAN or the internet. The relationship between the species also makes the multiplayer game types a little bit more interesting than your typical shooter. They include survivor, deathmatch, species team deathmatch, and hunt. This is just as much fun as it was in the first game, but this time the Predators and Aliens have different sub-classes just like the humans. So you can select a Predator with a particular weapons set that matches your style or an Alien that just looks cooler than the others.

All things said, this game has a lot to offer. As a sequel it shares the same structure, sounds, visuals, and general game play of the well-received original while enhancing many features. Though the graphics engine is improved, the biggest difference between the two is stylistic. The first one looked and felt just like the movie Aliens while the sequel acts a lot more like the recent Dark Horse comic books, which have exaggerated character stereotypes and deformed some of the more plausible and realistic intricacies of the series'.

While the story isn't cathartic, it is entertaining and strong enough to carry the games torrent of violence. It's akin to an action film that's worth seeing in the theatre for the effects as long as you don't expect too much from the acting.

If you have no interest in the Aliens or Predator films, you probably won't enjoy this any more than the other popular shooters out there. But if you're even a modest fan, this game is probably worth the expense. At the very least, it should hold you over until the movie is finally released.

Awesome mac game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 14
Date: September 29, 2002
Author: Amazon User

wicked cool game with good graphicxs and good multiplayer! BUY BUY BUY!

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