Aliens vs Predator (PG/U)

Violent films with fantastic special effects lend themselves extremely well to being turned into PC games. The problem for software developers has always been licensing the rights to the films themselves. Fortunately, with the rights to both the Alien and Predator films, 20th Century Fox's gaming offshoot Fox Interactive has the very best subject matter at its fingertips.

Aliens versus Predator brings two of the most fearsome fictional characters together in a hail of green slime and gunfire. You can play as both the Alien and the Predator, or try your luck as a mere human Colonial Marine.

In the pantheon of first-person shoot-'em-ups, AvP is up there with the best. It's so atmospheric it's actually scary and the three characters you can play differ so much that it almost feels like you've got three games in one. In total, there are 17 missions, six for the Predator and Marine, and five for the Alien. It might not sound like much, but in order to get the most out of the game you must complete each episode at all three difficulty levels, thereby releasing some bonus episodes and some more weapons for your arsenal.

As a Colonial Marine you have the most weapons at your disposal and, being made of flesh and blood, you need everything you can get. Standard pulse rifle aside, you can also pick up others, from the fabulous flame-thrower - perfect for watching your adversaries howl with pain as they burn and crackle - to the six-barrelled 800-round Minigun, known affectionately as the 'shredding machine from hell' in the Fox blurb. In addition, the marine has an image intensifier to help out in the darker rooms and a motion tracker, allowing you to see others before they see you.

The Predator is probably the fiercest of all. Not only does it have three viewing modes for use in different situations with different weapons, but it also has the legendary ability to render itself invisible, making it nigh on impossible to be spotted.

It also has some fantastic weapons and the ability to zoom in on its prey from afar, like a sniper.

What the Aliens lack in weaponry - they have just their own body parts to lash about - they make up for in manoeuvrability and the ability to cling to any surface with ease.

This means that they can hide on the ceiling as easily as prowling about on the floor, ready to pounce on anything in their path.

AvP has stunning sound, fabulous graphics and superb detail - blood and guts splash everywhere, bodies dismember and twitch, and, well, you get the picture.

It also comes to life as a multiplayer game, always a good sign for the committed gamer. Needless to say, AvP is not for the faint-hearted, and is rated as suitable for over-15's only.

For fans of this type of game, or the Alien and Predator films, AvP will make a fantastic addition to your collection.

- £40 (inc VAT)

- Electronic Arts: 01753 549442; www.foxinteractive.com

Aliens versus Predator

Overall: *****

Minimum requirements: Windows 95, Pentium 200MHz processor, 32Mb of memory, 200Mb of free hard disk space, 4x CD-ROM drive, DirectX-compatible sound and 3D graphics cards.

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