Alien vs Predator (AVP) is a 1994 first-person shooter video game developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Atari for the Atari Jaguar. It is Rebellion's first work in the Alien vs. Predator franchise. Set in a simulation depicting the Golgotha training base, the game offers three character scenarios where the player takes on the role of an Alien, a Predator, or a human from the Colonial Marines. Each character has different objectives, weapons, and abilities, as well as distinct advantages and disadvantages.
AVP originally started as a project for the Atari Lynx handheld. Atari acquired a sub-license of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game through Activision and commissioned a Lynx port to Images Software. Producer James "Purple" Hampton felt this direction did not do justice to the characters, leading to Images Software redesigning the Lynx version into a first-person shooter, but production was suspended when Atari focused its efforts on the Jaguar. Rebellion subsequently secured a contract with Atari to work on a Jaguar version based on Images Software's initial work. Several issues caused a delay in the game's release and extended the production cycle beyond what Atari had stipulated.
AVP on the Jaguar garnered generally favorable reviews and earned several awards from gaming publications. Critics praised the character selection, impressive environments, and terrifying atmosphere. Some reviewers had mixed opinions about the game's audio, while criticisms focused on the monotonous gameplay, complex controls, the acid pools left behind by perished Aliens, and the low frame rate. Retrospective commentary in the years following its release have hailed it as one of the best titles for the Jaguar.
Atari had begun discussions with Beyond Games about developing a sequel for the Atari Jaguar CD, but abandoned negotiations due to licensing issues with 20th Century Fox, shortly before the Jaguar was officially discontinued. The ideas that Atari conceived and provided to 20th Century Fox for the unreleased Jaguar CD sequel were later used by Rebellion in Aliens Versus Predator (1999) for PC.
Gameplay
Alien vs Predator is a first-person shooter game. The premise unfolds in a simulation depicting Golgotha, a Colonial Marines training base that was overrun by two extraterrestrial species. The player can choose one of three character scenarios, assuming the role of an Alien, a Predator, or a human from the Colonial Marines. Each character has different objectives, weapons, and abilities, as well as distinct advantages and disadvantages. The player is introduced to the base, which consists of five sublevels interconnected by elevators and air ducts, as well as the docked Alien and Predator ships.
Playing as an Alien, the objective is to rescue the Alien queen held captive on the Predator ship. The player kills enemies using the Alien's claw, retractable jaw, and tail. The Alien is fast but unable to heal itself, and can only survive by turning Marines into cocoons. The player must use a combination of claw-tail-claw attacks to infect up to three Marines with an embryo and turn them into Alien eggs by walking over their bodies. The embryos act as extra lives and go through twelve stages of growth to transform a Marine into an Alien. After an Alien dies, the player respawns in the same location where a fully developed egg hatched. The Alien cannot use elevators and instead travels between sublevels through air ducts.
Playing as a Predator, the objective is to kill the Alien queen and claim her skull. The Predator initially comes equipped with a health restorer that can be refilled by collecting food and medkits, an audio oscilloscope that reacts to nearby enemies, and a wrist blade. The player can also turn invisible to avoid Marines and select one of five different infrared filters during this period. The invisibility camouflage does not work against Aliens, as they can detect the player, while Marines can notice the Predator's presence if distance is not maintained. The player can gain access to a combistick, a smart disc, and a shoulder mounted plasma-powered cannon by killing enemies and earning points. Points are awarded based on whether enemies are killed at close or long range. Weapons are obtained upon reaching certain point thresholds, but killing enemies while invisible results in the loss of points and access to weapons. The Predator can use elevators to move between sublevels, but it cannot pass through air ducts.
Playing as private Lance J. Lewis of the Colonial Marines, the objective is to escape the base infested with Aliens and Predators, activate the self-destruct mechanism, and leave the area in an escape pod. Lewis is released on sublevel 3 after serving a brig sentence without weapons, security clearance, or a motion tracker. The player can obtain a shotgun, a pulse rifle, a flamethrower, and a smart gun from fallen Marines to fend off enemies. Lewis can traverse the sublevels via elevators and Alien-infested air ducts, and the player must find security cards from deceased staff to unlock doors and access computer terminals. A level 10 security card is required to access the self-destruct mechanism at the command center on sublevel 2. The motion tracker can also be found on a fallen Marine in sublevel 5. The player can collect ammo to reload their weapons, as well as food and medkits to restore health. Lewis can access computer terminals to view the map, learn about the incident at the base, and recover health. However, the amount of health to be recovered depends on the player's security card level.
The player must kill Aliens from a distance to avoid damage, as killing them at close range causes them to spray acidic blood. A dead Alien also leaves behind a harmful acid pool, so it must be eliminated in an open room rather than a corridor. Otherwise, the player will be forced to walk through the acid pool. Upon approaching an Alien egg, a Facehugger emerges that will drain the player's health and which they must shake off. The game is over when a character's health is depleted. Progress can be saved manually at any time; however, defeated enemies respawn and item locations are randomized upon resuming play.
Production Background In the 1980s, 20th Century Fox released the Alien and Predator films, and Dark Horse Comics began publishing licensed Aliens vs. Predator (AVP) comics. AVP for the Atari Jaguar originally started as a project for the Atari Lynx handheld. Atari's Chicago office, which handled production of most Lynx titles, had acquired a sub-license of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) video game through Activision prior to its release, and commissioned Images Software to develop a Lynx port of the game. James "Purple" Hampton, who previously worked as a tester at Lucasfilm Games, joined Atari in 1992 as a producer for several Lynx titles that Atari wanted to release before the Jaguar's launch, AVP being one of them. Hampton felt that the direction the SNES game took did not do justice to the Alien and Predator characters, so Images Software agreed retooling the project into a first-person shooter where the player could control a human, an Alien, or a Predator. However, production was suspended when Atari closed its Chicago office and focused its efforts on the Jaguar. Hampton later worked as a producer and designer for Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy, before serving as a producer for AVP on the Jaguar.
In 1992, brothers Jason and Chris Kingsley, after completing their academic studies and working as freelancers for various companies, founded Rebellion Developments to create their own video games, and launched their first title, Eye of the Storm, a year later. When Atari announced the Atari Falcon, Rebellion prepared a 3D flight game demo, in which dragons fought Viking ships, and presented it at Atari's Slough office. Impressed by the game's 3D engine, Atari Europe CEO Bob Gleadow said it could be a great title for the Jaguar, as Atari was seeking games for the platform and asked Rebellion if they could work on it. The demo never became a full game, but Atari staffer Jon Treanor told Rebellion that they owned the AVP license for a game.
After attending a conference where Atari showcased the Jaguar's hardware specifications and developers presented game proposals, Rebellion secured a contract to work on a Jaguar version of AVP in 1993. This prompted Rebellion, which operated out of the basement of the Kingsley brothers' parents, to move into an office and hire staff, while Atari provided Jaguar development kits. After finishing ATAC: The Secret War Against Drugs (1992) for Argonaut Software, Mike Beaton looked for another project and contacted acquaintances who learned that Rebellion needed a 3D programmer. Andrew Whittaker began his career in the computer industry in 1980, (Transcription by The Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG Historical Archive. ). working on computer games before being hired by Rebellion. Beaton and Whittaker were the co-programmers of AVP.
Development
During the initial pre-production phase, Atari shared with Rebellion the design documents from the Lynx version, while Hampton checked an internal bulletin board system (BBS) maintained by Tom Gillen, who also ran Atari's quality assurance (QA) and testing departments, where Lynx ROM files were uploaded. The Images Software team created a demo where the player could control either the Predator or Colonial Marine, navigating corridors infested with Aliens. Hampton discovered that the Lynx version, besides lacking a playable Alien character, also included characters and settings based on the Dark Horse Comics series, the rights to which Atari did not own. Although the contract stipulated a port of the SNES game, this gave Hampton a legal reason to justify a change of direction for the Jaguar version. Atari producer Ted Tahquechi and his wife, Carrie Tahquechi, organized movie marathons and invited the team to watch the Alien and Predator films on LaserDisc, creating an environment conducive to brainstorming sessions for the game. The Atari team also encouraged the Rebellion team to follow the same process, as they had never seen the Alien or Predator films. Atari and Rebellion exchanged ideas before reaching an agreement on a new design proposal based on Images Software's initial work, which presented the game to Activision and 20th Century Fox as a first-person shooter with the possibility of playing as all three factions.