You certainly get that feeling quickly playing Aliens vs. Predator 2. You are either in constant danger of becoming a dead space marine or rapidly creating them. The latest first-person shooter from the folks over at Sierra Studios allows the player to once again take the role of the weary space marine, the cunning Predator or the ever-hungry alien menace.

The graphics are about average for the modern FPS, and the gameplay flows between minor puzzle-solving and blazing action if you take the part of the marine. If not, the game is simply traveling to your next kill. Which is fitting for the other two character profiles. The game moves along in a rolling plotline, no big bad boss at the end of the level that must be overcome…simply survive to continue on in the story. What really makes this game stand out among other first-person shooters is the sound and the atmosphere it creates. Fans of both the Alien and Predator films will recognize every sound detail incorporated into this one.

Playing a space marine will put the chills in even the most steadfast gamer. Turn the lights off, the sound up and hang on. Your only source of illumination is your shoulder lamp which, like a portable light, only illuminates small focused areas. It’s also battery-powered and could run out of juice when you need it most, so recharge often. The game immerses you into this marine’s journey deep into the alien hive. The sounds of steam, the blip from your motion tracker and the hiss of an approaching alien are your constant companions. You’ll find yourself rapidly checking your six and worrying about what’s around every corner. You know you’ve been hooked when you start blasting away on your pulse rifle in panic fire at the site of multiple signals closing in on your motion tracker.

The part of the Predator can satisfy even the most skilled of hunters. Listening to your visor cycle as you switch between vision modes will put you right into the mood. Switch your cloaking device on and start hunting. It takes a while to get a good range of weapon choices, but once you do, you’re an invincible hunter. There’s nothing like the thrill of crouching on top of an APC listening to your targets talk about a noise they just heard before pouncing down up them. The game incorporates some pretty decent AI work into the space marines’ actions that you’ll face. Just watch out for those autoguns!

Perhaps the most difficult role to play is the aliens. You have to start out as a simple "face sucker" and find an isolated target. The majority of the first scenario is simply traveling around to find such a target. Because of the alien’s unique ability to wall-walk, it can be the most confusing to play, though you’ll never have to worry about running out of ammo for this character.

All in all, the game is topnotch in this genre with great atmosphere, good adherence to the ideas of the original films and solid story progression. Gamers looking for unique super weapons or big bad bosses to defeat might need to seek elsewhere. Aliens vs. Predator 2 is not the most intense FPS out there, but it is great for those who always wanted to see if they could have done a better alien-bashing job than Ripley, or a better Arnold-trashing than the first Predator.