On March 27, 2021, it was the day when the group tried out the AJL Mod online for the first time. I was chatting alone in the QQ group and met a certain group friend who came to ask me, "Has the group owner ever written anything for AVP2?" ?" I said "No." He warned me, "The group leader should write a little more; many young fans used to love watching the group leader's tutorials."
We are still in this circle; I have long felt the need to write something. There is still some time before October, and preparations have already begun abroad for the 20th anniversary commemoration activities. I feel it is necessary to write some popular knowledge.
——Da Lu Neixun's "In Memory of Mr. AVP2"
Q: What kind of game is Alien vs. Predator 2?
A: Aliens vs. Predator 2 (referred to as AVP2) is a science fiction horror-themed first-person perspective shooting game launched on the platform in 2001. It was developed by On-Line and published by On-Line. The AVP2 expansion pack (previously translated as "expansion pack" ") – Alien vs. Predator 2: Primal Hunt (abbreviated), launched on the platform in 2002, developed by Third Law and published by On-Line; in 2003, AVP2 was ported to the Mac OS platform and launched on the platform Alien vs. Predator 2: Gold Edition will be bundled with AVP2+ (no difference in content). Although it is called AVP2, its actual game content has nothing to do with Alien vs. Predator (referred to as AVP1) developed by 1999; the new Alien vs. Predator game (referred to as AVP1) developed again in 2010 is also related to AVP2 has nothing to do with it…
AVP2 official wallpaper
Q: I have never heard of AVP2. It can be purchased on the Steam platform. Is AVP2 available?
A: No, you can’t buy it. The reason for this situation is that after many years, the official authorization given by 20th Century Fox, the copyright owner of Alien vs. Predator to the developer/publisher of AVP2, has expired, and AVP2 cannot be used today. re-released on various digital game platforms. Here is some additional acquisition information: It was acquired by Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner, in 2004; this brand, after a series of operations such as dissolution, reorganization, and resale, is now in the hands of Activision Blizzard; Twentieth Century Fox was acquired by Walt Disney in 2019… The original publisher has long since changed, and the developer and licensor belong to two competing film and television giants. AVP2, an ancient authorized adaptation game, is It is difficult to re-release… Therefore, AVP2 is not available for purchase on the Steam platform.
AVP2 official wallpaper
Q: Why is AVP1, which is older than AVP2, logged into the Steam platform, but AVP2 is not?
A: The developer of AVP1 has since been authorized by 20th Century Fox many times to develop two new AVP series games (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem on PSP, and so on). In the same year when I logged into the Steam platform, and also because of the official authorization, I optimized the compatibility and added some new features based on the AVP1 Gold Edition, and renamed AVP1: Alien vs. Predator Classic Edition 2000 (abbreviation). Logged into the Steam/GOG platform, but AVP2 will not have this opportunity… As early as ten years ago, some players began to petition for AVP2 to log into the GOG platform, but so far, it has been nothing. Friends who are interested can go to GOG to check out the AVP2 petition page:
AVP2 official wallpaper
Q: There are so many people petitioning, is this AVP2 really fun?
A: Without further ado, let’s go directly to the screenshots from well-known foreign review websites:
Game ratings from website
The above are the comprehensive ratings of six Alien/Predator PC games as of March 16, 2021. The square on the left is the average media rating, and the circle on the right is the average user rating (except for the AVP2 series, the remaining Both games have console versions, but the score difference between them and the PC version is not big. AVP1 lacks media reviews and has no media scores for the time being. The user score is 8.3). Among all the Alien/Predator-type video games, AVP2 has the highest ratings both from media and users. This should be enough to explain everything, right? (I will also talk about the issue of low ratings later)
AVP2 official wallpaper
Q: Why do you feel that no one in China plays AVP2?
A: After all, this is an old game from 20 years ago. There used to be a group of old AVP2 players born in the 1980s and 1990s in China, but they have already started families, started businesses, and raised children, and have basically faded out of the gaming circle… Now is the mobile Internet era where smart portable devices dominate. In addition to the games you can buy on PC through digital game stores such as Steam, Epic, and GOG, various emulators on mobile phones also allow you to play arcade and home console games. , various alien/predator games on handheld consoles, this allows these relatively unpopular games to have a small circle where they can discuss and communicate. But only for the game AVP2, apart from the channels for purchasing genuine discs, you can currently only play it on your computer through the game mirror shared on the Internet or the free learning version. AVP2 has neither built-in Chinese nor Chinese patches. The installation process of this kind of old game is also relatively cumbersome. Just using a virtual CD-ROM drive to install a pure English program, coupled with updates and upgrade packages and CD-free patches, can stump a large number of young people who started playing mobile games. What's more, Not to mention the various compatibility problems that this old game faces with new computer software and hardware. The above factors have led to the gradual disappearance of this game in China.
AVP2 official wallpaper
Q: AVP2 is so hard to play, why do you still need to promote it?
A: Since you asked the question sincerely, I will tell you from the bottom of my heart:
1. Anniversary. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of AVP2. Foreign netizens are also preparing to launch various game activities to commemorate this super classic AVP game. As an old AVP2 player, I feel it is necessary to respond in a simple and easy way in China. .
2. Literacy and science popularization. At present, domestic players’ understanding of AVP games is too superficial. The most played game among domestic players is probably Alien vs. Predator: Evolution on computers and mobile phones. Many players have praised these two games to the sky, but they don't know that there are actually many excellent Alien/Predator games. In terms of the content volume and overall quality of the game alone, AVP2 can completely beat the above two games.
3. New expectations for modules. Unlike those new Alien/Predator games, the ancient AVP2 and AVP1 have official development kits, so it is easy to have various magic modification and reskin modules. Among them, AVP2 has produced many excellent modules. The gameplay has undergone earth-shaking changes compared to the original version, and there are still exciting modules that are still being updated. Therefore, even if you get tired of playing the original version, AVP2 will still have more fun, which is something that those new Alien/Predator games cannot match.
AVP2 official wallpaper
Q: Compared with other games, what are the characteristics of AVP2?
A: Then let me compare the other four games in the picture above:
1. Predator: Hunting Ground. This 4V1 unbalanced confrontation gameplay is actually very close to the Hunt mode in AVP2 multiplayer. Under the default rules, multiple humans fight against a small number of Predators, but the ratio of the number of people can be customized. Modification, both parties participating in the war can also be changed to other races or camps. But one difference is that the human who kills the Predator in hunting mode will immediately switch roles with the killed Predator.
2. Alien: Isolation, hide-and-seek and pipe-drilling puzzle survival gameplay, AVP2 single-player campaign has a lot of similar content. And AVP2 does not limit this gameplay to human battles. Even the battles between aliens and predators have such scenes. In addition, AVP2 does not have a mini map, making exploration difficult and more challenging.
3. Alien: Colonial Army, a multiplayer online battle against aliens. Among them, the Escape () mode and Survivor () mode are more outstanding and emphasize teamwork. In AVP2, there are also corresponding Evac mode and Survivor () mode. mode, with more customizable rules, and Predators can join the battle, which will give you more online fun.
4. Aliens vs. Predator 2010 is both an AVP series. AVP2 has a more substantial campaign process, a richer variety of weapons, more available characters, and more balanced multiplayer connections…
AVP2 official wallpaper
Q: Having said so many advantages of AVP2, does it also have disadvantages?
A: There is no end to the game. After all, AVP2 is a 20-year-old game, and its shortcomings are also obvious:
1. The picture quality is outdated. Whether it is modeling, textures, light, shadow, or special effects, they are far inferior to the other four games in the picture above. For many players who value picture quality, they will find it difficult to accept the picture of AVP2 and pass directly.
2. Poor compatibility. Facing the domestic computer environment where Win10 has gradually become popular, these old games will always encounter various unexpected problems and failures when faced with new software and hardware configurations.
3. Language barrier. The amount of text in AVP2 is quite large, especially the campaign. There are a lot of dialogues and texts. If you want to truly experience the characters and understand the plot, it is very difficult without some basic knowledge of English. In addition, there are various unofficial tools and multiplayer maps. The installation and configuration of packages and modules are not in Chinese. Players who want to play must pass the English level.
4. It is difficult to get started. This point is actually closely related to the language barrier above. AVP2 has a lot of content. If you can’t understand the text descriptions and voice prompts in the game, it is common to get stuck in the campaign; there are also a large number of customizable multiplayer games in the game menu. The options include game duration, map rotation, scoring rules, player limits, kill streak rewards, advanced weapon upper limits, and a lot of parameters. Many players will be confused when faced with these dense English. For those who are used to it, It is indeed quite cumbersome for players who use the fool-proof method of building a house. Coupled with a large number of weapons and ammunition types and corresponding operation shortcut keys, it is not that easy to quickly get started with AVP2.
Q: I have played AVP2 before, but not yet. I would like to know what new content has been added?
A: The new content is roughly divided into the following parts:
1. Three new single-player campaigns (Corporate Mercenary, Ancient Predator, Predator Alien).
Human Company Mercenary Battle
Ancient Predator Battle
AVP2 Iron-Blooded Alien Battle
2. The HUD color of the human company camp is adjusted to yellow, and the motion tracker is changed to a new 360-degree tracker, but the detection distance is shorter than the original 180-degree tracker.
360-degree motion tracker
3. Humans have added three new weapons: dual-wielding pistols, turret machine guns, and remote-controlled sentry machine guns. To dual-wield a pistol, you only need to pick up another pistol in the multiplayer map and press the number key 2 to switch between single-wielding/dual-wielding states. Although dual-wielding can make up for the insufficient damage output of the pistol to a certain extent, replacement The time required for ammunition has also been lengthened; the turret machine gun and the remote-controlled sentry machine gun are both limited weapons in some maps: the former is an immovable fixed fire point that cannot be destroyed, has sufficient ammunition and no weapon overheating restrictions; the latter can be picked up at will Placed on flat ground, it provides firepower output with automatic aiming within a certain range of the front, but there are limitations on weapon overheating and the total number of machine guns, and it will also be destroyed by other players.
Dual wield pistol
Remote controlled sentry machine gun
turret machine gun
4. The iron-blooded alien also has the Head Bite skill that other aliens use, but its activation speed is slower than other aliens. It is not practical under normal circumstances and is more suitable for whipping corpses to quickly restore blood.
Iron-blooded alien headshot before biting
5. The Predator has a new weapon: energy darts. This is a long-range weapon with low energy consumption and high rate of fire. It has no splash damage, but its power is also low. At the same time, the color of the Predator's HUD health and energy values has been changed to a unified red.
Energy darts consume energy
6. In the multiplayer game mode, the Predator has a new self-destruction skill. When the Predator's health is lower than 10%, you can activate the self-destruct device (default shortcut key P). Accompanied by the Predator's obscene laughter, after waiting for a few seconds, all units near the Predator will be directly killed. Including the Predator himself.
The health value at this time can trigger self-destruction.
7. The available characters in multiplayer games have been added as Ancient Predators. Except for the different weapon configurations in the weapon allocation mode, the performance of the Ancient Predator is no different from other Predators.
Ancient Predator
8. In the advanced host options of multiplayer games, a new option to disable arms and weapons has been added.
Troop disabling options
Weapon disabling options
9. Four new multiplayer maps have been added
Q: Just looking at the new content, I feel pretty good? Why are the ratings not very high?
A: As an independent expansion pack, it supplements the plot of AVP2 through the campaign, adds some new elements to the multiplayer online part of AVP2, and makes some minor adjustments to the original AVP2 online settings. But overall, the campaign content is too little, the difficulty is too high, too few prompts make it easy to get lost, and most of the process is repeated running around and fighting monsters; as the prequel plot of AVP2, it is a bit forced; multiplayer In the online part, the balance has not been well adjusted. The bugs that existed in AVP2 have not been fixed in the game (the resources itself can be used in common with AVP2), and there are no updates or upgrades at launch. This may be the reason why the rating is not high.
Q: AVP2 is very troublesome to install, and I can’t understand the plot. Where can I find installation tutorials and Chinese plots?
A: Here is an AVP2 mirror version installation tutorial provided by other UP owners on this site:
As for the Chinese plot, there is also an UP owner of this site who is slowly updating it. Currently, some human battles have been completed:
If you want to know more about how to install and play AVP2, please stay tuned for my next column!
Alien vs. Predator 2 online group: