This is going to be a fairly jumbled up mess, since I can’t seem to get my thoughts entirely in order. I’m going to explain some things about the controls, some basic information about playing the demo that should help some newcomers out, and my general impressions of things.

Let’s start with the general impressions:

The matchmaking system (particularly on the PC) is just awful when it strains to find 8 players, only to see 3 to 5 of them drop out within the first two minutes because the learning curve is a bitch and a half. I haven’t seen this many rage-quits since… ever, actually. Usually more than half of the lobby is gone before the game ends, tired of being beaten by the other players. Or, perhaps, leaving in an attempt to find a new group where they can play the species they want to. I know that I’ve been ticked off more than a few times at not being able to select the Predator, as I have always been a huge fan of their species.

The biggest problem, though, is definitely the learning curve. So, here’s some tips for those of you who might have given up on the demo quickly, or haven’t tried it yet:

General tips.

Hit up the Options menu and check out the key binds to see what buttons you need to use! AvP is not mapped out like more common shooters today, and making note of the differences is important. Q is your sprint button, and it can save your life!

Try to determine if the group you’re playing with is trying to do things Team Deathmatch style, or Free For All style. Most groups play Free For All, but some try to have the species work together instead of just having a mindless slaughter-thon.

For the Predators.

Your cloak no longer costs energy to run; use it! Beware, though Aliens will be able to see through it, but Marines will be none the wiser so long as you don’t MOVE AROUND. Moving makes you visible, as does targeting.

Bind your Secondary Weapon key (default Left ALT) to something easy to get to. I used one of my side mouse buttons. This is very important, because this button is what triggers the weapon you have equipped. It throws your spear, it charges and plants your trip mines, it locks target for your Plasmacaster, and it preps your Disk for throwing.

The Focus key (default Left SHIFT) allows you to do long-range jumps. Hold it down to bring up a cursor, hit Jump (default SPACE) to leap to that position if it’s in range. You can leap up to two stories, allowing you to cover a lot of ground very quickly. The Focus key is also very important because it is the only way to locate your WEAPON PICKUPS. Use Focus to locate your weapons on the HUD, they will appear with little triangular lock-on signatures. The Plasmacaster, Trip Mines, and Spear are all in the main room with the beams going across the roof.

Check the scoreboard to see what species people are playing, and adjust your vision modes accordingly. I have found that people like to default to Alien as they believe the Marines are underpowered (this is not the case, more on that shortly). When you’re in a room full of aliens, you might as well just stick to Xenomorph Detection Vision.

Use the electric stations around the level to recharge your energy periodically. You are completely vulnerable when you do this, so try not to eat up too much energy too quickly or you’ll find yourself hurting for it and trying to refill at a bad time. Energy is important, it powers your Plasmacaster (You can get about 3 to 4 shots out of a full charge), allows you to charge and plant mines, and guide your Disk around.

In combat against aliens, don’t neglect your ability to BLOCK. Some aliens will spam the tail attack, and this will be a problem for you, but a well-timed block against a light attack will give you time to counter and capitalize.

For the Aliens.

Speed and stealth are your greatest assets. Use them well. Once your prey knows you’re coming, you’re as good as dead if they’re any good.

Your most useful attack is your tail (Right Click). This can stagger enemies, goes through blocking, and does massive damage. You can even do it from the roof to catch unsuspecting foes for a lot of damage.

Try to get used to making smooth transitions from surface to surface. It’s not easy and it can be very disorienting, but once you master this skill you can make yourself a very, very difficult target to hit.

For the Marines.

They call you prey, but they are fools and should fear what you can do.

A well-played Marine can do just as well as any other species. Sometimes better because of their ranged superiority; they do not have to rely on melee to deal most of their damage, unlike the Predator and the Alien.

Keep a sharp eye out for cloaked Predators running around. You can see them when they move, when they target, and they decloak when they attack. You can also track them with the motion tracker. New Predators are prone to thinking that they are undetectable when they run around, teach them that their cloak has holes that can be exploited.

For the Marine more than any other species, it is absolutely vital to learn the map. You need to know where all the transitions are from floor to floor, all the holes, all the walkways, and all the weapon pickups. Learning these will allow you to catch aliens who think they’re being sneaky, predators that are going for their weapon pickups, and other Marines searching for more powerful weapons.

It’s been my experience that the pulse rifle is the most effective weapon available to the Marines. I’ve tried the shotgun, I’ve tested out the rifle, and I’ve played with the Flamethrower. None seem to offer the same kind of base damage that the pulse rifle does, and the kind of suppression capability it offers against groups of aliens. Besides, you die pretty quick, you might as well get used to the weapon you spawn with. Also, FIND GRENADES. Grenades can really put the hurt on groups, and can outright kill enemies if they’re already a bit damaged or you hit them dead on. You can fire grenades by right clicking with the pulse rifle equipped. Default pickup for grenades is 2, so make them count.

If you’re smart, you can use the motion tracker to pinpoint an enemy and what floor they’re on, based on the distance reading. If the reading is very close, but you’re still getting a reading of more meters than point-blank would be, you’ve probably got an enemy above or below you.

Don’t get complacent! Scan those corners, check the roof, and watch any holes. Stay on the move, don’t make yourself an easy target by staying in the same place the whole time. Keep moving, keep firing, and stay alive. You can show those Aliens and Predators that you can put up a hard fight, too.

Hopefully this will help some of you acclimatize to the game a bit easier. The demo lacks any kind of real explanation for what does what, and that leaves new players at a serious disadvantage. It throws you in and basically says “NOW PLAY”, without any exposition on how, or what the goal is. It’s a poor demo when stacked up against its modern brethren, but boy does it ever take me back.

If anyone would like to add tips or share experiences from the demo in the comments, please do.