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Galactic Adversaries
 Back in the late 70s, up-and-coming director Ridley Scott made a science-fiction/horror film called Alien, which was about a terrifying creature that wreaks havoc aboard a mining ship deep in space. Released in 1979 with the tagline “In space, no one can hear you scream,” it was a dramatic departure from the Star Wars wannabes of the time. It quickly garnered a cult following that exploded in 1986 with Aliens, which was directed by another Hollywood rising star named James Cameron.
Meanwhile, Arnold Schwarzenegger contributed his own rising star status to a 1987 film called Predator, which was about a team of commandos hunted by a mysterious creature in South America. It’s lackluster sequel, Predator 2 (1990), was noteworthy for its inclusion of an Alien skull in the Predator’s trophy room, thus setting the stage for a rivalry between the two species. The Predator series ended with its second installment, but the Aliens series continued for two more films: Alien 3 (1992) and Alien Resurrection (1997). Dark Horse Comics saw promise in both franchises and secured the rights to each in the late 1980s. A few stand-alone Aliens and Predator stories led to the popular 1990 mini-series Aliens vs. Predator, which evolved into a string of series that chronicle the never-ending clashes between the two nasty creatures. Humans, especially Colonial Marines, often find themselves in the middle of these battles, like they do in Aliens vs. Predator 2. 
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Wondering which race you should play in the game? Here’s a rundown that will help:
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Colonial Marines  These men and women are tough and think they’ve seen it all, but they’re not prepared for the viciousness of the Aliens nor the cold-blooded ruthlessness of the Predators. What they lack in brute force they make up for in weaponry, with pulse rifles, flamethrowers, rocket and grenade launchers, and shotguns at their disposal. They’re also equipped with shoulder lamps for illuminating those creepy corridors and hacking devices for breaking into computers and pulling out vital information.
Predators  These guys live for the hunt. There’s nothing they enjoy more than bagging some trophies for their spaceships, and Aliens are among the toughest creatures they’ve hunted. They’re equipped with wristblades, shoulder cannons, two-handed spears, and net guns. That’s not quite the arsenal the Marines carry, but the Predators make up for it with cloaking devices that allow them to stalk their prey unseen.
Aliens  LV1201 was home to many Aliens and their Queen Empress for over 10,000 years until the humans showed up and established their research facilities. Now they must take the planet back from not only the humans but also the Predators who have arrived to hunt them to extinction. The Aliens use the shadows to their advantage, sneaking up on their enemies until the time is right to pounce on them and slash with their vicious claws and tails. Their mouths open to reveal a second set of jaws that can punch a hole in most living creatures, and they bleed acid that will damage their opponents even after their deaths.
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Fans of James Cameron’s Aliens film
will remember the formidable Power Loader. 
This Predator is ready for the hunt.
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Cheat If You Must
Stumped? Then you may need some help, thanks to the cheat codes that are commonly placed in most videogames. They allow you to, well, cheat and change the rules. This sometimes includes activating bonuses, unlocking secrets and new levels of gameplay. To activate any of these codes, press the Return key, type “<cheat>” (without the quotes), leave a space, and then enter a code as shown below. Please note that we cannot verify that all these codes work at this time. |
| mpcanthurtme | turn god, or invincible, mode on or off |
| mpschuckit | get a full set of weapons and ammunition |
| mpsmithy | full armor |
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mpkohler Or mpstockpile | full ammo |
| mpbeamme | jump to the start of the level |
| mpsixthsense | turn clipping (the ability to walk through walls) on or off |
| mpicu | switch 3rd person mode (where you view your character, as opposed to looking through his eyes) on or off |
| mptachometer | turn speed on or off |
| mpgrs | turn rotation on or off |
| mpgps | show position information (you can turn this on or off too) |
| mpsizeme | turn the size information on or off |
   Mac OS X version 10.2.6 or higher 700MHz PowerPC G4 processor or higher 256MB of RAM ATI Radeon 8500 or NVIDIA GeForce2 MX or better graphics card Note: Multiplayer using an internet connection is not supported under Mac OS X 10.3 or higher. LAN play is supported however. |