Whoa a AvP beat um up where I can play as the Predator and beat and blast the shit out of aliens with a decent combo system. I still have nightmares of AvP SNES but this one is a blessing. Always looked for it arcades but only caught it a couple of times. Cmon Capcom Rerelease this shit. Find a way.

Now after playing Alein vs Predator fully through an arcade machine, my appreciating for the title is just that much more. It does a decent job of respecting the IP while at the same time delivering an above average arcade beat um up. Attacks feel good when landing and you have quite the amount of moves at your disposal. It sometimes feels like you can combo enemies for day once you understand what your character can do. Adding street fighter style special moves also helps keep the gameplay fresh and rewarding a bit more than your typical button mashing brawler. AvP also has more enemy variety than I would have initially thoguht. More than just the regular enemy. Lots of different shapes and color vareties are on display. While being an arcade game the game doesn't feel as cheap or quater munchery as some of it's peers which contributes to how much fun it is to play. One of the better arcade beat um ups released in the 90's.

RE4 is a game designer’s wet dream. If you really break it down, all Leon can do is point and shoot; and that simplicity is part of how it immediately gets you into this mode of consciously analyzing situations and being intentional about everything you do. Corralling enemies into a single spot and headshot-ing one of them to set the whole group up for a juicy roundhouse kick seems so basic, but having to actively look for ways to achieve that scenario never stops being engaging.

All the different weapons, the upgrade system, enemy types, random loot drops: they add to the basic formula in a way that’s so elegant and immediate that it makes every modern action RPG looter shooter whatever the fuck hybrid look like a dry, convoluted Excel spreadsheet by comparison. It’s so no-nonsense that I honestly struggle to come up with more ways to explain why it’s so good that aren't insanely obvious. RE4 is endlessly polished and pure and exciting and one of the most perfect games of all time.

What if shooter but was an incursion to hell.

The most present and conscious camera I've seen. No climax, no build-up, no conclusion, no nothing. Just a disgusting reality permeating the experience.

Also, WTF is up with the sound design and soundtrack?????