Their joint venture sounded like an unbeatable combination: taking the popular Aliens vs. Predator franchise and transforming it from action/shooter to console-specific RTS. It was a gutsy move, to be sure, but one that, if done well, would finally bring console owners into the RTS fold.

Unfortunately, while the game has its high points, its biggest accomplishment is not opening console owners’ eyes to the glories of the RTS genre, but demonstrating that a popular franchise married to a new genre doesn’t always mean success. Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction provides a good introduction to the RTS genre, but not the blockbuster game fans (and the development team) were hoping for.

The basic tenet in any RTS is to out-maneuver the opposition by using your troops’/citizens’ unique attributes to your tactical advantage. Positioning them on a hillside, grouping them by class, defending your territory and exploiting resources all play a role in your success or failure. As far as these key RTS aspects are concerned, Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction delivers. You can command your Marines, Aliens or Predators (the game has seven missions for each) with any number of orders. You can "group" your troops for more easily issuing strategic commands. You can have soldiers patrol, follow waypoints, act aggressively/defensively or hold their ground. You can even manipulate money generators and other foreign "resources" for your gain.

Amazingly, the game handles these commands very well, with a control system that provides a plethora of menu-based commands using just a few buttons. What’s most incredible about this feat is that Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction is the first RTS title to appear on Xbox and PS2, and mapping mouse/keyboard combinations to a console controller for the first time must have posed a staggering challenge. Still, Zono ported the basics to a controller so well that you’ll be maneuvering your forces and calling the shots in no time.

Yet as masterful as the control scheme may be, the poor troop AI results in about one-third of your commands being completely wasted. The biggest thorn in the AI’s side is horrible pathing, a common flaw even in some PC RTS titles. Sure, you may tell your soldiers to follow a route, but one or two will invariably go the opposite direction, get stuck behind environmental obstacles or, worse yet, be unable to find a simple route past a non-moving unit. These issues crop up regardless of the seven-mission campaign you choose (Marine, Alien or Predator), so it’s not just a matter of, say, humans being stupid.

When you’re not struggling through troop movements, the game provides some rather diverse experiences, which is expected given the species’ inherent differences. The Marines, for example, include medics, synthetics, soldiers and technicians, all of which have unique capabilities and are upgradable in their weapon, technical and armor proficiency. Depending on the mission, you’ll call down a dropship with the most appropriate troops for the job. Of course, you can only call them if you have the technician, since he’s the only unit who can order dropships and fix the generators that fabricate money for upgrades and troop purchases. Clearly, keeping an eye on your soldier balance can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Aliens and Predators, on the other hand, provide diversity just by their very nature, the Aliens perhaps being the best example. Your basic hive starts out with eggs and facehuggers, which will develop into runners and other, deadlier variants only after finding hosts. Depending upon the egg/facehugger type at your disposal, you can opt to stick with the initial variant or have your facehugger "graduate" to Queen, a powerful but costly upgrade. As with calling down specific marine units, you will need to experiment with certain tactics and Alien types based upon the task at hand.

And yes, there are a number of varieties from which to choose, for the Alien as well as the Predator. Both species include some creative new units to the franchise, such as the Alien Ravager and Predator Hydra, while some holdovers remain from previous games in the series. This is the case even where weapons are concerned, with the popular Predator speargun making a return from the franchise’s first-person roots, but this time its damage is visible from a top-down point of view.

It’s just too bad that you only have that top-down view from which to choose. Most PC RTS games use either a top-down or isometric view, with the option to zoom in/out and swing the camera for a different look at the environment. While Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction allows you to move the camera around the landscape, though, it’s completely static in its position. There’s no maneuvering, no zooming and no swinging around to watch battles unfold.

Maybe it’s because the graphics are surprisingly bland. The general character design is solid, with articulated limbs and good animations, but the coloration and skins are so similar that it can be challenging to distinguish one unit from the next when they’re in the heat of battle. Try selecting a specific character, and the graphical similarities get even more frustrating as you click and re-click until you finally select the right one.

Likewise, the environments, be they desert or laboratory, use large swaths of mottled colors that try hard to resemble textures but fall completely flat. Had you been able to zoom in, the lack of detail in both characters and surroundings would have been more obvious than it already is.

Yet where the game may disappoint in its graphics, it absolutely excels in its audio. Every classic sound from the movies and previous games is here, from the Predators’ hiss to the SONAR-like pinging of Aliens closing in on Marines. In fact, the sound effects in Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction actually inspired me to use a few choice phrases of joy on more than one occasion. Each individual unit also has its own sound, be it a one-word comment when selecting a Marine synthetic or an otherworldly sound when you select an Alien or Predator.

But sound does not a great RTS make, and unfortunately, a few gameplay issues and graphical snafus hinder this from being a standout console debut. Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction is an admirable first attempt at a console RTS, but as the first of its kind, it was also bound to make some mistakes. Zono did a bang-up job porting RTS commands to a console controller, but the game’s pathing issues undermine the effort. The missions have a good variety of objectives, but the seven-level campaign for each species ultimately comes up a bit short. The sounds pull you into the game like you’re in the middle of the hive, but most of the graphics pull you out faster than you can say "low resolution."

In the end, Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction is a good starting point for developers looking to do future console RTS games, but Zono would have done better to create a next-gen Aliens vs. Predator FPS and continue honing their ideas for an entirely new RTS franchise. Maybe then console gamers would finally understand why PC owners love RTS titles. As it is, it’s probably still a mystery.

See more screens on the Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction media page