Hands-on with Aliens vs Predator: Evolution

Ouch. It doesn't look like Sega's new Aliens game - Aliens: Colonial Marines - has gone down well with the critics.

It's been described as "uninspired and unfinished". A "disappointingly slipshod effort", weighed down by "grindingly obvious mechanical issues".

So hopefully Angry Mob - of Guerrilla Bob and Predators fame - can do a better job, with its upcoming game, AvP: Evolution.

You can play as a Xenomorph or a Predator. Either way, you're getting a 3D brawler in which you wail on marines until you meet up with the alien species you've held a grudge against since 1992.

It's a bit of a wild button-mash at times, but there are a few tactical options in battle, too.

There's a handful of combos you can perform, for example, and you'll need to move about the arena so you can prioritise enemies with guns, and avoid pipe-wielding baddies.

Each movie monster has some special abilities, too. Aliens can switch between claws and tail for different attacks, and Predator has a shoulder-mounted laser cannon.

The Alien can take out enemies in one hit if you approach the game stealthily, while Predator can go invisible for a few seconds to gain the upper hand.

Oh, and when an enemy is sufficiently wounded, there's an opportunity - after performing a few taps and swipes - to get a "trophy kill".

That generally involves depriving your enemy of his spinal column, or ripping his body in half like a wet paper towel. Whatever the case, you'll get a health boost for your efforts.

The combat system is fun and relatively sophisticated. It's not very varied, though, and the controls can be a bit fiddly.

But just as you're starting to get sick of the combat system, Evolution will throw something a little different into the mix.

You might switch to the Alien campaign, where you start life as a facehugger, suspended in a giant test tube.

It's up to you to break free, scuttle through some air vent, latch onto the face of some hapless scientist, and impregnate his throat with your alien embryo.

You know what happens next.

Or, later in the Alien campaign, you'll be chased down by a spaceship that's spewing ordnance. You'll have to duck behind boxes, and then lead the laser-guided missiles into your enemies.

At times, AvP: Evolution feels like a bland trudge through various identikit space stations, all studded with work stations, hip-high guard rails, metal boxes, and futuristic funiculars.

And they are, at least, very good-looking space stations. With high-resolution textures, detailed models, and varied lighting effects, this is already one of the most technically proficient games on mobile.

It also looks like there's quite a lot of content to be had. There are two lengthy campaigns, as well as side-missions. You can also upgrade your movie monster, either with in-game cash or IAPs.

AvP: Evolution is all a bit one-note and never massively original. But the combat is fun, it looks fantastic, and there are enough nods to the twin sci-fi universes to keep fans happy.

If you dig 3D brawlers and love sci-fi action games, it's definitely going to be one to watch out for when it launches on iOS and Android later this year.

Got any questions about AvP: Evolution? Chuck them in the comments section below.