RTS developers have never managed to break free of the keyboard and no matter how cool your controller is, it can't compete with the speed or accuracy of mouse control. Going from edgy PC shooter to StarCraft-wannabe is a serious change in direction, especially on the PS2 and Xbox, where the real-time strategy (RTS) genre is not all that common. Predator: Extinction marks a bizarre turnaround for the series. Predator franchise has spawned a number of titles, including two quality first-person shooters.

On the other hand, if you've rinsed everything from Modern Warfare 2 and are seeking a new challenge worthy of your skills, it has come at just the right time.By JON MINIFIE (Herald rating: * * *) The Alien vs. Despite that, if your primary experience of gaming took place on the Wii, you'll find it impossibly frustrating. But be warned: Aliens vs Predator is very much a game for the hardcore, even though it is much more forgiving than the original – demonstrating how the definition of hardcore has imperceptibly shifted, as with all other aspects of gaming, towards the mainstream in the past 11 years. Whichever species you fancy, you'll find something enjoyable online – you can opt for single-species face-offs if you like. But perhaps the game's biggest strength is the joy of playing as the predator, with his all-round hunting skills and flashy visual effects. When playing as alien or predator, you must take a stealthier approach (the alien levels add an element of puzzle-solving, as you work out how to traverse labyrinthine tunnel in order to pick off isolated marines).

The end result is three games – albeit short ones – for the price of one.

The marines, meanwhile, operate much like the protagonists of any other first-person shoot-em-up, with lashings of firepower but no other discernibly superhuman skills. The aliens are fantastically quick and can run up walls and ceilings, but have to get close to enemies in order to launch attacks.

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