Aliens vs Predator

List the people who've had the biggest influence on video games since the early '80s. Right now. Do it.

Who have you come up with? Miyamoto? Kojima? Carmack? Newell? Mikami? Wrong on all counts. The only names you need are Ridley Scott, James Cameron, Dan O' Bannon and H.R. Giger. Because being brutally honest, the Alien movies have done far more to shape video games than anyone in the games industry ever has. Want proof? Read on. I have 10 proofs.

Aliens are really good at punching holes in foreheads, dribbling and killing Bill Paxton. Predators are downright awesome at having mouths that look like women's unmentionables, killing stuff with spears and getting their asses owned by Danny Glover. We all know this. But what you might not know, is both amoral alien species can also bust a serious move on the dance floor... well, if you dress your PS Home avatar up in one of the newly

So Tatsunoko vs. Capcom kicked our brains into high nerd, and now with Aliens vs. Predator blowing our minds with the crossover potential, we wondered what would happen if our favorite game companies put differences aside and synergized the shit out of all the stuff we love in the name of greater capitalism!

Snapping an alien’s teeth through a human face is gruesome. Pouring rounds out from a pulse rifle at flickering silhouettes is scary as hell. Lifting your claw to claim a trophy skull is simple fun. And with developer Rebellion returning gamers to the world of Aliens vs Predator today, there’s never been a better time to glance back at some of the best games to embrace the Alien, Predator and AvP films.

What kind of year has 2009 been? If we’re honest, a tough one. Practices central to the PC, such as the use of dedicated servers, are being ignored. We’re getting games months after our console cousins. The PC is being increasingly marginalised by publishers who don’t think we matter.

Those publishers are wrong.

We’ve murderised millions of men, killed countless cuddly animals and run over a nursing home’s worth of OAPs. But nothing has ever unhinged us like the computer crappers in the following beastly bathrooms. Unhygienic, grim and often smeared in the sort of bodily fluids you’d associate with Kill Bill rather than the can these are the filthiest game bathrooms we’ve ever seen.

In a tight bind, when

Christmas '09 is cancelled, but early next year looks amazing.

The whole point of us being at Gamescom is to play games. So that's what we're doing. We're playing games so we can tell you about them. And this is where you'll be able to read our reactions, impressions and opinions of the games that are being played. We'll be updating this page as more games are sampled and experienced.