Chapter 3 - Marine Strategies

If you're used to other first-person shooters, like Half-Life or Quake, you shouldn't have much trouble getting used to the Marine. Featuring a handful of familiar weaponry (the machine gun, the grenade launcher, the rocket launcher, the flame thrower, etc.), a first-person shooter veteran will take little time in mastering the Marine's simple strokes. Below you'll find a description of the Marine's abilities as well as tips on how to use his long-range and short-range firepower to your advantage.

Movement Tactics

Lacking the speed of both the Alien and the Predator, it's wise for the Marine player to take things slowly, observing every detail around you so you don't miss a crouching Alien waiting to pounce from the corner. Because the Marine plays like most first-person shooters, you should become most comfortable with the strafe keys as well as the primary and secondary weapon buttons.

Proceed with Caution
Though the Marine comes equipped with ample health and some hefty armor, he's still quite fragile, especially against Alien foes. Don't charge into new areas. Move with caution into unexplored rooms and tunnels. Because Aliens can traverse ceilings and walls, keep an eye in all directions, particularly up. Though the Aliens are fast and dangerous, they're not really that durable. If you can sight the creature early (by moving slowly into new areas), taking it out shouldn't be a problem.

Use Flares and Image Intensifier
Aliens are dark - and lots of these maps are dark. Therefore, don't hesitate to use some flares or your image intensifier to move through difficult-to-see areas. In some halls, your image intensifier is the only way to spot Aliens coming at you in the distance. You want to avoid surprises as much as possible. Surprise is a chief tactic of the Alien; proceeding into new areas slowly and utilizing your image intensifier or flares can go a long way in preventing unnecessary deaths.