AJL - L.A.B mod for Aliens vs. Predator 2

The Master Server Patch (MSP) for AvP2 is an unofficial patch that the majority of the player base uses in 2021 due to the fact that the official master server for AvP2 multiplayer games went offline over a decade ago. Players who install MSP can once again easily connect to other players to play online. In addition to this, the MSP comes with the addition of proper widescreen support, numerous bug fixes, better compatibility on modern Windows operating systems and so on. If you've just installed AvP2 and are looking to play again, this should be the first mod you install. There is a Primal Hunt version of MSP as well.

What makes this map pack so ULTIMATE, is that it contains nearly every single fully-functioning multiplayer map ever released for AvP2. The only maps that are omitted from this map pack are those that are glitched, broken or those published after UMP3's release (which are only a handful and will likely be included in a future update). There are a LOT of custom maps in this map pack and there are many available for various multiplayer modes. If you already installed the Master Server Patch and are looking to play multiplayer, UMP3 would be first on your list to download and install. It's often necessary to install it too as many of the multiplayer servers run UMP3 and require it to join.

Happy Hunting Map Pack is the single player equivalent to the Ultimate Map Pack in that it contains nearly every single fully-functioning single player map ever released for AvP2. The only maps that are omitted from this map pack are those that are glitched, broken, published after HHMP's release (very few) or bundled as part of a complete mod. HHMP is unique in that it includes unreleased maps, test maps, published maps and even multiplayer maps that work as single player maps. If you finished the single player campaigns and are looking for more single player action, this is a must have.

Fear 3 is arguably the most polished, unofficial single player campaign made for the marine. It's so good, one could easily argue that it rivals and even surpasses Monolith's marine campaign that came with the published game. Fear 3 has an incredible attention to detail and ramps up the horror element far beyond the original game. I'd recommend you play Fear 1 and Fear 2 first (both of these are also included in the Happy Hunting Map Pack also) as a warm up. They're some of the scariest maps for AvP2 as is. Then play the Fear 3 demo which is it's own unique map and not really a demo. Then play Fear 3 - Curse of Reverence. All the Fear maps are bundled in the Fear 3 link above for your convenience as well. The Fear maps are highly regarded when it comes to AvP2 single player maps by fans. It's possible Monolith played these and took the name for the game Fear, but that's purely speculation.

Hostile Appetite is a massive map in which the player controls an alien that must devour every last human being in the Hadley's Hope colony. This map is essentially a game of hide and seek where you play the seeking party due to the fact that the player must scavenge high and low for every last npc. It will take you quite a while to find all the npcs, which makes this map quite challenging and appealing to alien players. Some AvP2 fans will argue that Hostile Appetite is only a single map; not a true campaign and therefore it shouldn't be featured here. I will contest that notion due to the secret ending. If the player can keep all their ally npc aliens alive, the player will be treated to bonus level. The bonus level consists of the player controlling the true, last survivor of Hadley's Hope (marine mission) and try to escape.

Everything said above for Fear 3 could easily be said for Island of the Dead as well. What makes Island of the Dead so unique is that the author totally made a left turn on what you would expect to find in an AvP style map. It's another marine campaign, but this time you will encounter supernatural elements. Also the style of horror is far more creepy and visually disturbing. You will also be caught off guard by jump scares if you don't pay attention. The ending is often described as disturbing, unnerving and highly memorable. This campaign will make you rethink horror in AvP2.

Survival is a multi-species campaign, as in a unique campaign for each species. It attempts to recreate the progression that was done in AvP2's original three campaigns, but with a new story and new player scenarios. It does so remarkably well, despite the fact it was released as an unfinished beta. You might come across some bugs in the campaigns, but there is so much content and unique features introduced that it is an extremely worthwhile playthrough for each campaign.

Under the Hunter's Moon is a predator campaign inspired by the first AVP movie and is largely faithful to the movie's pyramid setting. It's a rather long campaign that will appeal largely to players who enjoy predator vs alien combat. What makes this campaign so unique is that it relies on a lot of puzzle solving, trap evasion and fighting with limited weaponry. Under the Hunter's Moon also utilizes a lot of ally predator npcs that the player must protect and escort. This is a great campaign for those looking for a challenge.

For the players who are looking for HD textures to boost the visuals of AvP2, this is the only true HD texture pack that exists. It will noticeably increase the resolution on many of the games textures, some of which will appear with a slightly new design. The only drawback to this mod is that it primarily upgrades the textures on the default multiplayer maps and not the entire game. It's better than nothing at all, so it's still worth using.

The AvP2 2007 Complete Texture Overhaul is a bit of a misleading title. Many players will download this mod looking for HD textures, but that isn't what it offers. This texture pack will essentially swap all the game's textures and replace them with desaturated textures; that is textures that are less vibrant and more on the gray scale. If you find AvP2 to be too colorful and want a more gritty look, this is the texture pack for you.

AJL mod is one of the first mods for AvP2 that heavily edited the game's source code. By doing so, the mod introduces vastly different gameplay mechanics from the original game. Some players love the new gameplay mechanics, while others hate it. It definitely takes some getting used to after playing the original game. AJL mod attempts to be faithful to movies by introducing new weaponry from the source material and it does so rather well. If you can get past the learning curve on the new gameplay mechanics, there is fun to be had, but it is unfortunately a multiplayer only mod. It removes the single player aspect of the game altogether. AJL mod has had several updates over the years. Fans of AJL mod are split between playing AJL mod R2 and AJL mod R3, which are the different release candidates. Often times AJL mod fans will play both so keep that in mind.

AJL - L.A.B. mod aka LAB (little alternative balance) mod for short, is the spiritual successor to AJL mod R2. When the AJL mod stopped updating, a team of modders started building off of it to make their own unique mod. It differs from AJL mod by grouping marines and corporates on the same "human" team, while focusing on giving more unique gameplay differences among the different character classes of each species. Unfortunately, LAB also excludes single player and is a multiplayer only mod. LAB is largely played by the more seasoned veterans of AvP2.

It's payback time! A great name for a great mod. Payback Time mod is based on AJL, AJL - LAB and VIP mod. It of course adds its own unique content as well. Payback Time differs from the others by focusing more on unique weaponry, player huds and interfaces for each character. It also re-balances all the character classes as well. However, there are a few downsides to this mod. There is no single player just like the others mentioned above. Another downside is the lack of predator representation. It should be noted that the mod is in beta and is still being developed to this day. The future is still very bright with this mod as it will only improve.

Projam mod is a mod that has been developed for a long time with multiple iterations. All versions of the Projam mod are known for having highly regarded character skins. Each new iteration brings about new gameplay changes tailored to the team's personal tastes, which more often than not reflect the Alien and Predator films. Projam 5 is the most recent version of the mod in 2021. It changes skins, sounds, gameplay, etc and is primarily focused around single player exclusively. It's largely a love it or hate it mod by many AvP2 fans due to some controversial new gameplay mechanics that were introduced. For those unhappy with Projam 5, they can always fall back to Projam 4.4 which was more universally acclaimed. There is a Primal Hunt version of Projam mod as well.

Blood n' Guts mod. It's exactly as the name implies. A mod that seriously ramps up the blood and guts (gibs) in AvP2. If you're not satisfied with the gore level in AvP2 or you always wanted AvP2 to be a bit more like Brutal Doom; this is the mod for you. The beauty of Blood n' Guts mod is that it will work in single player, in multiplayer and with many other mods. The gore was ramped up as much as possible in this mod while still allowing compatibility with all game modes and other mods. There is a Primal Hunt version of Blood n' Guts as well.

While there have been many mods made for AvP2, there is really only one total conversion mod that totally overhauls the entire look and feel of the game. This mod is "Star Wars Mod v2.0 - Special Edition" and it overhauls the entire game to make it appear like aliens and predators exist in the Star Wars universe. Nearly all the textures, sounds, music, etc of the entire game were replaced with a Star Wars theme based somewhere between episodes 1-6 and the expanded universe. Included with the mod are new custom maps for both single player and multiplayer as well. One of the more unique aspects of this mod is that it replaces a lot of the character dialogue (voice overs) with corresponding character voices. There are also numerous, new easter eggs to be found across the computer terminals, pdas and memos. These additions give the player a new reason to replay the single player campaigns. Star Wars Mod v2.0 doesn't contain any gameplay changes. Therefore, it will work on all single player and multiplayer maps as well. There is a Primal Hunt version of Star Wars Mod v2.0 as well. May the force be with you!

There are plenty of other mods I've excluded due to the fact that they aren't hosted on ModDB or are smaller in the "game changing" impact. Nevertheless, if you like what you saw above, I encourage you to explore all the other mods made for this gem of a game.

Mods are still being developed for Aliens vs Predator 2, but at a far slower pace nowadays. Some mods will receive the occasional update and sometimes someone will drop a new mod or map out of no where to the rejoice of many AvP2 fans.