Predator: hunting grounds is the game inspired by the best alien hunter of all time (also courtesy of Stranger) is finally coming to Xbox. The game released exclusively on PS4 years ago, receives a re-release at the height of the current generation.
Predator, a cursed video game franchise
Predator (Predator1987, John Mc Tiernan) is an action/science fiction film from the legendary 80s of the last century. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the spearhead of a great, very popular film that can today be considered truly cult. As expected, this served as the starting point for a cinematic saga that continues to this day. And as usual too, this saga has landed in video games, but with very little luck. Games inspired by the early films reached home computers and the classic NES in the 1980s with poor results.
The second part of the film also landed on personal computers, although it remained only on Sega consoles, also with very vulgar games. Predator: Concrete Jungle This is perhaps the game that many remember the most. Sure, because of how close it was in time to 2005 and because it came out on the original Xbox, but not because of its quality, which was a real shame.
Apart from numerous games on Android and mobile and even in VR, the most notable games inspired by these characters perhaps come from their crossovers with the saga. Stranger. In the last century, on the almost unknown Atari Jaguar, a Alien versus predator quite remarkable it blew away those of us who were already involved in this world.
But as we can see, until he arrives Predator: hunting grounds as a PS4 exclusive in 2020, the representation of this iconic character was truly disastrous.
Asymmetric multiplayer and more…
Predator: hunting grounds It is in the genre of asymmetric multiplayer games. Of course, these generally tend to be a bit flat and the objective is always the same: the confrontation of one against the other or of the others. In this game there is this option of direct confrontation between two teams with respawn, this is the Showdown mode. In it we will have teams composed of elite soldiers and a player, who can be Predator if we achieve certain objectives
But there is also Game mode: Hunting. In it, we reproduce almost identically what happened in the original 1987 film. We are an elite group whose objective is to eliminate an army, a ringleader, a drug network, a communications station, recover data… and so on, up to dozens of missions designed so that no two missions are exactly the same. It is true that all this serves as an excuse to move through a jungle, kill an AI-controlled enemy by completing certain objectives and for the Predator to have the opportunity to see and finish off the elite group. But to this is added the possibility of recovering Veritanium (a metal that will allow us to gain experience and unlock cosmetics). Please note, cosmetics do not require payment, and can be unlocked by playing and opening boxes at the end of each game.
Reinforcements, arsenals, mud boars and being a predator
Added to the above are some very interesting proposals. In Hunting mode, soldiers can die and be picked up by other companions, or the Predator can finish us off in a kind of Fatality already seen in the films, tearing off our spine and skull. In this case, as we progress in the mission we will have the possibility of requesting reinforcements, which amounts to a “resurrection” of companions. Interesting option that helps dead teammates not leave the game.
Another possibility in the game is to hide our caloric footprint from the sight of the predator, just like Dutch’s character did in the original film. We can coat ourselves in mud and thus make it much more difficult to detect the alien. Be careful because the barrier will disappear over time and it will also not be able to hide us if our player is running non-stop and his body temperature is high.
Another nod to the film is the possibility of killing wild boars in the jungle that will make us regain our lives, search in arsenals to recover ammunition or obtain weapons other than those we carry.
One of the great attractions of the game is undoubtedly playing as the mythical hunter. Becoming a Predator involves using your thermal vision, camouflage suit, and high-tech weapons. A real joy to do “parkour” by jumping between trees and hiding in the branches. We will need to manage both the effort and energy usage involved in concealment and the use of thermal vision. Although it costs a little more at first, it is worth becoming a hunter.
Chart
Graphically, the game is of a good level. It is true that it cannot be compared to a triple AAA but this adaptation compared to the last generation has undergone notable improvements. Currently over 60 FPS is achieved and 4k resolution is achieved on Xbox Series
The scenarios, always of the jungle type, present a certain level of detail even if they also suffer from Jump
The designs of the characters and their editor are quite simple and don’t allow for too many editing possibilities. Of course, in exchange they give us a huge amount of cosmetics to unlock to customize our character. The Predator designs include the different creatures from the cinematic saga, yes, some of them are paid, unless you buy some of the more complete editions. Likewise, they also seem to have devoted special effort to our beloved alien hunter since their designs are particularly precise and high quality.
Sound and music also licensed
The use of the original special effects from the films gives a truly fantastic touch to the whole thing and makes the most of the license. Added to this is the main theme that Alan Silvestri composed for the original film, which will also be played in the game.although with a somewhat different tempo and instrumentation. It is curious that the visual effect of the predator’s cry when he wins/loses or claims a trophy (kills soldiers) is not used in the game. It is a bit strange to see how he makes the gesture of said cry without making the slightest noise.
Gameplay and gunplay
Regarding the gameplay, we are talking about a shooter. And while it is true that we cannot compare him to any of his older brothers as they are Call of Duty, Battleground o Far from it It must be recognized that the shooting and gunplay system is of a good level. We will observe that the mobility of the characters pales in comparison to other games if we opt for elite command, since we can barely run, crouch, climb and slide slightly. But that’s because the truly agile player must be the Predator, whose adaptation of the film’s movement was truly exceptional: parkour, gigantic jumps…
To compensate for this difference from the creature, we can equip our soldier with up to three skills specials that can increase our experience received at the end of each game or improve certain aspects (more damage on the Predator, more damage from a certain weapon, more health…).
Another relevant aspect is the different ways to complete the game. We can escape by helicopter, die at the hands of the predator or finish it off. It can even activate its self-destruct mechanism if defeated and kill everyone, or, if we manage to reproduce the combination of symbols, stop its countdown and obtain the body of the alien for study. Added to all this is the possibility of completing an additional mission objective to complete the game and thus gain more experience.
Certainly a wide variety of options that extend the lifespan of this type of asymmetrical multiplayer games whose biggest weakness is always repeating the same game mechanics over and over again. Of course, we are still missing a certain form of story, even if it is brief, like that used for example in the asymmetrical story inspired by Evil death.
Conclusions Predator: Hunting Grounds
In conclusion, we can say that Predator: hunting grounds This is an excellent shooter with a variety of possibilities within the games. Fans of the saga and the original 1987 film will be the ones who will get the most benefit and enjoyment from it. However, all fans of shooters and multiplayer will find this experience highly recommended and fun. It is true that there are certain aspects to be refined, such as a greater variety of scenarios in the saga. We also experienced a few crashes that took us out of the game, as well as a single “crash” in several hours of play, but the game is receiving updates to polish all aspects.
Yes, we can say without fear of any doubt that We are facing the best game based on the figure of the Predator and we are facing an excellent adaptation of a film to the world of video games. Scenes, music, characters and situations from the film are reproduced, and something very important, the same feeling of bewilderment and fear of Dutch and his team in the film. This is why Predator: Hunting Grounds deserves the title of being one of the most faithful movie-based video games and the developer’s love and efforts can be seen Illfonic to which we thank the code provided for this analysis.
Pro.
- True to a much-loved franchise
- More varied gameplay than other asymmetrical games
Contra.
- Some tutorial instructions are in English and some are in Spanish
- Some accidents
I exterminate aliens. Gamer and movie buff
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