We look at what's new from the makers of Friday the 13th The Game for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. This is the return to video games of the most famous predator in cinema.
Action games, shooters, beat em ups … During the last decades, Predator has starred in games of all kinds with more or less success, although, due to the poor reception of the latest releases, we had a whopping ten years without seeing him in action, except in cameos that he has made in sagas like Mortal Kombat. Now, thanks to Illfonic, it returns with a new proposal that, unfortunately, remains at half gas at least at launch. But, let us start at the beginning.
Predator: Hunting Grounds is an asymmetric multiplayer shooter, that is, a game that proposes us to play 4 vs 1 games on the skin, either from a military squad, or from the predator. As expected, playing on one side or the other completely changes both the objectives to be met and the gameplay during the action.
If we choose the military squad, we become part of a group of up to four soldiers. As in any other shooter, we have a series of weapons and abilities from which we can choose to equip ourselves with what best suits the class we have selected: assault, reconnaissance, scout or support. It should be noted that some of the weapons are inspired by the arsenal that we can see in Predator films such as the Minigun. More original are the accessories that we can use to personalize the appearance of our character: from caps and glasses to somewhat striking costumes. It should be explained here that both these accessories and those available for predator customization can be obtained free of charge by playing. With each game, a certain amount of the game currency is accumulated, so it is not necessary to go through the box to obtain them.
Once on the battlefield, chosen randomly among the three maps that exist, we have to carry out a mission, made up of different objectives, and escape. At this point, it should be noted that, on paper, the variety of missions and objectives is extensive, although, during the game, they can get to be repeated a lot, since it is mostly about killing a specific character, getting certain objects such as bundles of bills or data, and destroying devices such as computers or satellite dishes. In the end, whether a game is more or less interesting and fun depends largely on the player who steps into Predator.
Like soldiers, the predator has a certain arsenal, classes, and abilities, except that, in the case of weaponry, as in the movies, it is made up of rather futuristic alien technology. Thus, we have from the famous laser cannon on the shoulder to smart disks, among other types of weapons. For its part, the customization of the Predator is similar to that of the military squad, since you can also choose its gender, between male and female, as well as its appearance, changing, for example, the color of the skin, hair and of the armor.
On the battlefield, the only goal we have if we control the lethal predator is to hunt down the other players and take them down. For this mission, we have a series of extra features: on the one hand, the possibility of climbing trees and becoming practically invisible to be able to advance faster, going unnoticed, and, on the other hand, a special filter that allows us to appreciate the temperature body, as seen in the movies. If the above was not enough, we can also make use of an option that isolates the target to locate it at the moment, since it appears surrounded by a kind of red circle.
As we said before, whether a game is more or less interesting depends largely on the performance of the player who plays Predator, since everything can end when it comes into action. In other words, regardless of whether the players are currently dying, soldiers or aliens, the game ends right there. The biggest problem with this is if the predator appears early, because everything can end soon after the game begins, which can make us desperate if we take into account that you have to wait two to four minutes to play one. However, we must highlight the work that Illfonic has done in terms of the balance of the predator's life and the ability to harm it.
In our impressions of Predator: Hunting Grounds, we noted that it was virtually impossible to kill the predator unless it acted awkwardly or the squad coordinated to kill it. Now, it is much easier, although, again, if there is a lack of coordination or manages to finish off the soldiers one by one because they are very distant from each other, it is easy for the player who controls Predator to win, since in a 1 vs 1 match it continues to win easily, as expected as it is an alien hunter and with superior characteristics.
One aspect that has not been retouched and that is even more visible now than in the open beta is AI. Both his life and his intelligence are ridiculous. Practically, we can face a large number of AI-controlled characters alone and get out of the situation, because, in addition to having little life, they are not smart at all. We have met characters that when we were in front of them did not react or that they went up and down stairs without further ado, making completing the mission easy, in the absence of the predatory player appearing.
Returning to the similarities of Predator: Hunting Grounds with the films that make up the science fiction saga in which it is inspired, the setting is noteworthy too, because, although the quality of the graphics leaves something to be desired, at least on consoles , the designs of the different locations are very successful and easily transfer us to the tapes. Something that finishes off the soundtrack, which includes the famous song from this series of films and that from the first minute gets into our heads to not stop humming it.
CONCLUSION
Despite the good setting, how rewarding it is to get into the skin of the alien hunter and the rest of the benefits, the proposal of Predator Hunting Grounds remains half. The fun that games bring either from one side or the other disappears over time because there is nothing else to play beyond the 4 vs 1 game mode. This can be somewhat avoided by playing with acquaintances, But, in the end, the desire to play disappears sooner rather than later, because, in addition, the time it takes for the game to pair with other players is still considerable, although the studio is already working on ways to improve it.
THE BEST
- The setting, easily reminiscent of Predator movies.
- Feel like real hunters in the skin of the alien.
- It is an especially fun experience for fans of the predator.
WORST
- More game modes and content are missing, such as more maps.
- AI is very clumsy.
- Pairing time is excessive.
- There are more complete proposals within the genre.
Right
It is not the latest or most original, nor does it have the best execution, but it can be fun if you like the genre. Good, but upgradeable.
