Predator is one of the best known and most popular film aliens. And actually gaming, especially thanks to the Aliens versus Predator series. Nevertheless, the players did not promise much from the news of Hunting Grounds. The first demos and beta indicated the low quality of the product, and the completed game only confirmed this. This does not mean that it did not bring a certain portion of entertainment, but that portion is too small.
So we can blame the game's biggest minus right at the beginning - very little content and in this case an inadequate amount when released. Huting Grounds contains a tutorial (for the predator only) and only three multiplayer maps in a single mode. This is the whole offer that players have to settle for (at least for now). You will surely admit that asking € 40 on the Epic Store for a complete game, but with a pre-access level, is quite daring and the Deluxe Edition does not bring anything so significant, which is why you should spend € 60 on it.
Another illness is the technical processing and instability of the game. It is visually acceptable, it can be seen and the map design is not the worst. It is always a forest where there is a complex of simple buildings and there usually you have to complete certain tasks - get data from a computer, steal or destroy drugs, find and defuse a bomb, destroy an important target. Physics also works well, for example, plants bend when you walk through them and burst effectively when you fire a dose there, because there is an invisible predator somewhere. It could work. Although the game crashes quite often, even in a teaching mission, it fell on me repeatedly in a certain place. In the menu of the game, when modifying the predator, the textures usually fell out and only a schematic skeleton remained. Add to that the fluctuations and unexpected drop-outs of shooting and other ailments that can make playing uncomfortable.
The complete opposite is audio. The creators used film melodies and sounds, which fans of the brand know very well, and it really benefits the overall atmosphere of the game. I admit that usually when I play after a short time I turn off the music completely or mute it significantly. I didn't do it at Hunting Grounds and I didn't get tired of it. The characteristic sounds of a predator also work well.
In the menu you can choose a quick entry into the game with a random selection of players or a private lobby, where you don't even have much to set up and you can choose at least a map. With a standard match search, you decide if you want to be one of the four Marines or a predator, or that you don't care. As a human, you have a chance to get into the game quickly, you will wait much longer for a predator, usually even 10 minutes. The Marine team has a short time to make the final adjustments before entering the area, and players can vote on which of the three points will be landed from the helicopter. Then they fly to the designated place, where the soldiers are helped by a minimap and navigation marks of tasks.
In addition to the dangerous predator, there are also armed AI opponents in the field, so the Marines shoot decently and it is quite nice to plunder enemy camps and eliminate patrols. Especially at the first contact, it is advisable to try to kill quietly, especially with a knife, because the enemies can trigger an alarm in designated places, and then numerous reinforcements will arise. And while you're shooting with them, opening gold crates, tapping on a laptop keyboard, or placing ammunition, an opponent will often appear as a predator. He is not the primary target of the Marines, but it is uncomfortable to have him almost always behind him. In addition, the predator is, of course, tempting prey, for which you will gain much more experience than for ordinary enemies, although with bonuses for shots to the head.
Marines have standard capabilities known from other action games. They communicate basic instructions via a circular menu, they can use warning signs or players simply speak through a microphone. Soldiers use an assault rifle or other primary weapon, as well as a knife, pistol or shotgun, grenades, medicine, they must charge and monitor the state of ammunition. Some of them are sometimes found in the area, along with additional items for extra experience and possibly a case for exchanging equipment. An interesting feature is natural camouflage, when you rub your face and hands with mud. Marines can revive each other, but if they are repeatedly neutralized, they definitely die. However, there is still the possibility to summon comrades back into the game if the survivor finds and uses the radio. The main goal of the Marines is to complete all tasks, summon a helicopter and then fly to safety. If they kill a predator in addition, it's a nice bonus.
Playing as a predator is, of course, diametrically different. He is a loner who uses his unique weapons and possibilities. Its goal is to kill the Marines and use their bodies as trophies. It is optimal when moving on trees, where it has branches marked with red lines, on which it is possible to move and jump without any problems and without the risk of falling. The basic equipment of the predator are retractable blades on the hand and a cannon on the shoulder with a well-known triangular sight, which, by the way, the creators in the game also used as an icon during recording. However, the range of weapons will gradually expand.
A predator standard is also a special visual mode, in which you see colorful surroundings and bright white marks of living organisms that radiate heat. They can be Marines, but also AI soldiers or beasts. In the game, you will sometimes come across wild boars or other forest inhabitants. This view helps the predator find its potential victims faster. And he will continuously use a scanner to show the landmark of marinades. They, of course, defend themselves and know how to hurt the predator badly, so that he then leaves behind characteristic light green traces of blood. It has an injection device for after-treatment and it will also grow well when used.
An excellent predator protection is the known invisibility, with which the predator is difficult to observe, especially when it is not moving. All weapons and abilities consume energy, which, however, quickly replenishes spontaneously when idle. On the other hand, with extreme use in a short time, a temporary uncontrollable state with energy overpressure occurs. It is not easy to kill a predator, but once that happens, it still catches its second breath and has a temporarily increased resistance. This moment can also be used for self-destruction. Yes, it's exactly the bomb that will leave a huge crater all around. If this happens, the Marines should be as far away from the detonation site as possible. After the explosion, the match ends regardless of whether the soldiers are alive and have fulfilled their tasks.
When it's all over, experiences count, player levels increase, and add-ons are unlocked. You will also receive lootboxes, in this case field boxes that contain mainly skins of characters and weapons. You can buy more for the game menu, which is also needed to unlock various equipment. Both the predator and the Marine.
While maps are few, the possibilities for customizing your characters are plentiful. Both the predator and the Marine, with whom you enter the game, are gradually unlocked by various professions, which, however, primarily determine such parameters as the value of health, stamina, speed and equipment capacity. With the player's levels, new equipment is unlocked, as well as perks. And when used in combat, the levels of weapons also grow and they can then be modified. For example, Marines can choose a sniper rifle and change sights, optics, increase magazine capacity, and add a silencer. You will definitely like to buy a disc, a metal spear, a pulling net and other advanced equipment for the predator. You can have up to three perks at a time and they can be changed between matches. The soldier will be helped by faster movement, more life or ammunition, bonus experience and later the choice is much richer. The predator will reduce energy consumption with perks, reveal the target at a higher distance, gain greater resistance to missiles and the like.
In addition to everything, you can customize the look itself, which is more of a cosmetic matter. For a Marine, this means a change of face, hairstyle, camouflage, a cap or helmet, a new uniform and the like. And the predator will change his mask or reveal his "handle", get more elegant armor, etc. It is on these details that you can happily spend the game menu.
When considering whether to embark on a review, I had similarly contradictory impressions and concerns as my colleague. I like this brand, so I wanted to try a new predator. But on the other hand, with fears that the game will be more of a hassle, because everything indicated that it would be bad. As it turned out, it is not so bad, but the problem is mainly in the unflattering technical condition and the acute lack of content. Indeed, it still only resembles an unfinished game in Early access, but with an outrageous price tag. The creators spent a lot of time editing the characters, and if they focused just as intensively on preparing maps and different modes, it could be a very good multiplayer action. But in the end it's a lot of money for little music and it's fake at times. It's a pity, more precision in development and a richer content would make Hunting Grounds a game that could end up much better.