Predator: Hunting Grounds in the Test
It had all looked so good: A strong, almost as if it were made for video games. A Studio that has the targeted Genre of the asymmetric Multiplayer games as well experience, such as with the Fan-friendly interaction with iconic Franchises. And an Engine that can be seen as “beyond reproach” means. But in the end, is Predator: Hunting Grounds , but only average, the game has become.
Yes, Predator: Hunting Grounds for Fans of the Alien hunter, a real Feast to be. In the dense, green jungle, you will jump as the all-powerful Yautja tops of the trees, makes a desperate Sacrifice to his feet, the fear you can see them on the thermal view of the helmet, literally, with a lot of tactical skill after the Fall, only to materialize them one after the other with gigantic spear to spear, with Plasma cannons is a quasi-atom, and to tear the last to relish the spine from the body. And if it goes wrong, you start the self-destruct countdown and turns, laughing, all in pink fog and ash, the can’t make fast enough. Always accompanied by a great atmospheric Sound, and accompanied by many respectful hat-Tippers to the Original Film from the 80s.
Sounds fantastic, right? The catch: Although all of this can happen and Fans are certainly one or the other sense of cause, so many of the weaknesses in the Game Design, on the Whole, for a maximum average total image. For example, because the “big picture” is actually very small: There are at Launch, just three Maps and thus missions, the genes are all extremely generic and no Highlights to offer. The mission of the soldiers ‘ goals basically every single Time to reach a certain part of the map to keep on a Computer or other object for a certain period of time the action button is pressed, and deer, then to the next waypoint. Here, one encounters again and again on NPC soldiers, which can be roughly in Heavies, Sniper and regular foot soldiers divided. Really dangerous for you to be a but never – you are much to poor to Protect, and simply stupid. But In truth, they must also be neither smart nor dangerous. After all, their actual function, as well as the missions, is in and of itself, is no other than you on the ducks, the Predators heave. He (or “she”; more on that later), it is, after all, that you must fear. At least in theory …
Learning by doing
The sad truth is that the green-blooded hunter, often killing much easier than it would be to him to be worthy. The Balancing was clear to his disadvantage. Already in terms of the learning curve: While the Gameplay as a soldier, to stay with his Ego-perspective, the common weapons and the waypoints almost inevitable Together (a negligently lost opportunity, the developer, to require from time to time, to divide the thing would make it so much more exciting) not surprisingly, quickly well of the Hand goes, the game as a Predator significantly more acclimatization. Him driving from the 3rd Person to simulate view – a good means to its superior perception and you will be mostly without specific Waypoints and other assistance have to do. Just because of the different, by the soldiers-selectable entry points in each map, it’s up to your Intuition and the good dealing with abilities of your prey track. And also the attack itself has to be well learned. You miscalculated the energy reserves and must therefore prematurely in its camouflage, or just jump in the middle purely in the four-member Team and tried in a haphazard melee of luck, you usually die faster than you can say “I ain’t got time to bleed.”. As powerful and dangerous as he should be, is the Predator in the game by no means. Too weak his attacks to be ineffective to be camouflage. In addition, the soldiers can leave at certain points on the Maps may be deceased team members to revive – what is just as unfair as it sounds.
It needs plenty of Exercise in order to disseminate as the Predator, fear and terror. The Problem: The only way to collect these experience, games against other gamers. While the rudimentary Tutorial explains you the control and the Movement is still quite good, the use of the arms much too short. Thus, encounters with “first-predators get” is often a somewhat unintentional Comedy. For example, if that’s buzzing like a Eichkatzerl to Crack a tree up and down (red markings for you show the possible paths, it will not automatically jump from tree to tree or along the climb – which always works perfectly), only to fall with his shoulder cannon into the Nothing shooting you in front of the feet.
You want to experience really thrilling duels, you have to get on a game field, which already has a lot of experience. Not only because everyone knows simply better, what to do – for example, as a soldier, with mud to RUB through the infrared camera of a Predator invisible (a nice Wink to the movie-the Original) – but also because the soldiers and the Predator can then take advantage of each already in the class and equipment system of the game, since you have unlocked the appropriate things.
The facts behind it: The soldiers offer four classes (assault, recon, scouts, and supporters), the Predator of three (fighter, scout, Berserker). There, they differ not only externally, but also in terms of their personal attributes, such as speed and health, as well as in terms of available equipment. While the differences in the Predator be honest, is negligible, should be mixed with a human Team. However, you can just is neither from the beginning, all classes of select, yet you have access to all the equipment, items or Perks you can choose, such as. So far, so known and good: leveling up makes Multiplayer Games in many ways make sense: Motivation, Matchmaking, etc. Here, in the case of Predator: Hunting Grounds but the Problem is that you may be numerous, sometimes involuntarily funny, and rarely, if ever, satisfactory Matches to work before some time everything starts to cool to be … if that long.
Until then, you will certainly already numerous Loot Boxes unlocked – Yes, there are. But chamber: No micro-transactions in sight. The contents of the boxes would be, but probably already much too boring. They include, without exception, optics Features for your weapons or characters. Both the soldiers as well as the Predator can you many ways to customize. In the case of the alien hunter not only gender, but also the armor, skin, or Predlocks (PREDator DreadLOCKS … do you understand? Gorgeous.) in shape and color may vary.
You’re one ugly motherfucker!
For the technical side of it All, the developers decided for the Unreal Engine in the latest Version. What can go wrong? Some how shows. Not only looks Predator: Hunting Grounds from the beginning to the end of the little impressive from (Levels, character models, textures … you name it), it has also from time to time with Pop-Ups and frame rate Drops to fight. Also in the kolission query, there was, at least for a time, annoying problems (leaves deflected the shots with the shoulder cannon).
What was messed up with the graphics, but the ladies and gentlemen of Illfonic from America, with the Sound up: is absolutely “on point”. Especially the sound effects of the Predator a perfect fit and the ultimate in “I’m in the movie mood” of advent. From the sound of sight, the Firing of the shoulder cannon to his bloodcurdling and through the Level as a whole hall scream, if it heals … everything fits.
To get a first-Hand in the enjoyment of the Predator Sounds a bit take: not surprisingly, the rush to the Play as a Predator is particularly large, the available seats are, but now three times as rare as the as a soldier. but The led just just after the Launch in the Matchmaking, that I had to wait half an hour to play a game as a Predator. As a soldier I was often several minutes before the menu screen waiting for a game. But this has been improved in the meantime something the developers made to quickly appropriate modifications in the Matchmaking, and reduced waiting times. As this develops further, if the gap between experienced and new players is deeper, but needs to show, of course, only the time. Now only remains to be hoped that the developers have a View of the fact that during a game a Match to get off with no consequences. It happens so often enough that it comes, instead of the planned 4 VS 1 pair of Matches with only three or two soldiers. If one gets out of it, as soon as he went to the ground, the people Team, as a rule, no Chance.
Conclusion
Oh, how gladly would I now write, that the curse of the bad Predator Verso ftungen finally broken; that Predator: Hunting Grounds is a good game and a must buy for Fans. But I can’t. To puny, the scope, too bad the technology is half-baked, the Balancing. Yes, the game has its moments. Yes, and it made me fun to rush a little nervous through the jungle, because I definitely five seconds before “all” these characteristic shimmer in a treetop’ve seen. But in the end, the numerous Design errors and imperfections of the fun too often broken. Too bad.
What Predator: Hunting Grounds is? An asymmetric Multiplayer Shooter with Predator license.Platforms: PS4, PC
Tested on: PS4 Pro
Developer: Illfonic
Publisher: Sony
Release: 24. April 2020
Link: Official Website
