Developer Illfonic has released Predator: Hunting Grounds for the PC and PlayStation 4, a 4-vs-1 asymmetric PvP experience that puts one player in control of the most dangerous hunter in the galaxy, and four players as elite human mercenaries sent to complete various objectives in tropical settings. In this world, humans are aware of Predators as a species, but do not expect to find themselves as prey. With a ton of customization options for both Predator and human, Predator: Hunting Grounds is an excellent addition that goes beyond normal shooters.

Become The Ultimate Hunter

Via: predator.illfonic.com/

As the title suggests, the Predator is the star of this rodeo, and the hunting grounds are where four human mercenaries enter and attempt to complete their objectives as quickly as possible before they are torn to shreds and have their spines and skull ripped from their bodies as trophies.

In terms of fan service and sticking to decades of source material, Illfonic does a wonderful job. There are three distinct classes to choose from, with the Hunter who is balanced in stats, the Scout who is agile and lightly armored, and the Berserker who is a walking tank with massive melee damage at the cost of speed and stamina.

Screenshot

Weapons and gear for the Predator boast all the classics and some new ones. Players can wield in their primary weapon slow an Elder Sword, Net Gun, Hand-Held Plasma Caster (in addition to the default shoulder cannon), Smart Discs, War Club, Yautja Bow, or Combistick. For gear, the strategic hunter can shine with a healing kit, audio decoy, bear trap, and a motion detector.

The Elite Fireteam

The humans that make up the elite mercenary Fireteam are no pushovers. Players choose from one of four classes with Assault, Recon, Scout, and Support, and like the Predator, have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Screenshot

In terms of gear, human players have a broad range of options, like assault and sniper rifles, handguns, shotguns, submachine guns, and several niche weapons like, a grenade launchers and minigun. Humans also have perks to personalize the experience.

It is important to note that all gear is gated behind player level, which is increased by playing the game. The higher one progresses in level, the more classes, weapons, gear, and perks become available.

Different Roles And Different Goals

Whether one plays the Predator or a human, both are aware of the other, but cannot solely focus on engaging in some brutal jungle fight. This is because every match is treated like a self-contained story in which the Fireteam needs to drop into a jungle map and complete a dynamic set of objectives that change from game to game. Often, the beats are all there, which is to find something or someone at a base, and then head somewhere to else for intel, to kill, or to blow something up. Once these objectives are all finished, a chopper is sent in for extraction.

Via: predator.illfonic.com/

The Predator, meanwhile, is there to hunt the Fireteam, all while they are, in theory, unaware of its presence. This means that the Predator gets right to tracking the Fireteam, who are bolting across the map to complete their various objectives.

This lack of crossover is key because the players controlling the Fireteam are fully aware of a Predator somewhere in the jungle wanting to rip them apart, but needs to put that aside and complete their other objectives as quickly as possible. The result is that playing as a member of the Fireteam is doubly enjoyable. While there is plenty to do in terms of objectives, the surprise of a Predator arriving for a bigger battle is one that is easy to lose in an instant if not careful.

RELATED: How To Customize Your Fireteam In Predator: Hunting Grounds

AI Humans Add A Sense Of Chaos & Urgency

Via: predator.illfonic.com/

The AI humans found in the jungle are an interesting addition to the game. On the one hand, they are disproportionately weak compared to the players, as they drop with a single well-placed headshot from almost any weapon, or a few to the body. However, if left unchecked to gather in numbers, can post a significant risk with the firepower they can bring down on a party.

All of this adds a sense of action and urgency to the game. Players know that the Predator is around, but it’s difficult to focus on that massive alien threat when a literal gang of well-armed fighters have arrived to deal with the Fireteam. The AI may not be very smart, but they’re not to be ignored or underestimated.

Cross Play Enabled

The automatic day one inclusion of PC and PS4 crossplay is a nice touch. It is great seeing players diving into the action together, though it does feel like I was at a major advantage over my console companions in an FPS with my keyboard and mouse. There is no aim assist to speak of, which is fine for the AI humans, but difficult for the Predator who moves much faster and in unpredictable ways.

No Experience For Killing The Predator

One critique is that often a Predator will get in over their head and die before the Fireteam completes their final objective. In these cases, they would initiate a self-destruct, and the players need to get out of dodge to survive the blast. All too often, the summary page would then list objective experience as zero, despite the Fireteam doing their best and ultimately killing their opponent before being able to finish. It would be great to see this changed, since the assumption is that with the predator out of the way, the Fireteam would be able to wrap up their objectives.

Via: youtube.com (SyNc Lazer)

RELATED: Predator: Hunting Grounds Field Locker Guide

Get To The Choppa!

Overall, Predator: Hunting Grounds delivers on its premise and is a fantastic game. There are certain issues that should be addressed, but they do not overshadow the great-looking graphics, intuitive gameplay, and overall great job done by Illfonic. This one is an absolute buy.

A PC copy of Predator: Hunting Grounds was purchased by TheGamer for this review. Predator: Hunting Grounds is available now for PC and PlayStation 4.

PredatorHuntingGroundsTagPage
Predator: Hunting Grounds

Predator: Hunting Grounds ia a shooter that can be played in both first and third person. Similar to other hunter-survival games, it is online, and features four players aiming to take down a player-controlled Predator in a jungle setting.

NEXT: Resident Evil 3: 5 Characters The DLC Should Follow