Predator: Hunting Grounds Beta Review Part 1
The beta for Illfonic’s Predator: Hunting grounds has come and gone. I played it, so did others, and it seems the results have been somewhat mixed. Some users praising the beta saying they had an absolute blast and others calling it an absolute train wreck. I personally enjoyed it greatly, but it certainly wasn’t without its problems. Which is understandable for a beta. The concept is perfect for a Predator game. You play as The Predator and you hunt down a team of four military operatives on a mission, a simple and straightforward objective for the Hunter. As the Fire Team; you need to complete your objectives and escape before you either get killed by the AI or become a trophy for The Predator. Kills (both AI and Enemy Player) net you XP to level up and unlock new weapons, equipment and accessories for both Predator and your chosen Fire Team Operative as well as In-Game currency called Veritanium to spend on said upgrades and loot boxes.
Overview:
As The Predator you parkour (named Predkour in game, made me giggle) smoothly through the trees and track down your quarry via your thermal vision in your mask, decide on how to dispatch said quarry and execute. Careful planning and target selection is needed however, as the team of four can manage to to bring you down if you’re sloppy. As of the beta you can’t unlock and use all of the weaponry/armour and gadgets the Predator has, but enough for the hunt to not get stale and your Predator to have a (mostly) unique look as the majority of masks, skin shades etc are sadly not yet available. Currently there is only one Class of Predator to play as, The Hunter. Berserker and Scout class will be available on launch. Keep an eye on that energy gauge as well, thermal vision, plasma shots and stealth mode all deplete it, so don’t do too much at once.
The Fire Team is standard Call of Duty fare. Equip two guns, perks for certain benefits and equipment such as health kits, ammo bags and grenades, level up your weapons to unlock nifty skins, sights and extra ammunition, as well as more powerful weapons to utilise against your unseen adversary in the trees, such as the Minigun and Grenade Launcher. Accessory wise there’s a decent amount to choose from including different hats, masks, sun glasses and varying colours and camouflage to play with. As for objectives in game, your team is usually tasked with destroying a satellite uplink, stealing USB drives or sensitive data, nothing too long winded or complicated. Go to Point A, shoot enemies and collect/destroy X, go to Point B, shoot enemies and collect/destroy Y. Not ground-breaking but keeps things moving at a brisk pace.
Both modes of play are as fun as the other. Naturally if you’re able to group some friends together and play as the Fire Team you will have the most fun in that particular mode, however remember headsets! Your co-ordination as a team is key to not only your objectives but avoiding having your skulls removed!
Continued in Part 2!
