Predator has always been one of my favourite movie characters ever since I watched that first movie set in the Jungle back in the 90’s. What with many samples lifted from the movie and incorporated in a number of Drum and Bass or Jungle records (including some of my own released records) the film had created many fans to rival those that were heavily into the Alien series of movies. Since then a number of games have been made across the systems and I have played some of them, including the classic Aliens Verses Predator games on PC. These were first person affairs and somewhat different to what you would expect especially as AVP2 allowed players to experience a story from 3 different perspectives. Well its 2005 (wow doesn’t time fly) and an all new Predator game has been released for Xbox and PS2 whereby this time the main focus is on being a Predator, despite the recent movie which focused on Aliens verses Predator storylines.

Gaemplay:

Predator Concrete Jungle is an all out 3rd person action game where players get to assume the role of the awesome Predator character as seen in the movies and perhaps more akin to the Predator featured in the 2nd movie release where the action was taken into a living breathing city. This time the creators have opted to create their own storyline that fits into the Predator philosophy and spans 2 time zones. It seems that the character you control in this game had some problems in the 1930’s with gangsters and somewhat brought shame on the Predator clan by leaving evidence of their technology behind. Naturally your character was punished by the clan but rather than live in shame was sent to clean up the mess several years later, in a city where the humans have exploited the alien technology to create a metropolis unimagined by those in the past. Basically as the Predator you get to hunt your prey, take on the corporation that has developed the technology whilst remaining honourable and claiming the prized trophies of the city’s leaders (their skulls); a great day’s work for any would be Predator. The developers have done a pretty good job with their representation of a future city which is rife with crime lords, full of undesirables and of course uses the alien technology.

Starting the game, players can opt to find out all of the moves available by embarking on 3 training missions. These are a must if one is to become a true Predator, as they outline all of the nuances that make this game what it is. Movement is pretty self explanatory yet you will notice some rather cool jumping manoeuvres that you will be using quite often in the main game; the boost jump especially, as this allows you to jump very high to reach the roof tops of the city which allows you to drop down take out an enemy then retreat to the roof tops in an instant.

Combat comes in several forms and can be close quarters or ranged with a number of weapons that you will be familiar with from the movies including the spear gun, combi-stick, smart disk, wrist blades and of course the awesome plasma-caster. More weapons and upgrades can be found during the game as you complete objectives or bonus tasks or simply find them within the levels. What one has to bear in mind with the combat is that whilst the Predator is a tough customer indeed he is not invincible, especially when the enemies are wearing specially crafted armour or are up to the eyeballs in pain reducing illicit drugs and armed with technologically enhanced weapons. I think the developers did well in this respect as in reality not everyone can be Arnold or Danny Glover and the game would have been too easy if you could simply tear everyone apart with little consequence to your health. In close combat situations players can perform various moves and combos with standard attack and heavy attack button presses. With certain weapons players can also juggle enemies and throw them. What I really liked was using unarmed combat and being able to grab enemies by the head then carrying them around as they squirmed in my grip. This was awesome especially as I was then able to jump up to a high building and watch them squirm a little more before either slamming them into the ground or simply throwing them off the building to their doom!

As you would expect from this honourable hunter is the fact that Predator can perform stealth kills either ranged or up close. In effect you are truly able to stalk your prey and then rip them apart in a variety of ways. This aspect of the game is quite gruesome but also incredibly fun even after 100 times of ripping someone in half or crushing their head in your grip. The AI is reasonable where you can have some real fun messing with peoples minds as you scare them and watch them scream in terror as they either run or fall to their knees begging for mercy. Obviously the hardened gun toting enemies aren’t so wimpy but they still are generally no match for the awesome Predator if you handle the situations correctly.

The final part of training is set around the awesome Predator gadgets and it is here where one finally becomes the Predator. The cloaking device is featured in full effect and allows you to remain unseen from most people unless you are moving fast. The implementation of this was done really well in my opinion and when combined with the other abilities is top notch. There are also 3 visions modes on offer which include Thermal vision, Tech vision, and Brain Scan. These modes offer a very different look to the game world and are not just cosmetic effects lifted from the 2nd movie. Each vision mode will help you as you navigate the maps and with the tech vision will allow you to focus on electrical devices such as gun turrets and camera fields of view. This also highlights electrical devices on the map which are crucial for you to recharge your energy level which depletes when you use things like the Plasma-caster smart disk or cloaking device. With each mode you are able to target people and certain objects. You can then zoom in and scan them, whereby each vision mode will give you different information about the person or object. For example, a thermal scan on a gang member will relay information about what their state of health is like and whether they are wearing armour. A Tech Scan will highlight whether they are wearing a cloaking device and what weapons they are carrying; also outlining their current level of threat. A Brain Scan will highlight their mental state and also outline what type of gang member they are, whether they are low or high status in the gang hierarchy. Either way the implementation of the vision modes is rather cool and extremely useful for assessing a situation before deciding to wade in.

Predator also has more tricks up his sleeve which I was really surprised that the developers included this feature. Once locked onto an enemy, players can use voice mimicry to either spook people out or lure them into a quiet corner for a quick kill. There are plenty of phrases including some from the films such as “want some candy” (if you remember the small child in the park from the 2nd movie). This is an excellent feature and although not entirely necessary adds greatly to the overall Predator experience. What is more, during certain cut scenes Predator will mimic the people he is about to kill or just killed adding more movie nuances into the game.

Aside from all the gadgets and combat the game itself offers levels which range from linear streets to small sections of a city to roam about and then some interior locations. The missions usually require the player to perform specific objectives which range from taking out certain targets to generally hunting for things both electrical and human. There are some similarities to plat forming games but generally you are able to jump around at will rather than in restrictive environments. Mostly you are also able to do things in your own time, which is great and often allows you to digress a little from the main objectives. Sadly if you are expecting huge sprawling cityscapes as seen in games like Spiderman 2 or Grand Theft Auto 3 then I’m afraid you might feel a little disappointed. Think mini versions of these spread out over several levels.

Graphics:

This is where Predator Concrete Jungle begins to show some cracks, as the game simply does not look as good as it should do on Xbox. With the size of the levels being small (ish) the overall polish could have been much better overall. The character models for the pedestrians and enemies are pretty lacklustre and look extremely dated indeed. It seems that all the focus has been put into the Predator character model which although looks very impressive and uses some excellent animations doesn’t help the rest of the game. This is a shame because the game play is of a high standard but the looks simply let the game down considering how far graphics have come in games these days.

The camera can also be problematic in the default setting; however this is easily rectified by simply changing the option to manual in the game menu, where the camera can be controlled in a similar fashion as games like Splinter Cell. I found that I had little to no problems with the camera after I changed this option.

Sound:

Sound is very good and features all the effects that you come to expect from the predator, including the awesome Predator Roar (which you can do at any time) or the muffled tones of people speaking when viewing them using one of the vision modes. With un-lockable costumes available which feature other visors for our Predator it was cool to notice that some had their own sound effects. The clicking noises the Predator makes are also present and generally he sounds as he did in the movies.

The enemies have plenty of things to say including some adult rated lines which aren’t overused and fit in perfectly with the theme of the game. Its great to hear the uncertainty in their voices as you move among them cloaked and they are not sure if they’ve imagined you or not. The general voice acting is incredibly cliché but remains entertaining all the same.

The levels do have some ambience to them which is great and I found that switching the movie like music off was actually better for hearing the sounds of the city; it also made that Predator Roar more intimidating.

Longevity:

Predator isn’t the longest game out there and although offers three levels of difficulty wont take that long to beat on a first play. That said; there are a number of bonus objectives to find during missions and un-lockable costumes, upgrades and weapons to hunt down. With the option to replay any of the levels at any time and simply be the Predator, “Is” the replay value of the game. Some bonus platform mini games can be unlocked for those wishing to test their jumping skills and each of the regular missions can be done in a time attack if you so choose, considering the huge number of stats given after each mission. Fans of the movies will obviously spend more time with the game than non fans.

Overall:

Predator Concrete Jungle is a neat addition to the family of Predator Inspired games to appear but ultimately will only really appeal to fans of the movies. Sadly the graphics are what lets the game down and to non fans will appear to be a basic no frills run of the mill game. Some may simply not get into the character and wish for greater diversity with the levels on offer, which I suppose we could all wish for in perhaps a sequel. I personally feel that the developers have done a great job at recreating the essence and feel of being a Predator but that’s about it and perhaps should have focused more on other things that make a game great as well. The developers could have done a lot more with the game such as offer bigger more diverse environments and perhaps offered more free form game play at times; as well as giving the general look a little more polish. Predator Concrete Jungle is for Fans only in my opinion and if you are unsure then I suggest a rental. The game could have more substance but as it is I think it’s a cool game all the same. I suggest you knock off 2 points from the overall score if you’re not a true fan.