Predator: Concrete Jungle

"Finally, a Predator game that really makes you a Predator."

I had my eye on this one ever since I saw the coverbox of the X-Box version... I wanted it. I'm a Predator fan... not a hardcore fan, but a fan. I liked the idea of how the Predator behaved... the way it had these cool gadgets. When I got the game... I played it... and people will tend to ask... was it worth it?

Predator Concrete Jungle is a mix bag. Some people will love it. Some won't. And its also gotten quite a few bad reviews, but I believe more Predator games will be spawned from this one. It has all the potential anyone could ask.

Lets start with the basics... PCJ is a third person shooter. Its a story of an unamed Predator who had been hunting in the year 1930, and was critically wounded, and tried to escape. In his haste, he dropped some of his things... and when he tried to blow his ship because he couldnt reach it, he miraculously survived, but due to the honor code of Predators, he was banished. 100 years later, he was called back, to hunt in Earth again, which is now flourishing with the alien technology that he had left behind. His mission? To work his way up to people using the technology (coincidentally, the crime dynasty) and teach them not to take whats not theirs.

PCJ features the Predator moslty on city levels. Its not as massive as nor as free roam as GTA, but its size per level is decent enough to explore. There are missions you have to complete, some are assasinations, protection of a certain individual, or using scientist to disable something through retinal scans. Then there bonus missions that would award you with bonuses, such as alternate costumes (three from previous Predator movies. P1, P2, and AvP), weapon upgrades, health and armor upgrades, and energy upgrades (which power some of your weapons and the cloak device).

Now, a predator wouldnt be one if it werent armed with an awesome array of deadly weapons, right? And you are... quite armed. In the first few levels, you got a combat stick, the shoulder cannon gun, spear gun (useful in sniping) and the wrist blades. You can also fight unarmed. And as you work you're way up, you get more weapons, like the Glaive, and Mauler... the smart Disc, and trap mines which both act as mines and grenades. I would have wanted a cutter net as well, but alas, its absent.

You're predator has also a first view mode... kind of like Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3... with a press of a button, you'll see the view through the predator's eyes... with the usual 3 dot aiming. You can zoom 4 times... with the maximum magnification of 8x. You can see quite far though.

Then there's the four modes of viewing. The Heat Signiture vision mode, Tech Vision mode, and the Neural vission mode. The last is the normal viewing mode. I wont discuss the uses of each view but I can tell you, each have their uses.

The Predator also has a voice mimicry. If anyone watched Predator movies, you'd know that the Predator can mimic speech and voices of humans. They'd lure people out of their positions, or enter places that use voice signiture. All these will help you in stalking, killing and do almost anything you like in the city levels.

Control is a bit of a problem. I find it too sensitive... the Predator runs quite fast, and sometimes, you mis-step and fall where you aren't supposed to... but I realized at the end why it was made like that... there are two levels in the game where you fight the Aliens... and you need the speed to run. But at some missions, it causes hassles. Maybe a little tweak or manual adjustment features could have solved this problem.

And of course, every third person games have this common problem. The camera... but I found a way to fix it. Its actually simple. Make it to manual. It'll take time to get used to, but its better than the auto, which eratically goes everywhere at one point, and suddenly blinds you in another.

The story is also a mix bag. You either understand it, or don't at all. Its not really focused on the story... everything about the game is being a action... Stalking, assasinating... being a Predator on the hunt.

The gameplay is difficult. It has no checkpoints... so if you fail a mission, you start all over. Quite annoying at some stealth missions where you shouldnt be spotted. And the extra Ritual Missions get quite annoying, but I say this... Predator Concerete Jungle is a learning game. You have to utulize the surroundings, your weapons, and you're cunning to get through.

Some begginers might find it a bit difficult, even at the Unlbooded Level... but once they get a the hang of it, it becomes fun. Seriously... the learning curve might be a bit steep, but once you're getting there, the magic of the game appears, and you're slowly going to love it. Everything about this game is being the Predator, and you're going to be convicned of that. The sound it makes... the specal effects... they are all Predator.

This game has its problems, and some of them might make some people not want it much, but if there is anything about this game is that it finally was able to get the Predator feeling correctly. No other game would do that... I think its actually better than AvP game for the PC. And its got nothing on Capcom's AvP which is actually Final Fight in disguise.

Rent or Buy? I always rent my games. And if I like it, I buy it. Those who seem to find difficutly, hang on there. Give this game a chance. It might turn you're heart over, like it did mines. This game probably deserves more than its being rated for, and its a shame, because the potential is there, and then some.

Now excuse me, I want to do the missions all over again. ^-^

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/10/05