Predator, or Programmers' Prey?
Justin Reid
Issue date: 5/31/07 Section: Sci/Tech
If you saw any of the Predator movies, you probably remember Predator as a badass killing machine. I mean, the guy leaps out of nowhere to ambush a squad of Special Forces commandos. So if there was a video game where you actually got to wreak havoc as the Predator, that would be pretty cool, huh?
Unfortunately, the programmers of "Predator: Concrete Jungle" for the Xbox thought otherwise. The game takes all of the Predator's great weapons and makes them appear really, really lame. Your character swings his main weapon, his spear, around like he is not only drunk but blind as well. And despite its nasty-looking appearance, the game treats the spear like it's just a stick, so you end up whacking people more often then impaling them.
Even Predator's stealth mode has been taken down a notch: you can only remain in stealth mode for about two minutes before your power runs out. Obviously some of the developers were worried about people running around in stealth mode for whole levels. A reasonable worry, maybe, but the time limit seems absurd when you are surrounded by baddies and you have no idea how to progress to the next section of the level- which happens a lot.
The up side to the game is that you do get all the weapons and tools from the Predator movies, including a shoulder laser gun, claws, mines, and more. You can also perform some really gruesome "execution" moves by sneaking up on an enemy in stealth mode. Given the try-hard story and gameplay, however, you'll probably grow bored quickly.
I give "Predator: Concrete Jungle" two stars out of five, and wonder why someone bothered to make an Xbox 360 version of this game.
Unfortunately, the programmers of "Predator: Concrete Jungle" for the Xbox thought otherwise. The game takes all of the Predator's great weapons and makes them appear really, really lame. Your character swings his main weapon, his spear, around like he is not only drunk but blind as well. And despite its nasty-looking appearance, the game treats the spear like it's just a stick, so you end up whacking people more often then impaling them.
Even Predator's stealth mode has been taken down a notch: you can only remain in stealth mode for about two minutes before your power runs out. Obviously some of the developers were worried about people running around in stealth mode for whole levels. A reasonable worry, maybe, but the time limit seems absurd when you are surrounded by baddies and you have no idea how to progress to the next section of the level- which happens a lot.
The up side to the game is that you do get all the weapons and tools from the Predator movies, including a shoulder laser gun, claws, mines, and more. You can also perform some really gruesome "execution" moves by sneaking up on an enemy in stealth mode. Given the try-hard story and gameplay, however, you'll probably grow bored quickly.
I give "Predator: Concrete Jungle" two stars out of five, and wonder why someone bothered to make an Xbox 360 version of this game.
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