Well, I finally saw the movie the other day, and figured that I’m finally in a place where I *can* efficiently play this game and appreciate it for what it is.
Photo of Predator that was included in the game download.
The story is based on that of the movie; a group of soldiers were lost somewhere around the Columbian coasts, and you’ve been sent in to find them. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to everyone, something other than guerrilla soldiers lurk in the forest. That’s right; ALIENS! Aliens with bombs and lasers and night vision and invisibility.
Trying to change the setting (I play with WSAD controls and the like), the game gave me the gift of a headache; every time I input a new key, the game spat out a really high pitched chime. I don’t know what possessed Wes DesJardins to use such terribly painful sound effects for the MENU. Maybe he’s deaf.
Starting the game, you’re in a forest scene, armed only with a knife. The knife however, when you attack, makes the sound originally used for collecting treasure from the original game. I hardly think that this is the sort of sound a knife should be making. Maybe he is deaf. To enforce this theory, the use key sounds like I’m collecting ammo.
Collecting the gun, you’re finally confronted with an original sound. While not actually the sound of arming yourself with a pistol, listening to Arnold Schwarzenegger (the lead actor in the movie Predator) talk is a nice addition.
Even though their meant to be guerrilla soldiers, they weren’t very soldier-y. I just walked through them all; killing each with one shot. None responded even if I shot right near them, and it made the first level especially easy to pass through. Luckily, by the second level, things are better and harder. The ambient sounds, of people screaming and the Predator killing (and eating?) them, make for an eerie setting, and really affect the mood.
I laughed when I finished the second level and actually paid attention to the end level screen:
“Oh damn, I don’t have a suitable picture for the end level screen. I know, I’LL USE A PHOTO OF MY CAT!” Brilliance. Also, obviously the man didn’t test it, or if he did, he didn’t try to fix the layout of the stats. Why is the percentage sign overlapping to the other side of the screen?
While we’re focussed on the screenshot, I’ll take this moment to point out that the status bar is rather ugly. It’s good that in an older game he strived to change most things, but a solid blue bar doesn’t really suit the game itself.
After a short while though, I got to see what I’d been waiting for; one of the predators.
Nice and dull, it was perfect for the capabilities of the day. It even used a projectile weapon, which is awesome. The enemy himself was a bit weak which was a shame, but it gave me a good feeling to actually see one instead of all the soldiers. The way they move indicates they were obviously modelled from a boss, which I guess is the only way to actually work them. The initial maps were a bit mazy and windy, but when later on, we get thrown into an office building type thing, I’m completely confused. I don’t remember there being anything other than forest and a helicopter in the movies. But I guess when it’s a game, you have to bend the rules a little to keep it interesting.
It’s an interesting game and while not being the sexiest when it comes to graphics, it still does an alright job at representing the Predator movie. It’s one of the few games that make the conversion.
