Predator: Concrete Jungle
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| Predator: Concrete Jungle | |
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| Developer(s) | Eurocom |
| Publisher(s) | Vivendi Universal Games, Sierra Entertainment, Fox Interactive |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Release date |  April 15, 2005 April 26, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: M (Mature) PEGI: 18+ OFLC: MA15+ |
| Media | 1 DVD |
| Input methods | Gamepad |
Predator: Concrete Jungle is a third-person action-adventure video game. In the game, the player takes on the role of a disgraced Predator known as Scarface. The Predator must regain his honour by killing the humans who have stolen the Predator technology that he had left behind 100 years ago. Predator: Concrete Jungle is also the name of a series of Dark Horse Comics.
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[edit] Plot
The year is 1930 in New Way City and there is a rumour going around of a monster - the "New Way Devil". A Predator is in town, looking for fame and glory by killing gangster boss Bruno Borgia. After stalking Bruno through the streets of the city, the Predator slays him in the museum. The Predator then finds Bruno's wife Isabella and their newborn baby son named Hunter. The woman shoots the Predator in the eye, spraying her and the baby in Predator blood. Now with only one eye, "Scarface" then tries to escape in a hurry, leaving its equipment behind which is later exploited by the humans. It runs through the city, now ravaged by riots against the police, trying to get back to its ship but an explosion leaves it incapacitated. Thinking that it would die, it sets off the ship's self-destruction device but fails to kill itself. Now with its race exposed, it is exiled onto a planet inhabited with deadly alien creatures.
Now 100 years later, the Predator clan that exiled it has come back to offer a chance of redemption for Scarface, because the humans have worked out how to use the Predator technology and the Predators are being slaughtered. The users of the technology - rival gang factions like the mafia, the Jamaican Serviteurs and the Matadores - exploit it to destroy their enemies. Ultimately, however, every faction pays tribute to Lucretia Borgia, the ruthless daughter of Hunter, who is the son of Bruno. The game occasionally switches between past and present, revisiting Scarface's battle against Bruno 100 years prior.
At the end, it is revealed that the computer that controls the city along with Hunter, MOTHER, is in fact Isabella, kept alive all these years by the Predators blood. Then, it is discovered that Hunter has gone through massive genetic augmentation, and has become a grotesqe hybrid of human and Predator. The game ends with an intense final battle between Scarface and Hunter, which Scarface wins, and he claims Hunters head as a trophy. A Predator ship then appears, and it is left unclear what they do with their disgraced comrade (it is implied that they took him back to the homeworld).
The game makes several attempts to tie up loose ends between the Alien, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator movies. A conversation between Lucretia and Hunter reveals that he knew Charles Bishop Weyland "before he disappeared"; Weyland was portrayed in Alien vs. Predator, being killed by a Predator. Also referenced in this conversation is the Yutani Corporation (who supposedly co-founded Weyland-Yutani corporations with Weyland, this is tied up convincingly) and MOTHER, the AI in the Nostromo in Alien. Several various other links and references are made throughout the game. A appearance of the Aliens is also made within the game.
[edit] Bonus Missions
Predator: Concrete Jungle has many bonus missions to complete. The player can earn rewards if they are completed. The player can earn costumes (playable Predators), weapons or other bonuses such as increased health and energy.
[edit] Weapons
Different weapons and basic upgrades can be found in the various levels throughout the game. The second upgrade is Ritual Upgrade, with weapons made out of bones, relics, et cetera. The third, final and most powerful upgrade is the Clan Upgrade which makes the player's weapons extremely powerful.
The weapons come in two categories: melee and ranged. Many weapons have featured in the films featuring Predators, although some are not. The melee weapons include the wristblades, the glaive, the combistick and the maul; each of these, bar the maul and glaive, have featured in the movies. The ranged weapons include the smart disc and the plasma caster, which have both appeared in the movies, and also the speargun, which was used once in Predator 2. The Predator also carries various types of mines and bombs designed for use against its enemies.
In addition to weapons, the Predator has a set amount of gadgets which to aid it, including the medicomp, seen in the first two Predator movies and in Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, to heal its wounds, and vocal mimicry, designed to lure enemies away in first-person mode or give a terrifying roar in third person.
[edit] Reception
The game was generally poorly received by critics and gamers. The IGN review states "Predator: Concrete Jungle is a good idea gone bad", citing the game's poor controls and awkward gameplay as factors [1]. Similarly, the Gamespot review also panned the game, labeling it as having a weak storyline and bad graphics [2]. Other reviews were similar, citing the controls and gameplay as largely the most disappointing features. Not all reviews were negative, however; the MS X-Box review praised the gameplay and sound elements in particular and referred to the game as "a neat addition to the family of Predator Inspired games to appear" while acknowledging that only fans of the movies would really see the appeal [3].
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Predator: Concrete Jungle at Eurocom
- Predator: Concrete Jungle at MobyGames
- Predator: Concrete Jungle at Game Rankings
