The return of Arnold Schwarzenegger to the Predator universe has been a long-awaited prospect for fans and filmmakers alike. Since Predator 2‘s premiere in 1990, the possibility of his return has been a recurring theme. Two decades later, during the production of Predators, hopes were once again high for an appearance by Schwarzenegger at the film’s conclusion, but he ultimately declined. More recently, with Predator (2018), filmmakers again considered including the original Dutch in a cameo capacity at the film’s end, but scheduling conflicts prevented his involvement.
Therefore, the announcement that he had lent his voice and likeness to Predator – Hunting Grounds, a game which I consider to be somewhat underwhelming, was surprising. The prospect of learning more about Dutch’s experiences following the events of the original 1987 film was intriguing. Upon the DLC‘s release, I was eager to explore its content, hoping for a narrative-driven experience that the core Predator Hunting Grounds game lacked.
Upon downloading and launching the game with the DLC installed, the core experience remained unchanged. Locating the new content proved initially confusing. The cassette tapes featuring Dutch’s narration were found under the “Extras” menu. Listening to the tapes, however, did not trigger a story mode as hoped. The lack of clear integration was perplexing. Starting a standard game session did not present an option to play as either the Predator, a soldier, or Dutch. It was necessary to consult external resources to ascertain how to access the Dutch character. The video below illustrates the process, potentially saving viewers the search time I experienced.
With the Dutch character finally accessible, gameplay commenced. However, the level design and core mechanics remained identical to the base game. The only discernible difference was the character model and voiceover of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s likeness. This realization was disappointing, as the DLC ultimately amounts to a reskinned avatar with accompanying audio logs scattered throughout the existing levels. The absence of a dedicated story mode is a significant drawback. Furthermore, the potential for multiple instances of the Dutch character appearing in the same game session detracts from the overall immersion.
In conclusion, while a significant overhaul of the gaming experience may have been unrealistic for the DLC’s price point, the content provided fell short of expectations. The rating reflects this disappointment. Nevertheless, the hope remains that Schwarzenegger will eventually confront a Predator once more, ideally on the big screen.
