Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The core of Predator’s gameplay revolves around classic side-scrolling platform action. You begin each level unarmed, forcing you to explore every nook and cranny in search of firearms and explosives. This “start-naked” approach adds an extra layer of tension, as early enemies like scorpions and enemy soldiers can quickly overwhelm you before you’ve collected sufficient firepower. As you progress, your arsenal grows to include pistols, rifles, and grenades, giving you the tools needed to tackle more formidable foes.

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Level design in Predator is straightforward but challenging. Each stage is filled with hazards such as bottomless pits, swinging logs, and trip wires that require precise timing and careful observation. Enemy placements are often predictable—scorpions crawling along the ground, soldiers emerging from behind foliage—but this predictability is used to ramp up the difficulty rather than become a source of frustration. Boss encounters with the Predator itself demand pattern recognition and quick reflexes, as you’ll need to dodge energy blasts and close the distance to land critical hits.

Controls are responsive for the most part, with your character able to run, jump, crouch, and fire in multiple directions. However, certain jumps—especially those over narrow platforms or across moving obstacles—can feel tight, leading to occasional trial-and-error deaths. Weapon switching is instantaneous via a simple button press, which helps maintain the game’s brisk pace. While some players may find the difficulty spikes a little steep, fans of old-school platformers will appreciate the balance between exploration, combat, and platform challenges.

Graphics

Visually, Predator adopts a muted, jungle-themed palette that evokes the dense, hostile environment of the original film. Backgrounds feature scrolling palm trees, rocky outcroppings, and the occasional abandoned fallen chopper, helping to set the scene for your one-man mission. While the color choices can feel a bit drab at times, the overall art style is coherent and functional, ensuring that enemies and hazards stand out against the backdrop.

Sprite work is serviceable, with fleshed-out character designs that nod to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s likeness and the Predator’s iconic helmet. Enemy soldier sprites sport differing uniforms to indicate increasing difficulty, and the scorpions scuttle across the screen with enough animation frames to feel alive. The Predator boss sprite is particularly imposing—complete with its shoulder-mounted plasma cannon and distinctive mask—though its cloaking effect is represented by simple flicker rather than a smooth transparency, a limitation of the hardware.

Special effects like explosions, muzzle flashes, and the Predator’s energy blasts are punchy and well-timed, providing satisfying visual feedback when you land a hit. Level transitions are accompanied by brief animated cutscenes, such as parachute drops or helicopter flybys, which add cinematic flair without overstaying their welcome. Though not a graphical powerhouse by modern standards, Predator’s visuals remain clear, functional, and thematically on point.

Story

Predator’s narrative departs significantly from the film’s plot. You take on the role of a lone commando whose teammates have mysteriously perished before the game begins. From the outset, you’re thrown into a hostile jungle environment filled with scorpions, enemy soldiers, and deadly traps. The game offers minimal exposition, relying on brief text screens between levels to fill in the gaps: you’re hunting—or being hunted by—the ultimate alien warrior.

While the story isn’t particularly deep, it does serve as a straightforward motivation for your character’s journey. Each level ends with a tease of facing the Predator itself, building anticipation through audio-visual hints like distant laughter, glowing eyes in the foliage, or sudden cloaking sequences. Boss battles against the Predator reinforce the notion that you’re up against a nearly invincible foe, and the sparse storytelling leaves room for the action to take center stage.

For fans of the movie, the game’s loose narrative connection may feel like a missed opportunity to recreate iconic moments such as the jungle ambushes or the final showdown in the jungle clearing. Instead, Predator opts for an original storyline that uses familiar elements—jungle setting, alien hunter, trapped soldier—to craft a reasonably cohesive adventure. Though it lacks cinematic depth, the narrative’s simplicity keeps the focus on fast-paced gameplay and occasional tense standoffs with the Predator.

Overall Experience

Predator delivers a solid, old-school platforming experience that captures the spirit of the film’s hunt-and-hunt dynamic, even if it sacrifices narrative fidelity. The balance between exploration, resource gathering, and combat ensures that players remain engaged throughout the game’s modest length. Difficulty ramps up steadily, with each new stage introducing tougher enemies and trickier platform sections that demand both reflexes and strategy.

Sound design plays a supporting role in building atmosphere—gunfire sounds are punchy, enemy shrieks are suitably menacing, and the Predator’s distinctive clicks and roars signal danger. Music tracks are brief but memorable, using percussion and synth elements to heighten tension and drive momentum. These audio cues, combined with the game’s visuals, effectively convey the lurking threat of an invisible hunter stalking you from the shadows.

While Predator may not reinvent the side-scrolling platformer genre, it offers a challenging, thematically consistent experience that will appeal to retro enthusiasts and fans of the franchise alike. Its straightforward level progression, key weapon pickups, and repeated Predator showdowns create a satisfying loop of anticipation and payoff. If you’re seeking a throwback action-platformer with a dose of ’80s sci-fi flavor, Predator remains a worthy addition to your collection.

Retro Replay Score

6.3/10