While the latest update did a lot of good it has done very little for me to show me what the real intent of the game is supposed to be. Fireteam missions feel faster than ever before and Predators, while having a good buff, feel pressed into the press. You can’t really kite the fireteam if kiting means allowing at least one member to hold a button. The most productive Predators I play against, and the best playstyle I can seem to adapt for myself, is immediate pressure. The moment the first missions gets momentum its really difficult for the predator to rebound; however, not all missions are created equal. The missions where practically everything is in the same compound are ridiculously easy for the fireteam to complete.
I was a massive fan of Evolve and the one thing that game had right was pacing: who controls the game? Certain hunter combinations would pressure the monster the entire time, or perhaps they’re more laid back and willing to bait or wait until stage 3. The monster could do the same: does it brawl at every stage and pressure the hunters or is it patient and playing up to attrition? Holy shit there were some exciting games if both teams were super aggressive! But also some of my most memorable fights were the slow, bitter fights where each team tested each other in every way possible.
Predator: Hunting Grounds has none of that. Fireteam has one singular purpose: do the mission as fast as possible. The Predator in kind has one purpose: interrupt that mission as fast as possible as to open opportunities for combat. So as long as the mission remains uninterrupted the fireteam controls the pace.
Ok so wait: you down a fireteam member so things slow down, right? It almost has to. But that’s not always the case. The number of times people slip by and hide until reinforcements come in are way too high. Even then if you manage to actually do some attrition you really can’t relax. Really took it on the chin and used your resources downing 3 fireteam members? Too bad, have to do it 4 more times now to get that sweet win.
I don’t know how to fix this. It just doesn’t feel right. This isn’t even an issue of which team is stronger. Its a general driving theme that provided if at least one team knows the actual priority they will most likely win regardless of the balance.