Alien and Predator are two staples of the sci-fi horror genre, with their films being heralded as some of the must-watch examples of cinema. The two series have slowly made their way into video games with mixed results, but one franchise is clearly doing better than the other. Alien found success with Alien: Isolation, which perfectly combined the action and horror of the movies. Predator, however, has not had as much luck when it comes to its adaptations.
Predator movies focus on the alien species hunting down humans to test their metal. The Predator is better equipped and more powerful than its opponents. It uses its technology and skill to collect the skulls of those it kills, but it is usually defeated by the main hero in the end. Games that focus solely on the Predator usually allow the player to control the alien against humans, focusing on the action while ignoring the horror aspects -- and to mixed results. If the franchise is to get a new game, it will need to learn some lessons from Alien: Isolation.
One of the best parts of Alien: Isolation was the way the game treated the Xenomorph. The creature was a constant threat to the player, yet it didn't attack at every moment. The threat and fear came from the possibility that the Xeno could attack at any moment. This constant threat is well portrayed in the Predator movies, with the Predator stalking characters while making use of distractions and lures.
A Predator game should make use of this to create a tenser atmosphere. The player could be moving through the level and hear a strange voice that calls them forwards. As they slowly make their way forwards, perhaps they suddenly see something moving out of the corner of their eye.
For this to work, a Predator game would need to learn another lesson about crafting the environment. Alien: Isolation made use of the ship setting from the movies. The small corridors and strange noises not only kept the tension, but also fit with the environments fans of the films were familiar with. A Predator game needs to follow a similar concept, combining a lack of visibility with the varied avenues of attack that a jungle environment gives to the Predator.
Combat is one aspect where the Predator stands above its Xenomorph counterpart. One of Alien: Isolation's weaknesses was that confrontations with the alien usually had similar solutions. There were only so many ways the alien could both attack and be defeated. The Predator would offer more flexibility in terms of how it poses a threat and how it could be defeated.
Still, the lack of options did make the threat feel more pronounced -- after all, the Alien was unkillable. This is an avenue that a Predator game could follow, which would mean players would have to focus on escaping rather than just killing their opponent. Adding other enemies to try and keep players from getting away could help keep the game interesting. as well.
The Predator franchise lends itself to many different video game genres. The combat and gadgets allow players to feel powerful when in control of the Predator, but there is more to the movies than violence. Players battling against a force that is massively superior to them and finding creative solutions in the horror needs to be explored.