Coming as a Hulu original, Alien franchise has flourished in the video game industry.
However, there are still enough games to satisfy that itch to play as or against the Predators AKA Yautja Hunters after seeing Prey. They range from classic first-person shooters to games featuring the Predator as a guest character to forgotten sidescrollers; each one providing a very different Predator experience.
Predator (1987)
NES
Games based on movies for the original NES are rarely good and Predator is hardly an exception, but it does have some fun to experience. For example, the enemies are all different alien creatures that have little to no relation to the movie, but they all provide a tough challenge throughout.
Some NES games are notorious for their difficulty and Predator is no different, especially since one wrong move can reset the entire game by accident. The encounters with the Predator make for memorable boss fights as well, including one that is just a floating Predator head. It's fun enough to at least play with friends for a little while out of curiosity.
Capcom's Aliens Vs. Predator (1993)
SNES
Most tend to the first-person shooters, but the first Aliens Vs. Predator game was actually Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge will likely adjust to this AVP title easily.
Capcom's AVP took on the style of the Aliens Vs. Predator comics from Dark Horse, which explains the more colorful visuals. It had the addictive gameplay of Final Fight with all the brutality of a Predator movie to create an underrated game for the SNES.
Predator: Hunting Grounds (2020)
PC, PS4, & PS5
This asymmetrical multiplayer game in the same vein as Predator: Hunting Grounds into a much stronger game. Players can play as the Fireteam of elite soldiers that accomplish objectives while a fifth player stalks them as the Yautja Hunter.
Both sides have large learning curves but are satisfying to pull off, with plenty of cosmetics and upgrades to unlock. The lack of single-player content is a bit disappointing, but it does expand on the lore of the Predator universe by bringing back Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch, introducing female Yautja, and connecting events across the movies via audio logs.
Aliens Vs. Predator (1999)
PC
Thanks to games such as Aliens. The Xenomorph is all about stealth.
However, the Predator campaign is a highlight, forcing the player to use all of the Yautja Hunter's tools and abilities to fight humans, androids, and xenomorphs alike. Even though the series would only improve with subsequent entries, the first Aliens Vs. Predator remains a solid start to this new series.
Aliens Vs. Predator: Extinction (2003)
PlayStation 2 & Xbox
This is for anyone looking for a more strategic experience with the Alien and Predator franchises. Aliens Vs. Predator: Extinction StarCraft. It even has three races to choose from: Humans, Xenomorphs, and the Yautja Hunters.
Each race has its own campaign to play through, and the Yautja have a unique way of gathering resources. Through each kill, a unit gains Honor which can be used to summon more units or can be spent on upgrades. AVP: Extinction is one of the more underrated entries in the crossover series that more gamers should try.
Predator: Concrete Jungle (2005)
Where most Predator games stick to being a straightforward action experience, Predator: Concrete Jungle was one of the first attempts to delve into the Predator lore. It shows what happens when a Predator is dishonored and what he has to go through to regain his honor, and as suggested by the title, it embraces the city setting of Predator 2.
It's a third-person action game that can best be described as a Predator version of Assassin's Creed. The levels are large and force the player to plan out the hunt carefully while also adding plenty of action. The storyline gets a little ridiculous at times, but for a chance to play as a Predator with nearly every kind of weapon from the films, it's a lot of fun.
Aliens Vs. Predator 2 (2001)
PC
This sequel took what the first game did and improved upon it in nearly every aspect. The campaigns, especially the Marine, were all given more depth with an actual plot. Gameplay mechanics were all polished ever further with more weapons and abilities for all races.
The Predator campaign saw the biggest improvement with the Yautja playing much more smoothly than before. On top of that, AVP2 had online multiplayer that fans were dedicated to for many years with a multitude of aliens, marines, and Yautja to play as.
Mortal Kombat X (2015)
Though it is not a Predator game, this tenth main entry does feature some of the best guest characters in the Mortal Kombat XL edition, players have access to Predator with variations that change up his combat and design.
All three variations show a love for the Predator franchise with a plethora of iconic attacks, mannerisms, sound effects, and fatalities straight out of the movies. On top of that, the DLC gives a new skin for Jax voiced by Carl Weathers, and a playable Xenomorph to essentially create a quasi-Alien Vs. Predator game.
Aliens Vs. Predator (2010)
PC, Xbox 360, & PS3
After the two Alien Vs. Predator movies, Aliens Vs. Predator made a big comeback in 2010 with another reboot. This time, the campaigns were not only given more story-driven elements, but all three were now connected with characters and components from each campaign woven into each other, including Lance Henriksen as the new Weyland character.
This is probably the best that the Predator campaign has ever played, making the player truly feel like a Yautja Hunter with polished gameplay mixed with various takedowns and animations. The graphical fidelity for Aliens Vs. Predator was far ahead of its time, which has led to plenty of fan-made mods to discover and try out.
