Isabelle DLC + HQ Map Drop

[The Necronoir]

The long-awaited Isabelle DLC has dropped, along with the anticipated (Stargazer) Headquarters map.






Additional images, and a full transcript from the Playstation Blog:

The jungle is heating up this summer with new Predator: Hunting Grounds updates coming your way! The hottest new arrival is one we know fans have been patiently awaiting... She is finally joining Dutch in the "Choppa"... Alice Braga has lent her voice to bring Isabelle to the game's world. This new update will not only showcase our ninth DLC since launching last year, but it will also unleash a new playground – the Headquarters Map. That's right – nine DLC's and six maps later, IllFonic keeps thinking of ways to challenge players in the jungle.

Our paid DLC pack for this summer re-introduces a fan favorite to the Predator: Hunting Grounds world, and it's available today. Help us in welcoming 2010's Predators character Isabelle to the game. A sniper in an elite defense force, Isabelle was selected by the Predator menace as worthy prey to be hunted on an off-world game preserve. One of two survivors in a group of eight specialized killers, she managed to escape and returned to Earth. After joining the OWLF, it was determined that "Izzy" had more confirmed Predator kills than any other human...aside from Dutch.

Now you, too, can harness her immense power as one of the fiercest competitors in the jungle. She not only carries specializations that are tailored to her like sniper, rushdown, scavenger [and more], but she is a real glass cannon. Izzy is a heavy hitter but watch your health; she pairs best with a medic teammate. QA says if you feel like your team is incomplete, she is that missing piece to a well-rounded crew.

Izzy would be lost without her sniper rifle, and lucky for you, she never leaves home without it.  This DLC will get you early access to the NRV-E, AKA the Ultimate Sniper Rifle, is the exact thing you need to pick off Predators and enemies alike (it will be unlockable to all via gameplay by August 2021). What makes this tech so substantial is its Pred Shells that explode on contact. With this rifle, the sharper and steadier you are, the more damage you will do. The further you are from your target, the more destruction you will cause. Think splash damage effect with exploding rounds. They will never see it or you coming.

What fun is a new character without a new playground? This month's free update is one our team has been working hard to bring you, another map: Headquarters! That's right; you now have six maps to play through. This is the most complex, spacious, and difficult map yet, and that statement is coming from our QA team!.

Deep in the jungle, atop a large waterfall, the Stargazer fleet built their headquarters, a strong military base to facilitate their proxy wars while trying to draw the Predator to Earth. HQ comprises multiple bases, facility structures, and cabanas that sit atop the most challenging terrains the game has showcased yet.

The Headquarters, at first, will feel like a multi-floor labyrinth, with lots of turns forcing players into close-quarters combat. Anyone up for an elevator battle royale? With so many hiding spots and nowhere to perch, HQ really is a Predator death trap for most, but there may be one that can survive. A highly skilled Trapper Predator could be stealthy enough to beat the fire team. But most that have played this new map make mincemeat out of the enemy.

If the Headquarters is the "burial grounds" for our Yautja friend, then the Cabanas are where the Fireteam could meet their demise. It's a predkour paradise. With 12 different missions for the Fireteam to conquer; they will often traverse the area. This map also showcases new missions unavailable to other maps. Fireteams will be faced with an all drone mission, these act as mobile alarm systems that will alert your enemies if they spot you. Take them out before they see you, or a constant stream of Stargazer guerillas will be coming after you. Or try your hand at the Maiden's Treasure; this mission will send teams on the ultimate treasure hunt to unveil unexplainable Predator technology. These missions and others will be the key to unlocking bonus XP.

As I said, what makes this map incredibly challenging isn't just the missions or problematic fighting areas; it's the terrain. This map showcases the most water-to-land ratio in the game yet. This means if you can lure the Predator to the water, you'll have your chance to short out the Predator – since water will wreak havoc on its electrical systems; however, you are a sitting duck by water as the jungle is all around you. Remember that you will be met by sheer cliffs and a rocky climb back up to HQ if you play in the water. The trek isn't the most difficult part. Watch the cliffs, as they are a prime hiding spot for the guerillas who are ready to snipe you down.

The team is really proud of this map, and it has become a favorite of ours. We hope you all like it as much as we do. Also, we did hear the community ask for more background lore. Now you can uncover new insights on Stargazer and Keyes with Series 2 of the OWLF tapes! Lastly, new trophies, loot, masks, and fresh faces are hitting the jungle soon. Keep your eyes out on our social media for more information on our updates and patch notes.

Between the anniversary Steam release and getting a new set of audio logs featuring Alice Braga, I'm getting pretty good at calling these now. Seems we're finally going to find out what happened to her and Royce after the film. That's got to be quite a story!

I hadn't really given much thought to the visual side of her return appearance though, and I must say wearing elements of the Mr. Black armour as a trophy is a really nice touch! No prizes for guessing what the next Predator DLC is likely to be then.

The Stargazer HQ design is a bit more "out there" than I expected, but let's see what it looks like in-game. What does everyone else make of it?

[Voodoo Magic]

HOT DAMMMMMMN!!!!

So much to love here! So much to love!

Plus an Ewok village!

[Voodoo Magic]

So it appears Alice Braga returner to voice her playable character, and perhaps Jake Busey returned and recorded the lore tapes?

If so, Alice Braga stars in a TV show here in the US called "Queen of the South", so perhaps she was too expensive to record her own lore tapes, where Jake isn't seemingly doing much and costs a smaller fee to record the long stuff.

But damn, more lore I can't wait to delve into!

Thank you Illfonic!!!

[The Necronoir]

So it appears Alice Braga returner to voice her playable character, and perhaps Jake Busey returned and recorded the lore tapes?

If so, Alice Braga stars in a TV show here in the US called "Queen of the South", so perhaps she was too expensive to record her own lore tapes, where Jake isn't seemingly doing much and costs a smaller fee to record the long stuff.

But damn, more lore I can't wait to delve into!

Thank you Illfonic!!!

Yeah, after re-reading with less giddy excitement that does appear to be the case. Maybe they had Alice lined up for the tapes initially, but had to come up with a work-around when she was too busy (or too costly, as you say). Something like that would explain the last-minute reshuffle from when she was first teased as DLC.

Not sure how I feel about the "resort"-like elements of the new map. Kind've reminds me of Jurassic Park actually, which may not be too much of a stretch from the Predator feel, but does take it away from the strictly paramilitary stuff we've had so far. As AVPR and The Predator have shown, things start to go off the rails when this franchise gets too domestic.

[Voodoo Magic]

As AVPR and The Predator have shown, things start to go off the rails when this franchise gets too domestic.

*cough,cough* Ahem... Predator 2?



This is what I've been craving a maze! Hopefully lots of dark eerie corridors in here!

"The Headquarters, at first, will feel like a multi-floor labyrinth, with lots of turns forcing players into close-quarters combat. Anyone up for an elevator battle royale? With so many hiding spots and nowhere to perch, HQ really is a Predator death trap for most, but there may be one that can survive. A highly skilled Trapper Predator could be stealthy enough to beat the fire team. But most that have played this new map make mincemeat out of the enemy."

[Kailem]

Glad that this was finally the DLC drop where they decided to give us Isabelle. In retrospect it was likely changed so that the first post-Steam release content drop could seem more substantial for new PC players especially, but they definitely made a mistake by teasing her so early and then holding off on her for so long.

Either way, good to see she's finally made it! I like that it looks like she's got Mr Black's mask jawbone as a trophy there too. And the new map looks cool as well, especially with that big structure jutting out over the waterfall. Almost gave me Predators vibes in itself when I first saw the tiny thumbnail.

I would have thought the sniper rifle would have had a thermal sight like the movie that would have allowed you to see the Predator even while cloaked, so this "ranged impact shot" feature sounds interesting.

[The Necronoir]

As AVPR and The Predator have shown, things start to go off the rails when this franchise gets too domestic.

*cough,cough* Ahem... Predator 2?

Touché! It's telling that I don't associate Predator 2 (my favourite in the series, FYI) with domesticity though. As Mike himself says, it may be an urban environment, but it's basically a warzone - no creature comforts at all. The only time the film dips into a domestic setting is the apartment gate-crash, and while it's a great scene I think they did the right thing by limiting it like that.

By "domestic" I guess I mean an environment where you could picture kids/teenagers and soccer mums milling about.

[Kailem]

HOT DAMMMMMMN!!!!

So much to love here! So much to love!

Plus an Ewok village!

[Jurassicvania]

That's awesome! I love the character, and AB had serious presence in the film, so glad for a reprisal.

[Voodoo Magic]

By "domestic" I guess I mean an environment where you could picture kids/teenagers and soccer mums milling about.

Ah, then agreed.  👍

HOT DAMMMMMMN!!!!

So much to love here! So much to love!

Plus an Ewok village!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FZCnCkHzneE/VLBb-74L4fI/AAAAAAAAu_o/mavbNEbz4tU/s1600/predator_vs_ewoks.jpg

Right-click-save!

[The Necronoir]

Hold the phone! I just loaded up the game and she's also wearing the full Falconer mask as a back-plate. That throws a spanner in the works. Now I'm thinking the next Predator DLC might actually be the Falconer - bringing in a new gameplay element with the falcon drone we saw datamined ages ago - with the existing Mr Black mask an easy back-door way to have that character in the game as well (perhaps with a Tracker mask thrown in to complete the trio).

[Kailem]

I just hope we get Mr Black period. The addition of just his mask recently makes me think they might have tried to get him in, since we saw his plasmas caster datamined, but then realised they couldn't get his more elongated head to work if his mask was wearable for all Predators, so they just decided to add that in on its own because it was better than nothing.

[Lost_Hunter]

This looks cool, wonder what else Illfonic has up their sleeve. Hoping we get all 3 Preds from Predators as well. Still haven't figured out how to use the vocal mimicry in game. Does anyone know how?

[Leggs.obj]

Really love the Berserker Jaw necklace. It makes sense as to why one of the Devs tapped me for a jaw bone replica.

I really like all of the different predator trophies Isabelle wears, the dreads on her waist are a really nice touch.

[The Necronoir]

Just took my time playing a solo private match as Isabelle in the new map. Assorted thoughts and impressions:

Isabelle

• The voice acting is solid - and great to hear Alice back in the role after so long.


• The new weapon is really interesting, to say the least. Lined up a head-shot on the first enemy I saw (which happened to be one of the heavy PMCs), only to send him rag-dolling 20 feet through the air. I don't know which of us was more shocked! Seems to function as a hit-scan sniper rifle, but the impact site results in a small plasma caster explosion (complete with sound effect). I can see this decimating a predator in skilled hands. It might take some tweaking to get the balance right.

Headquarters

• Speaking of decimating predators, if you're going to do it anywhere, it's going to be here! The map is extremely large and almost completely open in the middle. This is due to a combination of very little undergrowth and the bowl-shaped terrain, which funnels everything into the centre.


• When I say extremely large, I mean almost too large. A lot of it feels quite empty as well, lacking the clutter and other little touches that make the current maps so interesting and distinctly different. The only way I can see this making sense from a game design standpoint is if there is some truth to that rumoured 3 v 12 mode. That would seem about right for a map of this size.


• The Stargazer HQ is a very peculiar building. Perhaps some of the missions will shed more light on it, but it seems to be drawing and pumping a lot of water from the river it sits over, perhaps for hydro power, or maybe something more nefarious (thinking the nerve agent from existing missions).


• Having explored the map pretty extensively, I think I've narrowed down the source of my misgivings, which is that it feels very "James Bond". You have a river marina and luxurious treetop accommodation, where Bond would spend the first act sauntering around, having his first veiled interactions with the villain, and probably seducing a few women. Then you have the outlandish "secret lair" perched on top of a waterfall where the infiltration and action would play out, before the whole thing is primed to blow in the final act.


• Speaking of outlandish, or perhaps otherworldly, the underside of the part that juts out over the waterfall is a suspended elevator entrance, taking you up through a kind of oculus-shaped portal that reminds me very much of the bomb compartment of the juggernaut in Covenant...

That's all from me, for now. Curious to hear what others think.