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Compared to other slasher villains like Jason Voorhees or Michael Meyers, the Predator has a particularly unique way of making its victims feel out of their depth, and this is exactly what Friday The 13th developer Illfonic wants to bring to Predator: Hunting Grounds. It’s another asymmetrical multiplayer game, but also very different from the team’s previous game. In Hunting Grounds, a heavily-armed squad of four players has to complete a covert mission in a remote jungle full of hostile forces, while another player takes on the role of the iconic alien hunter–their goal is to make sure the squad doesn’t make it out alive. Revealed earlier this year, GameSpot went hands-on with an early build of the game and learned how the parallel co-op and competitive mechanics work.

Compared to Illfonic’s Friday The 13th, Hunting Grounds leans closer to action-horror than just a standard slasher, and you’re far more capable of defending yourself than a group of camp counselors in the face of their movie monster. At its core, Hunting Grounds is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that hinges on the blend of co-op and competitive gameplay, pitting two drastically different sides against one another.

“There’s something out there waiting for us, and it ain’t no man. We’re all gonna die.”

When playing as the mercenaries, you’ll face off against hostile AI in the jungle while completing objectives, such as securing intel or destroying enemy equipment. While the mercs are doing their mission, which has a randomized set of goals for each match, the lone alien hunter stalks the humans from the trees above, waiting to strike and collect its bounty of skulls. It sticks very closely to the original Schwarzenegger movie, complete with cheesy one-liners and references. There’s even a cassette tape titled “Ain’t Got Time 2 Bleed”, which blasts music in the chopper that takes the crew to their mission.

Just like Friday the 13th, Hunting Groups wears its admiration for the source material on its sleeve. According to Illfonic CEO Charles Brungardt, Hunting Grounds was intended to be an evolution of the asynchronous multiplayer mechanics from their work on the previous game.

“He’s killing us one at a time.”

“We were just finishing up Friday The 13th, and we were kind of looking at what our next project could be,” he said. “One of the guys threw out ‘Predator’ during a meeting, and immediately we all knew the type of game it would be. It just came together from there. We knew walking into this game that there were going to be a lot of challenges here–especially with the two different styles. There’s a lot of work that had to go into it, but we were able to get it up quickly and begin playtesting it early. We still have a while to go, but the feedback we’ve gotten daily and the excitement we’ve seen has made it fun to work on and improve.”

We played as both the human characters and the Predator, which showed off two distinct playstyles. Gameplay as the soldiers is akin to a standard military FPS. But for the Predator, it goes for full stealth-action in the vein of Assassin’s Creed or Sekiro. You can select from one of four classes when playing as the mercenaries, which includes assault, CQB (close-quarters combat), scout, and sharpshooter. Each archetype features its own unique loadout, which can be upgraded and customized after ranking them up. Working together, you’ll ensure that you can complete all the necessary objectives, cut down the opposing forces, and make it back to the chopper alive. But while you’re engaging in your goals and wiping out hostiles, the lone rival player will actively be surveying the scene, waiting for their chance to strike.

“If it bleeds, we can kill it.”

The experience of playing as the mercs can feel a bit nervewracking. As you’re taking out enemies and completing objectives, you’re constantly looking over your shoulder and into the trees looming above. On the inverse of that, however, playing as the Predator can offer up some surprisingly amusing moments. Moving to a third-person perspective, you have a greater sense of control and awareness of your surroundings, which can open up the potential for playing mind-games with your prey. Possessing its familiar set of gadgets, including a wrist-blade, cloaking device, thermal-vision, and the fan-favorite Plasmacaster, you’re well-armed and can easily stand up to whatever is on the field. When the time is right, you can go in for the kill against weakened mercenaries. Getting a successful kill will award the Predator with a skull, which he’ll place on his belt.

If wounded, the Predator will bleed glowing green blood, which the mercenary players can track. The hunter is very resilient, but it can still be taken out if enemy players coordinate and strike at the right moments. Just like in the film, the Predator is a sore loser and can activate a mini-nuke to cover up its failure. If players aren’t able to reach the dying hunter in time to exact a killing blow, then they’ll have to escape from the blast zone, or else suffer a posthumous defeat at the hands of the Predator.

I appreciated how different the game was on both sides, but I can’t deny that–unsurprisingly–the game felt at its best when playing as the Predator. While the mechanics of the human characters were serviceable, it often felt a bit mundane. This was especially evident when facing off against disposable hostiles that lack cohesion, made worse by strange spawn points and dull AI. The best moments I had were when I came crashing in as the Predator, interrupting the rival players from finishing their mission.

“You got time to duck?”

I can’t deny that–unsurprisingly–the game felt at its best when playing as the Predator.

My hands-on with Predator: Hunting Grounds was from an early build, but I came away pretty intrigued by how it went about going fleshing out the original conceit of the film. Over the years, the Predator has mostly been attached to the Alien vs. Predator series. So it’s especially refreshing to see the character be the central focus of its own thing, and I had so much fun getting the jump on my prey when they least expected it.

The Xbox One‘s Games With Gold for next month have been revealed, and if you’re a fan of silently–or not so silently–assassinating rich, powerful, and evil targets, then you’re in luck. Hitman leads September’s Games With Gold, and Xbox Live Gold subscribers have all month to claim it.

Hitman: The Complete First Season is available September 1 until September 30 and includes every map and mission from, you guessed it, the first season. It’s a game of stealth and assassination, where you can disguise yourself as almost anyone in the level and make your way towards your target. Of course, that’s not always how it plays out, as being detected could cause mass hysteria, forcing you to hide or take out any witness to your crime. However, if you already own Hitman 2, then there’s still a bonus to claiming Hitman 1. Owning the first game gives you access to revamped versions in Hitman 2. Hitman received an 8 out of 10 and was called “a brilliant game” in GameSpot’s review.

We Were Here hits Games With Gold on September 16 through October 15 and is the first in a series of narrative, co-op puzzle games. You play a character that’s been split up from their partner–controlled by a friend–inside of an abandoned mansion. You have to work together to solve puzzles and escape.

September’s Xbox 360 Games With Gold offerings start with Earth Defense Force 2025 from September 1 to September 15. The Earth Defense Force is a cult favourite and features intense, third-person shooter battles with giant insects. Earth Defense Force 2025’s review wasn’t as glowing as the others in this article. While critic Carolyn Petit found the large-scale destruction and alien slaughter enjoyable, she found the shallow gameplay didn’t stay fresh for long.

The free 360 games continue with Tekken Tag Tournament 2 from September 16 to September 30. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is the sequel to the beloved PS2 launch title and focuses on two-on-two tag battles. In Tekken Tag Tournament 2’s review, critic Maxwell McGee scored it an 8.5 and described it as “a challenging fighter that rewards speed and ferocity in those willing to make the commitment.”

All Xbox 360 Games With Gold are backward-compatible, so you’ll be able to play both of the aforementioned games on your Xbox One.

September 2019 Games With Gold

• Hitman: The Complete First Season – September 1 to September 30 (Xbox One)
• We Were Here – September 15 to October 15 (Xbox One)
• Earth Defense Force 2025 – September 1 to September 15 (Xbox 360/Xbox One)
• Tekken Tag Tournament 2 – September 16 to September 30 (Xbox 360/Xbox One)

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Fortnite‘s Season 10, Week 5 challenges are here, and this week’s set is called Blockbuster–a callback to Season 4. As usual, most of the challenges are fairly straightforward, but one that may throw you for a loop is to land at a run-down hero mansion and an abandoned villain hideout. If you don’t know where either of those is located, we’re here to show you where to go.

The two locations you need to visit for this challenge are on opposite ends of the map, so the quickest way to complete it would be to land at one, get eliminated, then hop into another match and land at the other. The run-down hero mansion is near the easternmost edge of the island, while the villain hideout is northeast of Snobby Shores. You can see exactly where they’re located in the video above. Be sure to also check out our written guide on where to land at a run-down hero mansion and an abandoned villain hideout for a map and more details to help you complete the challenge.

Week 5 of Fortnite Season 10 has arrived, and it’s brought a new set of challenges for Battle Pass holders to complete. This week’s set of missions is called Blockbuster, a reference to Season 4, and one of the tasks asks you to search between a basement film camera, a snowy stone head, and a flashy gold big rig. That’s not nearly as confusing as it may sound, so if you’re unsure of how to complete the challenge, we’re here to show you where to go.

The item you’re looking for is a Battle Star, and it’ll appear in the middle of the three aforementioned objects, so once you know where those are located, completing this challenge will be easy. All three are near the snowy biome in the southwest corner of the island. The film camera is inside a house northeast of Shifty Shafts; the snowy stone head is sitting on a hill near the frozen waterfall; and the gold big rig is parked between Shifty Shafts and Tilted Town. Head to the middle of those three objects and the Battle Star will appear.

If you need a more visual guide, we show you exactly where the Battle Star is hidden in the video above. You can also see a map and more details on how to complete the challenge in our written challenge guide.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Pokemon Masters has officially released, giving you a brand-new Pokemon experience to play on the go. Though Masters shares several similarities with previous Pokemon games, it does a lot differently too. One such difference is in how Pokemon can evolve. If you’re having trouble, we’ve outlined the process below.

First things first: not every sync pair you recruit features a Pokemon that can evolve. The Pikachu that you start with cannot be evolved into a Raichu, for example. As far as we can tell, there’s no definitive rule for discerning which Pokemon partners can evolve in Masters, though we have noticed that the only Pokemon that can evolve are the ones found in their first-stage form. If you recruit a sync pair with a Pokemon that’s already in its second-stage evolution, it doesn’t seem capable of reaching its third (provided it has one).

Android Authority has compiled all of the sync pairs with Pokemon that we know can evolve in Masters, which are listed below. There’s a chance that more sync pairs feature Pokemon that can be evolved, but we’ll need more time with the game to be sure. Evolving Pokemon can be a lengthy process.

Sync Pairs With Pokemon That Can Evolve In Pokemon Masters

• Barry and Piplup (evolves into Prinplup and then Empoleon)
• Kris and Totodile (evolves into Croconaw and then Feraligatr)
• Lyra and Chikorita (evolves into Bayleef and Meganium)
• Pryce and Seel (evolves into Dewgong)
• Rosa and Snivy (evolves into Servine and then Serperior)
• Viola and Surskit (evolves into Masquerain)

Now, how you evolve these Pokemon is vastly different from previous games. You don’t need to worry about environmental factors, time of day, or evolutionary stones, though the traditional system of leveling up is a part of the process.

First, you need to level up the sync pair of the Pokemon you want to evolve to at least level 30. Once you reach level 30, you’ll unlock a special battle you’ll need to complete for the Pokemon to evolve. You can’t attempt that battle until you fulfill one more requirement, though–acquiring five Evolution Shards, which can currently only be bought in Tricia’s Shop. The first time you buy five Shards, they’ll cost 1,000 coins–Masters’ in-game currency that you can either earn or buy with microtransactions–but that number exponentially grows more expensive so make sure you focus on evolving the Pokemon you want. With the Shards and your sync pair in tow, you’ll be able to attempt the battle. Each of these special fights is unique for each sync pair. The only commonality between each one is that they are extremely difficult, so leveling up beyond the level 30 minimum requirement may be a good idea.

Once you win, the Pokemon within the sync pair will evolve, maintaining its previous level but acquiring more powerful stats. Don’t worry too much about losing, as you can retry the battle as many times as you want. For Pokemon that have a third-stage evolution, you’ll need to repeat the process–albeit reaching level 45 this time around. The Evolution Stones for reaching third-stage are far more expensive than the Shards too. They begin at 5,000 coins and eventually climb to 300,000. The unique battle you have to fight is a lot more challenging too. Tackling it at the level 45 minimum is not advised.

Despite this ordeal to make a Pokemon evolve in Masters, the reward is worth it. Evolutions cause Pokemon to learn new, more powerful Sync Moves which can make the most difficult battles in the game much, much easier. In some cases, these Sync Moves result in the Pokemon undergoing a Mega Evolution. Android Authority has a list of the Pokemon we know can Mega Evolve too.

Pokemon That Can Mega Evolve In Pokemon Masters

• Agatha and Mega Gengar
• Blue and Mega Pidgeot
• Bugsy and Mega Beedrill
• Karen and Mega Houndoom
• Korrina and Mega Lucario
• Noland and Mega Pinsir

Pokemon Masters is available for iOS and Android devices.

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