The environment plays a huge part in the game during both the hunt and the fight. Wildlife and carnivorous plants are both ready to snatch a Hunter up, while birds give away a Monster’s location if it isn’t careful. Always be aware of your surroundings, and be ready to help a teammate out.
Wildlife
Various species of wildlife roam the planet Shear. From the tiny Spotter to the big Tyrant, these creatures come in all sizes and manners. Some are completely aggressive, while others need some provoking to take you on.
As a Hunter, you mostly want to avoid them, though sometimes you have no choice—such as when one snatches a teammate. Taking down the wildlife gives the Monster a free meal. They are good target practice when you are trying to progress through a Character Mastery.
A Monster depends on the wildlife. After taking one down, eat the entire corpse to gain energy and progress toward the next evolution stage.
Keep an eye out for elite wildlife, which are marked by a star icon. Once taken down, these guys give the Hunters and Monster a five-minute Buff, which is like having a second Perk.
Scared Birds and Carrion Birds
You can find groups of birds all throughout Shear. They don’t pose a threat to anyone, but if a Monster passes close enough, they fly off. This alerts the Hunters to their target’s location.
If you are playing as a Monster and feeding on the wildlife, Carrion Birds are drawn to you at random. The more you eat in a small time frame, the more likely they appear. Just like with the Scared Birds, Hunters are alerted to your position.
Plant Life
Regular plant life is not a threat to anyone either, but plants can also alert the Hunters to the Monster’s position. An attentive player will notice fallen trees and broken limbs, which can give clues to where the beast is heading.
Carnivorous Plants
Watch out for the occasional carnivorous plant. They look harmless from afar, but they will snatch a Hunter if one gets too close. A teammate can free you from its grasp by attacking.
Water
The water on Shear can be a hazardous place, or it can save your life. Dangerous wildlife makes these locations their habitat, and a Hunter is unable to fire while moving through it. It also slows the player down as he or she swims through the muck.
The water can be useful, though, as it does remove fire. A Hunter who has been hit with the Goliath’s Fire Breath or a Monster burning from the Flamethrower or a Napalm Grenade simply needs to find water to put out the flame.
Goliath often uses Fire Breath to reveal cloaked Hunters, so being near a body of water can be useful. The Hunter still splashes in the water, but it is less noticeable than being on fire.