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Intro
Based on the tabletop title of the same name, Hunter: The Reckoning's videogame
incarnation foregoes most of the original's RPG elements to bring gamers a white-knuckle
battle for survival against hordes of the undead. Despite its quirks and annoyances,
High Voltage has managed to give gamers a solid title that brings zombie genocide
up to par with the current generation of systems.
Gameplay: 6/10
Choosing from four players, each with their own distinct
weapons and powers, Hunter provides a light RPG experience in the way of
characters gaining experience points as they hack and shoot their way through
the monsters and save those in peril. Fitting in with the original game's gothic
theme, you can choose between Judge (Father Esteban Cortez), Martyr (Kassandra
Cheyung), Avenger (Deuce Wyatt), and Defender (Samantha Alexander), whose special
powers will increase with experience, and range from enhancing the melee weapons
to super speed. All come with their standard melee and range weapons, like axes,
swords, pistols, single-shot shotguns, etc. Each character represents a similar
yet unique playing style that becomes more prevalent as they gain experience.
With
the beat-'em-up genre falling by the wayside lately, it's nice to see a new title
take the reins and add a bit of flair to the mix. Battling the undead will lead
the heroes to city streets, churches, playgrounds, and various other locations,
along with the two most essential locations: sewers and graveyards. Along the
way, players will pick up and use a variety of weapons that range from machine
guns to flamethrowers, and all provide equally pleasing destruction. Due to the
limited combat areas, making maximum use of the weapons never becomes overly difficult
and it's only when switching to the standard melee and range weapons that the
game's problems begin to show. Regardless
of the game's difficulty - which can get a bit excessive at times - the limited
continue option is a piece of gaming history that seems to be falling out of favor
with me. While some can be earned through progression in the game, it seems as
though the difficulty and limited continues were used to lengthen the game, which
would otherwise be extremely short. However, even at that, Hunter can be
finished in about ten hours and little is left to extend the replay value; similar
to the console Baldur's Gate title(s), new modes can be unlocked, but those
simply make the game even harder and do little to actually extend the game's interest.
What could have saved the title was the multiplaying experience, and although
it would seem to be what the game was designed around, it really doesn't live
up to its potential. Without an increase in the stronger weapons, the players
who aren't able to scramble to the prime weapons are left with their extremely
weak basic weapons, going on and on and on, until the screen is empty. Yes, more
players means that the monsters will be dealt with faster, but half the fun of
Hunter is messing with the various weapons, and button-mashing relentlessly
with little being damage being done just isn't much fun. Oddly
enough, I had a better time going through the levels solo; those who got to try
out the multiplayer with me were left just as bored as I was whenever I had to
resort to hacking away or shooting endless rounds, while someone else got to use
a beautiful machine gun and mow down rows of oncoming monsters. While the basics
were ported well, some more detailed aspects of the game suffered greatly, namely
framerate and controls. They were such a hassle that they detracted from the game's
overall enjoyment and brought it down a notch. It's still enjoyable in a Gauntlet-meets-zombies
sort of way, but it seems more like a chore to find the enjoyment rather than
anything else.
Graphics:
6/10
This version of Hunter seems a bit washed out in terms of overall
picture quality. While the monsters and hero look fine, their animations are a
bit sluggish, though it's nothing too drastic. The desolate streets, sewers, prisons,
and so on all have decent detail, but a little more could've really enhanced the
overall isolated feel that the developers were shooting for. Not really optimized
for the system, the framerate does take a hit with a lot of onscreen action, but
cleverly - or, maybe luckily, since the player(s) move so slowly -- the sluggish
result is somewhat masked and isn't as apparent. Sound:
6.5/10
Keeping in tune with the action, the driven soundtrack fits in well
with the atmosphere and suits the action very well. The music also takes a backseat
to the relentless blasts of firearms and satisfying thuds of melee weapons dismembering
limbs. With such a high emphasis on action, the repetitive blasts are heard more
clearly than anything else, so that gets a bit tiring, but it is understandable
due to the fact that there's constant hordes of enemies on-screen at the same
time. Since attacking is so sporadic, it can take longer to dispatch enemies which
results in longer periods of silence, aside from the minute noises made by the
monsters. Control: 4.5/10
I'm not sure if it's the developers or the controller itself, but the controls
in Hunter never seem to gel very well. To be sure, they do get the basics done,
but even that can be a chore at times. There is a set of default control configurations,
none of which really handle weapon selection very well, since it is split among
3 buttons and the tension of mounting odds can make it difficult to pick the appropriate
button for the desired weapon. The characters also move slowly; the animations
look right, as they seem to be running, but it's like they're stuck in molasses
or something since they can never reach a decent speed. The slow speed also makes
the inherent repetition of the game go beyond acceptable limits and can easily
wear out its welcome in a half hour or so. One of the biggest problems I found
was that firing weapons just didn't seem to work well, which was especially true
when trying to figure multiple rounds with the basic weapons. One shot would go
off, then nothing; sometimes, nothing at all would happen, and the fire button
would have to be pressed multiple times for it to correct itself. Melee combat
also suffered the same fate as the timing mechanics seemed to be too short, making
single attacks extremely difficult and the characters pretty much defaulting into
combos that took longer and lead to them being open to attacks. Overall:
6/10
Hunter: The Reckoning is an uninspired port of a barely above-average
game that includes several problems which detract from its overall enjoyment.
Maybe some will enjoy the multiplayer portions more than I, but everyone who went
along that route with me was bored in little time at all, and the problems make
the single-player experience much the same. Recommended in short doses or as a
weekend rental. [
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