Does this shooter offer enough Crysis for players?
I’m reviewing the Xbox One version despite the fact it has been out the longest in it’s Game Preview, but it didn’t have a physical release until now along with the PS4 version. I actually never played Hunt: Showdown when it was out before, so it’s a new experience to me as well. So, what’s it all about? Here’s a quick summary:
Hunt: Showdown is a competitive first-person bounty hunting game that packs the thrill of survival games into a match-based format. Set in Louisiana in 1895, the game boasts a mixture of PvP and PvE elements that creates a uniquely tense experience. It’s not just the creatures who are a threat—it’s every Hunter on the map. In the classic game mode, a match of Hunt pits ten players—playing solo or in teams of two—against each other as they race to take out gruesome beasts for a bounty they must collect and get off of the map, while Hunt’s quickplay mode offers a shorter match for solo players to scavenge for weapons as they compete for a diminishing pool of bounty. The higher the risk, the higher the reward–but a single mistake could cost everything.
It’s been a while since Crytek have brought out anything, so I was curious to see what they could deliver after their success in the past, especially with the Crysis games. What we have is an interesting concept where you work either solo or co-operatively to hunt down creatures, while you are also avoiding the other players as you make your escape. It’s a clever twist and one that works surprisingly well, I honestly didn’t know what to make of it at first but once I understood the core concept it then became highly enjoyable.
The good news is that no two games ever feel the same, so you’ll get somewhat of a unique match each time you play. The atmosphere is incredible tense and the location looks unsettling, it has a great horror vibe to it, and I applaud Crytek for delivering a different type of shooter. Taking risks is never an easy thing in this industry, but sometimes it works, and this happens to be one of those times.
The visuals look great as you would expect from Crytek and its history of making amazing looking games. The framerate is smooth and I didn’t detect much of any lag while playing. The game has a great creepy atmosphere which is helped by impressive sound design too.
The Verdict
Hunt: Showdown proves that you can take risks with FPS games and it’ll be a success. Crytek have delivered a creepy, unsettling experience that is never the same twice. And I will be playing it for quite a while to come…