Hunt: Showdown is very much a product of our current generation of gaming. It’s an online-only shooter, built on the DNA of a modern battle royale and very similar in subject matter to Dead by Daylight. What sets it apart is its PvPvE (Player vs Player vs Environment) emphasis, in that you’re not just fighting other players, or an AI-controlled character, but instead both simultaneously.
The game drops you into one of two reasonably-sized – albeit somewhat similar – maps, with the objective of hunting and enduring a showdown with one of three particularly fiendish monsters; hence the name Hunt: Showdown. To determine the location of each particular boss, you must find three clues which are scattered around the map, and to make it a little bit easier you have access to a “Focus” ability which presents a blue glow in the general direction of your objectives whilst disabling the usage of your weapons. A marker on the map would have proven to be a more user-friendly solution, but the developer has made no concessions here. Hunt is a “hardcore” game to its core, and you feel that the developer prides itself on making the game as complex as possible.
Of course, you’re not alone in the world and finding the three clues seems like it should be a simple process. Alas, it can be just as difficult as the main course – especially early on, as you’re finding your feet and dealing with some of the game’s weaker weaponry. The map is littered with your typical post-apocalyptic adversaries: zombies, flesh-eating dogs and weird tentacles which live within the swamps. In the opening hours, these prove to be a real threat and will often end your run within a matter of minutes, before even finding a single clue.
My first character’s repertoire of weapons included a pistol and a handy shotgun with axe attachment. Unfortunately, Hunt’s gunplay doesn’t feel as tight as it perhaps could, with seemingly rubber pellets pinging off your enemies’ heads with little effect; meanwhile, a well-timed swing of the ol’ axe can reliably finish off a standard zombie in one hit. It works as well as it needs to when you’re picking off single enemies, but when you’re hit by a pack of dogs then it becomes a real chore to stay alive.
Dog bites cause bleeding, or molotov-wielding zombies cause you to burn; as such, you’re required to hold the X button to wrap your wounds or extinguish your burning body. All the while, you’re still being hounded by the enemy which inflicted these wounds, and you need to reload your weapon, and is that gunshots you hear in the distance?
Of course, let’s not forget the Player vs Player element of Hunt: Showdown. Up to twelve players are present within each map, playing either solo or in teams of two or three, and all with the same objective as you. My first encounter with a fellow player didn’t end well, and as is to be expected, they pose a much more formidable threat than the AI enemies. Combined with the environmental risks, each match is a daunting affair, and this may put off some players.
The level of tact required is impressive though, and while the guns blazing approach will become more effective as you progress through the ranking systems, the option to sit back and play it safe is possibly more appealing for newcomers. It’s feasible, and perhaps encouraged, to let your enemies scout out the clues while you hide in a bush, as once one player or team has revealed the location of the final showdown it becomes visible to all players. With the ammunition saved by avoiding conflict, perhaps you can rush to the boss and take it out whilst your opponents are regrouping and scouting for health pick-ups or bullets. Or perhaps that’s too predictable and a third party of hunters is on your tail and ready to pounce on your bounty after you’ve defeated your prey, and walk away victorious.
Hunt: Showdown is like an action-packed, zombie-infested game of chess. There’s no denying that it requires an immense amount of commitment before you can even become competent, let alone successful – yet given the success of online-only shooters such as Dead by Daylight and Fortnite, it proves that an audience with enough hours to dedicate to a game of this genre is out there, and thankfully Hunt’s systems hold up well enough to support the potential for near-endless amounts of game time. The menus alone have enough meat for you to dive into with customisation options, unlockable weapons, abilities and equipment to aid you in your quest for bounty.
Unfortunately, the content itself doesn’t quite live up to the lofty expectations. As I brushed upon earlier, there are only two maps and three main boss fights at launch. At present, this fact alone has prevented me from going back to the game any longer than I need to. Once you become half-decent at playing the game, have unlocked some solid rifles, and can actually make it to the boss fights on a consistent basis, then you run out of content to play! There’s only so many times you can look forward to taking on a deformed butcher or a giant spider.
But then you consider the single-life component, whereby your character is permanently killed and their stats reset when you die in-game. It’s another layer of unforgivingness which the developer has lashed upon Hunt: Showdown with no expense spared.
Hunt: Showdown has been a difficult game to review, then. When you’re in the swing of things, perhaps with a friend or two in tow, you can easily sink a number of hours into the game if you let its undeniably addictive nature sink its claws into you. However, it’s hard to recommend to anyone except the most die-hard fans of this particular niche, due to its exceptionally steep learning curve and consistently unforgiving nature. Keep an eye out for additional content and a discount in the future, and this could be one to watch if you and a friend are growing tired of Dead by Daylight.
-Martyn
A review disk for this product was kindly provided by the publisher. Reviewed on Xbox One.
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