Plaid. Hunt: Showdown. The Humming of the Lambs

When I first picked up Hunt: Showdown, I didn’t really understand it. Looking back, it was a very bizarre match when some random dude and I got stuck fighting an armoured mob. Our guns went loud and that, in turn, has attracted unwanted attention which resulted in the form of an enemy bullet going through my character’s head. Not impressed, I decided to stick around, since I actually had a friend to play with, and thanks to that decision you’re about to read the following review which consists mostly of praise for the game.

So to put it simply, Hunt: Showdown (H:S) is a slower multiplayer FPS with a more mature audience (probably as a result of the former). I don’t want to use the term hardcore, but the game is generally more difficult, usually because of the more tactical approach to gunfights and positioning, but also due to the pace and the setting.

It’s hard to find a game with so much character, but Crytek managed to pull it off quite nicely. I imagine it has something to do with the fact that H:S has been conceptualized as early as 2012 as Hunt: The Horrors of the Gilded Age, which was more akin to Left 4 Dead at that point. While setting stayed the same, the feel of the game got reworked (at least compared to the trailers and demos we have).

The setting of the Hunt takes place in 1896 USA’s south after a so-called Louisiana Event left the local inhabitants as zombies and other unholy creatures. You play as a hunter, a male or female (as per the 1.0 release) member of some sort of secretive organization/cult/hunter’s lodge. Your task is to locate the specific boss-like enemy collecting clues, taking it down, banishing it, and setting off with the bounty either alone or up to two friends, although the intended classical experience is in tandem. Each of these steps gets you a payout of Hunt Dollars which you use to buy hunters, weapons, and gear. The catch is that multiple teams (up to 5 or 6, depending on who you listen to) compete on the same map for the same target (or targets if it’s a double contract). Furthermore, once banishing starts, everyone can see it on their map, as well as everyone can view the location of the bounty. So the idea is brilliantly simple, first, you’re the hunter, then, once the banishment has started, you’re the prey that chooses to either fight or flee when faced with danger.

We didn't make it in time, somebody already started the banishment...

...So we decided to move quietly and ambush them.

Another game mode is the Quickplay, where players get completely fresh hunters with no weapons or perks. They collect those along the way while closing energy wells (an alternative to collecting clues). The first one to close four energy wells and survive the subsequent draining period (usually the more important part) wins and gets to keep their hunter. Think of it as a Hut-esque Battle Royale.

So, as you might’ve guessed it, H:S is built largely around tension and suspense. In fact, this is one of the rare kind of games where ambient sound actually plays a huge part. A bunch of crows or ducks that have been spooked by the player will not only produce a lot of sound, but will also fly off, which is essentially revealing your location to other nearby players that might notice it. Gunshots are usually reserved to exceptional circumstances, unless you’re new to the game or actively looking for trouble, since the can be heard pretty much anywhere in the map. Even talking a zombie down with a knife in all its stealth can be a dead giveaway if you’re trying to ambush someone, which isn’t uncommon.

Atmosphere and immersion is where H:S really shines despite being a multiplayer game. Bosses can be really terrifying, especially when you’re not that familiar with the game. In the early days, while my buddy would try to take down the spider boss while shrieking like a little girl into his microphone because of his arachnophobia I would be guarding the outside scared of every moving shadow. It’s a very crafty solution to the multiplayer immersion problem, make the game very slow and tense, and put a bunch of rivaling teams on the map.

The ruins of the Crematorium on the Bayou map.

However, don’t be tricked into thinking that H:S is primarily PvE. It’s most definitely PvP and the environmental elements like the boss, the banishment, and the bounty exist only to get players to go one after another. There are only three bosses and two maps at the moment, and sooner or later you learn their strengths and weaknesses, so the challenge shifts to killing the thing quietly and swiftly and getting the upper hand on others in the process.

Guns in the game are represented in a huge variety. However, most of them are very slow in fire rate, as the time dictates. Bolt-action rifles and shotguns alongside revolvers or early German pistols, however there are things like cavalry sabres and combat axes for those that wish for a more quiet approach. In fact, melee is quite powerful in the game, one hit kill is done with most of the larger melee weapons. Provided the reach you.

Now H:S isn’t ideal, unfortunately, but most of the issues can be accounted to bugs, which are fixable. The 1.0 launch was particularly rough with a large multitude of bugs, like rubber-banding and server issues. Quite a few people are also disappointed with the new menu UI which is definitely a downgrade from the minimalistic one used in the Early Access version. A number of people are also complaining about a loss in weapon sway, which to them seems like the game became more casual. I can’t personally confirm the latter, mostly due to the fact that my K/D ratio is rubbish.

Lastly, there has been a wave of negativity due to the introduction of in-game currency which can be bought for real money. It’s only cosmetics (weapon and player skins), so I’m not entirely sure why the hate has so noticeable.

The most hilarious bug to date: the flying dog squadron. The melee attack on a hellhound could send it flying.

To conclude, Hunt: Showdown is definitely a must-try for those seeking a more levelled multiplayer FPS experience. It strikes a good balance with a slower build-up and a great culmination. It’s definitely a GOTY-material in my books, provided most of the more annoying bugs will get fixed and menu UI addressed (which has been confirmed by Crytek). 8/10, and hopes that my hunter gets to live to die another day.