Hunter: The Reckoning

UPC: 020626714594

Platform: Xbox

Publisher: Interplay Productions, Inc.

Developer: High Voltage Software, Inc.

Category: Action

Style(s): Third-Person 3D Action

Synopsis: Set in White Wolf's World of Darkness universe, Hunter: The Reckoning follows the exploits of the Hunters -- a clandestine organization dedicated to ridding the world of demonic entities. Monsters now live among the population and appear normal to the naked eye. The Hunters, however, have the gift of Second Sight, the ability to see the monstrosities for what they really are. Brought together by circumstance, four people must fight the onslaught of evil to save the community of Ashcroft and all of humanity. A beat-'em-up action title similar to Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, Hunter: The Reckoning lets four players cooperate simultaneously. Players can assume the role of Spenser "Duece" Wyatt, Father Esteban Cortez, Samantha Alexander, or Cassandra Chyung, each of whom is imbued with distinct abilities, characteristics, and Edge powers -- special abilities that manifest themselves in defensive, offensive, and passive forms. Players fight their way through 23 levels ranging from a train station, to a cemetery, to a derelict prison. The hordes of enemies encompass no fewer than 20 different forms, including ghoulish terrors such as zombies, vampires, scurrying spider-like martyrs, and many other abominations of the night, all of which can be dismembered piece by piece. Characters are armed with both ranged and melee weapons, the latter having infinite ammunition. Littered throughout the levels are more powerful secondary weapons such as shotguns (riot, combat, and double-barreled types), machine guns, flamethrowers, and rocket launchers. Inate Edge powers are also provided but can only be used when the character has enough Conviction (magic power) in reserve. Additionally, characters can perform melee combination attacks by pressing multiple buttons. Movement is performed using the left analog stick while the right analog stick allows players to aim independently of their current direction of movement. Strangely shaped glyphs can be found to replenish a character's health or Conviction, or to increase strength and accuracy attributes. Characters will gain experience during the course of their quest, allowing them to increase in level and skill. This in turn translates into more powerful Edge attacks that increase in range and damage potential. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

Package Contents: Registration Card

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

The in-game hints offered during the loading screen are more informative than the manual, but the controls and edge powers are sufficiently explained. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

While the hunters look great and animate smoothly, the enemies range from okay (zombies and dogs) to goofy (mutants in the hospitals, a teddy bear boss). Environments help contribute to the moody atmosphere. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Players longing for a more action-packed Resident Evil may have gotten their wish in Hunter: The Reckoning, a dark, moody hack-and-slash title filled with zombies, vampires, and mutants. While the setting is perfect for a survival horror title, the game's structure draws immediate comparisons to Midway's Gauntlet: Dark Legacy or Interplay's Loaded, based on the overhead perspective, selection of four different characters, and simultaneous multiplayer action. Hunter is not as fast moving as Gauntlet, but it <I>is</I> just as repetitive. While nonstop combat is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if players are given the freedom to perform a bevy of moves against the enemies, the sluggish action in Hunter starts to hurt your finger after an hour thanks to a system that solely relies on squeezing the right trigger to attack. An onslaught of similar-looking enemies populate each level, those of the re-spawning type, often materializing right in front of your character when you try to run away. Close combat is especially annoying, because the act of changing weapons is painstakingly realistic. Judge, for example, makes a point of sliding a shotgun into his trench coat before carefully pulling out the crossbow from behind his back. Ammo is also limited, and you have to sit through an animation while the character reloads. Switching between the default weapons, bonus weapons, and magical edge powers involves using three separate buttons by default, making the process far too cumbersome for this type of game. In a title where enemies envelop your character and then have the indecency to reappear immediately after you kill them, these well-animated delays become a huge nuisance. Other design decisions seem to focus on making the game as difficult as possible in the absence of strong AI. Players cannot save until a level is completed, enemies appear out of thin air, bosses take forever to bring down, and health and energy pickups last maybe a second after vanquishing a creature -- unless you're right on top of the enemy it will vanish before you reach it. Even racing through a level doesn't always work, because the majority of the game's 20-plus levels require you to find a key to open a certain door, and the only way to obtain a key is to keep firing and slashing at monsters until it's dropped. Players looking to ease into the action will be surprised at the challenge found in the beginning levels, which usually are intentionally easy to allow players to get accustomed to the controls. After a brief introductory level, Hunter quickly throws you into a difficult battle. Hundreds of zombies stagger their way toward your character, lunging at quick speeds when they get close, making the level seem to last forever. You soon realize the futility in trying to eliminate each and every one, because they just keep coming. You'll suffer quite a bit of damage fumbling around with switching weapons, and then all of a sudden spiders start zipping toward you from all angles. Disgustingly annoying creatures that explode upon impact. Before you can switch to your ranged weapon it's too late. Boom. There goes your life. If you're lucky, the explosion will only take away half your health -- perfect time for another spider to finish you off. Fortunately, the critters don't show up again until late in the game, in the hospital ward, but many may lose interest well before that point. The camera is another irritating aspect, which is inexcusable considering the deliberately slower pacing of the action. There's plenty of time for the camera to pan out or zoom in when enemies start coming at you, but it instead tends to stay focused in one position. Turning around from a dead end or an alley is especially irksome because you end up walking toward the screen and cannot see the enemies in front of you. The directional pad controls how close the camera is to your character, but you can't swivel or angle it to get the best view. The single-screen perspective also makes multiplayer games somewhat frustrating, as it forces players to cooperate and move together in unison (imagine that). Those who want to race across the screen while a few stay behind to clean up the mess will find themselves stuck on the edge until the rest of the group moves along with them. The game's difficulty means multiplayer contests are best enjoyed with a group of skilled players, those who begin the game together rather than casually join hours later. Yet those with the patience to persist will find a challenging title that is surprisingly addictive -- in a masochistic sort of way. There are a variety of detailed locales to fight through, including a graveyard, sewer system, prison, hospital, mansion, torture chamber, and more. Animation is also a standout, as your character moves fluidly and will show details like covering his or her mouth while coughing after a sewer rat belches a noxious cloud of gas. Your hands will ache because you have to constantly squeeze the right trigger while using both analog sticks to move and aim, but the control is generally a plus. Switching weapons is awkward, but it's great to be able to blast enemies from all directions while walking backwards or moving in circles. The ability to earn experience is also nice (you <I>better</I> earn something other than hand cramps after killing 100-plus creatures on a level), but there should have been added skills associated with using specific weapons more than normal, perhaps in the form of an added power-up move or an extra combo attack. Developer High Voltage should have looked closely at Koei's Dynasty Warriors 3 for tips on character development and making combat fresh and exciting even after hours of playing. None of the levels are particularly large, but they vary in the time it takes to complete them. Some will last five minutes while others can last 30, depending on the objective. One level has you searching for ten skeletons, while another has you racing to free hostages within six minutes. Most, however, involve getting from point A to point B. One of the most enjoyable objectives is escorting a little girl through a mist-filled graveyard. Let her get too far behind (she realistically runs in tiny steps, clutching her teddy bear firmly with both hands), and you'll be scared straight to attention after hearing her bloodcurdling scream when she starts taking damage. If she loses all her hit points before you get to a church, the mission ends. Yes, the story is silly, the environments short, and the 20 or so enemy types seem more like six. There's not much interaction within each level aside from smashing a few windows or running over a hostage to rescue them. The game is also slow, lacks a diverse amount of moves, and hurts your sense of progression by constantly materializing enemies out of thin air. Yet the challenge is what ultimately keeps you coming back to play, since it's hard enough to make the game actually feel like survival horror without being impossible. The ability to play with three other skilled hunters adds to the twisted fun, and is what ultimately raises The Reckoning just above an average rating. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Beating the game earns players an extra costume for their hunter and a more challenging difficulty level. There's not much incentive for going through the game more than once, however. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The sound effects are excellent, with loud, satisfying gunfire, but the voice work is not as strong. The music suddenly appears at different times during the action, but it sounds random instead of being cued for specific situations. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Despite a number of irritating features, the challenging gameplay will please those who find titles like Gauntlet too easy. Those wanting a better mix of action and role-playing elements on the Xbox should consider Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.