Gaming Target - Xbox: Hunter: The Reckoning

Written by Ryan Smotherman on September 07, 2002

Full Review: It's like being thrown into every single horror movie at one time, minus the gratuitous nudity.

Thanks to the good people at High Voltage Software, White Wolf's pen-and-paper RPG, Hunter: The Reckoning, has made a nice translation into the videogame world as a title that is exclusive to Microsoft's Xbox. Hunter fits in that classic hack 'n slash/run-and-gun/action shooter genre of games (yes, a lot of names suit the brand). While Hunter may be similar to notables like Gauntlet and Diablo, it isn't set in a fantasy medieval world such as them, but instead, in a fantasy modern day. Taking place in the small town of Ashcroft, monsters are running amuck and it's up to you (and your friends), reprising the role of a Hunter, to stop them in their tracks. Are you up for the task?

As the game opens up we are treated to nice little execution by electricity (watching someone ride the lightening is always fun, no?). However, something goes awfully wrong and the spirits of thousands of since deceased inmates are somehow released into the penitentiary, and unfortunately, they're not very happy. But thankfully fate brought four heroes together that night. The Hunters, as they have come to be known, battled the evil minions and sealed up the prison foreverЕ or so it seemed. Exactly one year later the souls of thousands of dead (and pissed off) prisoners escapes from the boarded up prison and make their way into the city, wreaking havoc on any and everyone. Of course, that means the Hunters are called back into action, and we get to kill a lot of stuff and have loads of fun doing it!

Summing up Hunter: The Reckoning is quite an easy task Ц it's all about action, action, and more action. The title is all about taking out wave after wave after wave of horrific creatures that range from Zombies, to Gargoyles, to Vampires, and everything in between. There are actually 20 different creature types scattered throughout the game, which is pretty impressive in it's own right. But before you can start this kill fest -- one must choose a HunterЕ

Spencer УDeuceФ Wyatt (Creed: Avenger), Samantha Alexander (Creed: Defender), Kassandra Cheyung (Creed: Martyr), and Father Esteban Cortez (Creed: Judge) are the four distinctive characters that you get to choose from in the game. While at first glance it would seem that each of these characters play exactly like one another, once you dig a little deeper you'll find quite the opposite. The developers did a fine job creating four characters that actually play different from one another and require you to use dissimilar strategies depending on which character you choose. Each character has permanent default weapons that come in the form of a melee (close range) and long-range weapon. Deuce sports a massive battle axe and a lever action rifle, Samantha brings along her katana and magnum revolver, Kassandra is an expert with her twin daggers and dual auto loading pistols, and lastly, we see the Father kicking butt with his crossbow and crusader sword. Throughout the game you'll also encounter a variety of additional weaponry that you can pick up, such as a nice assortment of shotguns and machine guns, or even a flamethrower and rocket launcher. And for those who like to get up close and personal, the chainsaw is always a nice, if somewhat gruesome, choice. Be warned though, unlike your standard weapons, the additional weapons don't have unlimited ammo. Also, many enemies in the game come equipped with these, too. And I tell ya, there's nothing worse than getting blasted by a machine gun touting vampire.

Oh, sorry, got a little sidetracked talking about all that awesome artillery. Let me get back on the subject of the Hunters (they can be quite complex). Each of the Hunters is equipped with stats (Strength, Accuracy, Speed, Conviction, and Stamina) that determine what they are good at, and in return, how they will be used in battle. For example, Deuce is the powerhouse character. He can just run into a group of zombies with this axe swinging and come out virtually unscathed, something you can't do with the other characters. Samantha would be considered the defensive character (and the only one with healing magic), Kassandra is the speedy one, and Father Cortez is the strongest in conviction, which is another name for magic. And speaking of magic, each character also has their own blend of if. Edges, as they are called in the game, come in a variety of forms and, naturally, while not all of them do, a lot of the edges reflect their users. For example, some of Deuce's Edge spells highlight his raw power. As the characters proceed throughout the game and earn experience they will not only get stronger in their stats, but they will also power up their edges they already know and even gain new ones. It's really neat how different the characters are and it really brings a certain strategy element into the game (especially with multiple people). For this I applaud High Voltage.

Hunter is very true to its genre of games. It has a very pick up and play feel to it, with simple and intuitive controls, it's highly repetitive, and it contains that classic fight through a level and then meet up with an insanely powerful boss character routine. Although the game is very repetitious (you won't go 2 seconds without hitting the trigger button), High Voltage did a magnificent job in keeping things fresh so you rarely get bored. Just as you get tired of facing the same enemies, new ones will pop up. Just as you get bored with whatever weapons you've been using, you'll find new ones to experiment with. The same even applies to the game's level designs. Each area offers something totally new and unique. For example, the game starts out with you in a subway tunnel. The next area is the streets of Ashcroft, which then leads to an elementary school, then to a graveyard, and then into a church. The game just continues going on like this, always staying fresh and having you wonder what's next.

As for the enemies you face, you'll find that each breed of monster requires a different strategy to defeat. The zombies, for example, are slow and relatively weak, however, they almost always attack in huge packs (sometimes up to 20-30) and require fast gun fire, and if things get too crazy you might even have to pull out a machine gun to help aid you in mowing them down. Going even further, you find that gargoyles are only affected by melee attacks and that vampires are fast and require a little dodging and weaving in addition to blasting them into the afterlife. In a unique twist, Father Cortez's crossbow is the most effective against a vampire's onslaught (usually only requiring two arrows to take down). So finding each enemy's weakness and the most efficient way of taking them out is all part of the fun.

One of the most disappointing aspects of the game is the boss characters. It just seems little thought went into them, as they don't require much more than you running in circles as you try to blast them with all you got. Making matters worse is the fact that they take a stupid amount of shots to kill, and some do mega damage with their attacks that are sometimes hard to evade. Thankfully, you can usually find one of the healing and conviction glyphs that are scattered through out the game in the location where a boss is. While these glyphs only carry 4 charges, every little bit counts in the battles.

Something that really surprised me about Hunter comes in the fact that the single player mode is quite fun and worth a play through. This is something that is usually hard to accomplish in the genre due to the repetitive nature. Sure, it has its boring moments and can seem a bit tedious at times, but for the most part it's pulled off very well. Of course, where Hunter truly shines is in its multiplayer action. Up to four players can play at one time on the same screen, and the more players you have the more enemies you must face. While this is most certainly a total blast, it does come with its problems. You might come across a few troubles with the camera (look below for more details), because the game is so dark every now and then you'll get your friends mixed up with the enemies on screen (colored icons would have helped this), and you'll find that everyone will be fighting to get their hands on all the weapons (adding more would have been nice when more people are playing). I found that while the four player mode is hella fun, it's best played with two people. They give you just enough items and the communication is much easier. However you choose to play the game, though, you're going to get a good challenge. Hunter is one of those games that just continues to get harder and harder, but in a good way.

From a visual standpoint, more could have been done with it being an Xbox exclusive and all, however, you won't find very many complaints from me. You game looks very solid. Great character models (though the animations can be questionable at times), very detailed environments that really show off the game's creepy atmosphere, and some well-done lighting and particle effects are what you should expect from the game. There are also some nice touches that you'd only find on the Xbox, such as the way light reflects off of concrete surfaces. Most impressive of all though, is the game's ability to render so much on screen at one time with not a hint of slow down. Just imagine four people playing the game at one time with countless enemies on the screen. Now throw in gunfire, magic effects, and body parts flying everywhere -- on any other console more than likely you'd have slow down city.

The camera can cause some problems, though. Going at the game single player is okay (you even have the ability to adjust the zoom), but with the more people you have in your party the more problems you will have. Everyone has to be a screen at one time, which means everyone always has to be in the general vicinity with one another. A lot of times it can lead to someone getting stuck on something, or someone getting beat down by baddie that can't be seen. It's not horrible my any means, and with a little communication you shouldn't have too many troubles.

The audio is just as notable as the visuals. You'll find sound effects very fitting, the voice acting slightly above average, and some truly horrifying noises that come from your enemies (the bass rattling sound of a gargoyle walking still freaks me out). The soundtrack is the only real downfall in the sound department. Music in the game is virtually non-existent, and usually just kicks in every now and then to up the excitement.

Features in Hunter could have really used a bit more work. Besides your standard mode you have two separate adventures that open up once you've completed the game Ц Alternative and Nightmare Hunter modes. Alternative basically just lets you play through the game with different outfits for your characters, while the Nightmare mode is just that Ц nightmarish, or insanely hard if you prefer. Although the modes are lacking, Hunter still has a nice bit of replay value to it when you factor in the multiplayer and four different characters to go through it with.