Games worth discovering
Run & gun
236 View2024-06-11
Gameplay: 2/2.5 (Done very well and made the experience a worthwhile one)
Monetization: 2.5/2.5 (Wonderful, wish more games used this model)
Replayability: 1/2.5 (Slightly below the industry standard for this genre)
Atmosphere: 2/2.5 (Done very well and made the experience a worthwhile one)
Score: 7.5
Personal Play Time: 2.5 Hours
Huntdown feels like a game straight out of the NES era, reminiscent of titles like Ninja Gaiden and Contra. It’s hard as nails at times, with a 2D plane that works well with its 16-bit graphical design. Above all, it’s unabashedly itself—a retro, over-the-top shooter focused on boss design and epic boss fights. Sure, the dialogue is cheesy, and the “story” (in heavy air quotes) is predictable. But despite its brevity, clocking in at under 2 hours, it manages to deliver an enjoyable experience.
In Huntdown, you play as a bounty hunter tasked with cleaning up the streets. You choose one of three hitmen, who generally play similarly. You have one major bounty with several smaller ones along the way. Each level involves running from left to right, clearing out enemies who occasionally drop health or weapons. As you reach the end of each level, you face a boss—rinse and repeat. Each section of the city has a unique theme and set of weapons, culminating in a major boss that can require several attempts to defeat.
The game is mindless fun. On normal difficulty, you regain all health at checkpoints, making most of the game a cakewalk. However, higher difficulty levels require more cautious play. The weapons are diverse and fun, though I wished I could hold three instead of two, as I often saved ammo for the boss room. The controls are tight and responsive, essential for a fast-paced game, especially towards the end when multiple enemies crowd the screen. I experienced no technical issues throughout my playthrough.
However, the game’s brevity is a significant drawback. It lasts only two hours, and while you can replay on harder difficulties or in arcade mode, I doubt most players will. With a price tag between $5 and $8, you’ll need to decide if the experience is worth it. Each level includes three sub-missions, like defeating a certain number of enemies, finding all briefcases, or not dying. Unfortunately, these sub-missions offer little incentive beyond bragging rights. When the game ends, you’re left thinking, “That’s it?” It feels like it was setting up for another chapter that never arrives.
Huntdown scratches an itch for old-school run-and-gun shooters with cool, albeit stereotypical, bosses. The game boasts a level of polish with fully voice-acted characters and no performance issues. However, once finished, there’s little reason to return. It was fun and the fights were cool, but it ended too quickly.
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2024-06-16
hibkhz
2024-06-16