Hunt: Showdown is an absolutely gorgeous game that pairs hunters together to track down a creature, then become the hunted
At E3 2017, Crytek released gameplay footage of their upcoming PvP Co-Op monster hunter Hunt: Showdown. You can see the footage above. Hunt: Showdown composes of 3 main phases: track the beast, take down the beast, escape. It is a perfect example of easier said than done. As you are able to see in the footage, tracking the beasts is a whole lot of problems on its own. You have other teams of hunters to deal with and you have a 1sq km to look for clues to find the beast. Then taking down the beast itself is no easy tasks, as the beast tends to be a sort of boss monster that is as deadly as it looks. After taking it down, you must banish the beast in order to collect the bounty. That’s where Phase 3 kicks in. As soon as you begin to banish the beast, all other hunters will be alerted to where you are and come to take the bounty themselves. You’ll have to defend your bounty as it is being banished, then fight your way to an exit point. Simple in concept, but deadly dangerous in execution.
The first thing to really capture my attentions about Hunt, the graphics. The game is stunning. What it does exceptionally well is show detail in darkness. You can still see the silhouettes of the environment and get a real feel of the depth and detail Crytek has put into the game. Especially when it comes to the contrast. You can get a really good look at it in the images, the amazing realness to how the lighting is rendered in game. How flashlights do show the natural color of objects but fades into the surrounding darkness. Or how fire lights up the night, but only enough to give everything an orange tinge. Hunt: Showdown’s graphics are incredible and, in my opinion, boasts the best at E3.
Graphics aren’t everything and Crytek seems to have included adrenaline pumping gameplay that is just as impressive. Hunt isn’t a run and gun type of game. Yes, there are times you will fight your way through a swarm of enemies, but you must also be aware of the other players. You can take each other on at any time. What prevents players from just running and gunning, is Permadeath. If your character dies, that character, and all that you have put into them, is lost forever. All your hard work and time spent will be gone. This creates a truly interesting aspect of the game because it changes the way players frame everything. No one wants to waste all of their efforts, so if they’re injured they may just leave. Heads up fighting other players isn’t a great bet, so chances are you will be ambushed. It allows for players to really determine the pacing of the game. Players can choose to run and gun or they can sit and wait, or anything in between. Personally, I don’t know quite how I feel about the permadeath. I was feeling extremely anxious just watching the game, but if I was playing I would likely LeRoy Jenkins a lot. I like how it’s a question that every player will face, and will make for very unique encounters.
Hunt: Showdown is a game to look out for. Gorgeous graphics, anxiety-inducing gameplay, and a truly unique approach to a highly saturated genre is always something gamers want. Not to mention the guaranteed hilarious streams of players who invest a lot of time and effort into a character that will inevitably be killed. It will be glorious! Sadly, I do not have the information on release date. But be sure to check out to their Youtube Channel and check back with us for all the latest on Crytek’s Hunt: Showdown.
