Hunter: The Reckoning

"The good old chop chop slaughter slaughter"

Well first of all, if you've played the 3D Gauntlet games, this should have a very similar feel to it. It's your basic run around and kill things that attack in hordes game. And another thing..I got this for ten dollars. If you can find it for such a price, be sure to pick it up. It's worth the 10. But, let's get down to the details..

Graphics: 7
These could be a lot better. They don't bother me, but more could have been done with them. The game is dark in nature, and all of the levels are appropriately designed. They all are dull, dark colors, accompanied with the respective shading or fog. One thing that I really enjoyed was the fact that there was no slowdown, although at points the screen is crammed with 30 or so characters.

SFX/Music/VoiceActing: 7
All the appropriate noises are there. Y'know. Thuds, growls, footsteps. They don't put me in awe, but it's all good. The music in this game is really low, probably since they wanted to make it creepy. Well, the music isn't anything special. It does pick up for boss fights and when there're enemies swarming you, though. Overall, I don't like the music. The voice acting was actually pretty good, in my opinion. Much better than some other games (*COUGH* SUPER BUST A MOVE 2*COUGH*). Good job there.

Story: 7
Well, a game like this doesn't need a story, but it has one. Nothing all too special, but it works nicely. I enjoyed it for the most part. The whole idea that there was a rave in a prison was weird though..

Also, if I'm not mistaken, this game is based off a pen and paper RPG. So if you're interested, look it up.

Gameplay: 9
This is the meat, boys and girls. The gameplay of this game is what it's all about. It's a standard hack and slash. Each character (either a judge, martyr, defender, or avenger) has a melee and long-range weapon (infinite ammo given of course for that one). They prove useful throughout the game. You can also find many other weapons (i.e. chainsaw, flamethrower, several shotguns and machineguns). These do, however, have limited ammo/fuel. It can be easily restored though. Each character also has access to 3 ''edges,'' a spell like feature. There are many edges and each character has a different set of them. You gain and level them up as the game continues. You yourself also gain experience.

You have to use tactics, which will probably differ depending on the amount of players you are with. Switching weapons on the fly, running, charging, strafing. You gotta do it all.

The controls are set up real nice. You use the analog stick to move, while the C-stick can be used to aim (you auto aim at medium range). Holding the C-stick and the analog in opposite directions allows you to back peddle and perform such maneuvers. The shoulder buttons are used to jump and use your weapon. A is the action or reload button. B, X, and Y all are for weapon selection. They are arranged well, though. B is made for cycling through weapons picked up. Y is for your edges, and X is for your primary weapons.

Replay Value: 6
Since the game itself is repetitive, you might find yourself coming back to it, especially if you play with a friend. The only problem is the game is linear. No level selection at all. You have to start fresh and go from start to end.

-=Other=-
Camera:
Generally it's good. There are some awful angles, but I only had it stuck up once or twice.

Multiplayer:
Up to 4 people can play, making this game a blast. Be sure to play with someone else. It'll make that much of a difference.

Memory Card Tax:
Only 2 blocks per save. That's good.

Buy It or Rent It:
You can beat this by renting it once or twice, depending on how much you play. But rentals for new games are pretty high. Seeing that I got my copy for 10 bucks, try to find it cheap. If you can, snag it. If not, rent it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/16/03, Updated 02/16/03