Hunter: The Reckoning

"Great multiplayer action, but solo gamers beware..."

I found out that Hunter: The Reckoning had been ported to the Gamecube when I saw it on an EBgames store shelf for $9.99. I figured what the hell, it's only $10 bucks. I got my money's worth on the game, but now that the price is back up again, you may want to reconsider buying this game. Since you can rent it for only about $5, that's probably the best choice for someone unsure about a purchase.

Graphics-7/10
The graphics in this game are pretty decent. Character models look excellent, but the zombie and other monsters could use some work. They're not really ugly, but the graphical quality is nowhere near what it is for the characters. The environments are huge, and show some really nice modeling, but the textures aren't very good. Not an eye-sore, but nothing that you would hook-up to show your friends what the Gamecube is capable of.

Sound-8/10
The undead moan their creepy moans, and everything sounds pretty good in this game. The only downside is that the soundtrack sometimes goes all heavy-metal, and that gets kind of annoying. But if that's your kind of bag, then you won't have anything to complain about. Good stuff all around.

Gameplay-6/10
Hunter is like the Mario Party series in that if you play with other players (up to 4 people can play), you're in for one hell of a good time. However, if you plan on playing solo, you can get more bang for your buck elsewhere. As a single-player experience, it gets old and repetitive really fast. You'd be lucky if you wanted to play through it once. For multiplayers, the experience can be enjoyed over and over again. The gameplay in this game basically breaks down like this: Shoot monsters, reload, shoot monsters, find the occasional key, shoot more monsters, and then sometimes face a boss. The sum experience does get repetitive after a while, but the boss fights are humongous and incredibly fun. Like I said before, this game caters more to the gamer with friends to play with.

Replay-6/10
Some extra modes (harder difficulty) are unlocked once you complete the game, and that's about it. Solo gamers will probably play through once, others will play through multiple times. It all depends on your style of gaming.

Overall-6/10
Great multiplayer action, decent (but extremely repetitive) solo action. Give this one a rent first. Who knows, you might like it. If this game ever goes on sale for $10 again, though, definitely pick it up. I'm sure you'll get your money's worth.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 07/15/03, Updated 09/18/03