Hunt: Showdown Offers Thrills and Chills

Hunt: Showdown is a multiplayer game that will pit players against each other in a monster filled environment. Forced to balance the different threats of PvP and PvE at the same time, it may just be able to offer us a different take on the multiplayer experience.

Hunt: Showdown, the new game from Crytek, is currently in Closed Alpha. I’ve spent some time crawling around it’s murky swamp, killing monsters and fighting my fellow humans. The game itself works on an interesting premise. Monsters have taken over the world, and humanity finds itself fighting to survive. Because people never seem to change, they are also fighting each other.

Each round of the game will task players with tracking down, and killing, a monster. To do this you need to be faster, smarter, and a better aim than your opponents. You can play with a friend, or go in solo. Currently, the various creatures you can run into on the map are interesting, but their behaviour is predictable and somewhat tame. The real tension comes from interactions with other players. It can be a lot of fun to have your plans fall apart as a bullet whips past you, announcing the presence of fellow Hunters who wish to gun you down and steal your bounty.

There is also a solid foundation that rewards not just teamwork, but players who bring different skills to the game. One certified slayer with solid aim, and somebody with a solid grasp on tracking, will be a formidable duo as you hunt down monsters. Hunters, equipment and cosmetics can be bought using cash that you earn in game. Successfully hunting monsters and defeating other Hunters will all earn you those sweet coins.

Being a CryEngine game, there is some obvious beauty lurking in this closed alpha, enough to imply the finished game might be quite striking. A strong atmosphere is also present, the constant threat of monsters and fellow hunters are amplified by your swampy surroundings, run down shacks and underground mines. There are some technical issues at the moment, but nothing that would be deemed unforgivable, given the early state of the game.

Hunt: Showdown will be released into Early Access on Steam, but at present has no confirmed release date. It is certainly worth keeping an eye on, even if you don’t plan on buying in early. The game can potential offer a different kind of thrill for players looking for a solid PvP fix.