Huntdown Review | Retro cyberpunk action side scroller.

If you like classic games then this wave of neo-retro should be getting you hyped up. There are so many new games that are trying to extract the essence of your older favorites. But, that bit of nostalgia hit you get when you start playing them can wear out quickly if they stick too much to their heritage, you know what I mean? I like the classics but they were created at a different time.

However, Huntdown nails all the aspects you want from a classic but builds on them with modern ideas. It's a fun game I can't wait to tell you about. Thanks to Albert for bringing it to my attention. Huntdown isn't doing anything new, the game's biggest accomplishment is making a fun game.

It has a formula. Each level is some running and gunning then you take on a boss. The levels are short and linear with some slight platforming but they're a lot more exciting than saying the words. There are constant surprises and each has a unique theme.

With such a small game the developers were able to pack in all kinds of one-off surprises and that's not typical. Starting off you choose one of three bounty hunters to play as. Your selection is between Anna Conda, John Sawyer, and Mow Man. The only gameplay difference between them is their basic gun but you won't be relying on that too often.

Otherwise, they're all voice acted and have an over the top demeanor that fits with the rest of the game. So you should choose the one you want to listen to all game and all their quips. Because there's a ton of voice acting in Huntdown, way more than I expected.

So many little references and jokes are thrown in. Anyway, you won't be using your default gun that much because weapons drop constantly. You name it and the game has it. Between submachine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers, and sniper rifles. Making it through some of the more difficult sections require you to use these weapons to their fullest.

You need to have the right weapon for the job but you also need to know how to use it. Now, I've been strongly considering that Huntdown is a boss rush game since there's so much focus on them. There are some obstacles to get there but the bosses have all the complex mechanics and are the real challenge.

But I enjoy having the running and gunning section before the boss to keep it interesting. After the frustration of failing on a boss too many times but ultimately succeeding the last thing I want to do is go right back into it. There's room for the game, and the player, to breathe between.

Which leads into my favorite part of the game, every section of the game is home to a new gang along with unique bounties related to it. It strongly reminds me of the film, The Warriors. You know the one right? It has that famous line, "Warriors come out and play." Each gang has a theme, for example, The Misconducts are a gang that wears hockey pads and hangs out in the subway.

This is what keeps the game from getting stale, it was exciting to take on each of these new gangs. The bosses are wild too! Between the mechanics and their goofy personalities, the developer did a great job. They really went off the deep end but I don't want to dive in because that would spoil the experience.

What I will say is that I enjoyed all the bosses even though I got stuck on a couple. Included in the style are all the jokes. While they're numerous and really silly they're more subtle, unlike other games that want to shove it in your face. They're usually quick one-offs that if you know the joke you'll know and if you don't it's easy enough to ignore it.

But the game is jam-packed with them. It's really well done and gives the game that extra bit of personality. On the difficultly of Huntdown, it isn't easy but it's not impossible either. The area before bosses has many checkpoints so you don't have to replay a lot of the game.

Now, I hate replaying sections so I appreciate this but the game is easier because of it. Also, unlimited lives doesn't hurt your chances. It took me three hours to complete the game on normal difficultly. In terms of replay value, the game is a straight shot through so you'll have to make your own fun.

Huntdown does offer three objectives for each level, kill a certain amount of enemies, find all three money stashes, and a death limit. After that, you can play on higher difficulties to really challenge yourself. Not a bad solution but not one that makes me want to replay the game.

This is a personal preference though but without some sort of online play or score challenge, I don't see the point. Overall Huntdown was great and I really enjoyed the challenge. The fantastic art and humor didn't hurt either. There's a ton of action here with a silly twist that speaks to me.

It's a short sik-hour experience that feels like the correct length. Right before it gets too repetitive. There's local co-op too but I'm not able to test that out. You should keep in mind a controller is a must so beware of that. Huntdown is good clean fun that I recommend.