Interplay delivers a solid, and fun, multiplayer zombie killing butcher-fest
Zombie Killing. It's hard to imagine two words that speak more strongly to the needs of rabid gamers. Sure, there's something to be said for racing and shooting, but sometimes a man (or woman) just wants to sit down and work out their fast-twitching thumbs on the hordes of undead that only we can see. If that's what you've come looking for, Hunter: The Reckoning fits the bill. If you're looking for a deep role-playing, character building and world-exploring experience, you'll come away more than a little disappointed.
Because the game is based on White Wolf's pen-and-paper RPG, I expected at least a moderately deep storyline and character development. But what's here is a rather repetitive butcher-fest. It's a fun butcher-fest, to be sure, but that, by definition, means it is rather shallow. You have the option of choosing among four characters: The Avenger, Defender, Judge and Martyr. Each has certain strengths and weaknesses, such as an affinity for melee combat vs. edges (the name given to magical abilities), and each character progresses with experience and improves themselves. But you have zero control over this progression - it simply happens - as opposed to offering you the option of increasing certain skills or learning certain edges. The bottom line is that whatever strengths or weaknesses you have at the start of the game you will also have at the end.
A key feature of the game is the multiplayer option: Up to four hunters can work together to save the town from the evil run amok inside Ashcroft Penitentiary. The downside is that everyone plays on the same screen (à la Gauntlet or Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance), but you have no control over the position of the camera angle. It is relatively close in to your characters and if one of you wanders just a little bit from the pack, everyone is stuck while you regroup. This is even a problem in single player, causing you to miss some parts of the area because the camera is stuck behind a building. At least in single player you have the option to zoom in or out. In multiplayer the consequences are more dire because there are large parts of the area from which monsters will attack, but you won't see them until they're right on top of your intrepid group.
The saving grace of the multiplayer option is, well, the options. You can decide whether friendly fire is going to be an issue by turning it on or off. If turning it off altogether is too easy, you can include the reaction to friendly fire only, without the bloodshed (getting a shotgun in the back tends to slow one down). These options alone create completely different levels of difficulty for a group of zombie killers.
Despite its flaws, it's still an addictive, challenging experience to fight your way through hordes of unforgiving hell spawn. Each level contains an appropriately powerful boss, and the challenge of having your hunter chopped to bits the first few times is just enough to make you want to come back and dish out some creamy vengeance.
Mowing down rotting flesh is even more enjoyable when you can see what's going on in grisly detail. Zombies and other monsters have never looked more decayed or gruesome than they do here. There are several different animations to accompany your butchering, so it's not just the same old "head-flies-off-zombie-dies" thing over and over again. Your character is nicely detailed, too. The Judge, for example, wears a long trench coat that actually moves with him. The scenery is detailed without being cluttered. Best of all, though, is the fact that when you spill some undead blood it stays right where you left it. Not only does this add to the macabre mood of the game, it also helps you keep from getting lost as you backtrack and get turned around. There's always a trail of blood.
The sound in Hunter: The Reckoning is appropriate. The music can be moody or more hectic, depending on the situation. The whiney guitar rifts you'll hear while running through a room full of baddies will certainly appeal to some. The voice acting during the cut scenes is good, too, but nothing out of the ordinary. There's nothing wrong with the sound in Hunter, but it won't knock your socks off, either.
Replay is where Hunter is hurt the most. The first time through is fun as you find new areas (which are creatively designed), and new and bigger weapons. After conquering the game once you have the option of playing through again on a more difficult setting with alternative outfits for the Hunters. But once you've seen this story played out there's little reason to do it again unless you're acting as a tour guide in a multiplayer game with your friends.
The graphics are good, with enough nice touches to make the game entertaining to look at, but not enough to be considered revolutionary by any stretch. The bottom line is how much you'll enjoy mastering the tricks of killing as many undead as possible without succumbing to their relentless onslaught. Playing Hunter: The Reckoning is a skill more than an experience, not unlike the arcade classics of the past. Whether or not you enjoy that type of gaming experience will determine if this game has a place on your shelf.
