Recent reviews by Insucc

You know that bit Dunkey has where he mocks all the different game review companies for making players "Feel like Batman"? Hunt Showdown makes you feel like a cowboy alright. Not just any cowboy, but a cowboy stuck in a lawless, post-civil war era hellscape. Every time you queue up you'll get that funny feeling that everything will end in an abrupt, bloody flash of carnage, and all of your work will just be gone like that. I am not a fan of scary games, yet the adrenaline rush of knowing you see a player that doesn't see you is what keeps me coming back. The best part about Hunt Showdown though? That feeling of adrenaline is nothing compared to the feeling of insignificance that this game will give you. You will feel weak and small. Sure, you might have the drop on a guy, but out here in the bayou if you're not cool as a cucumber you WILL miss that first shot, and some guy who has played maybe 80 games in total is going to come at you with everything he has, and he WILL shoot you in the head. When that happens, there are two options: You either Alt + F4, or you realize it's time to put on your big swamp boy pants and get the hell back in there. When you walk out of that next game with both bounties and 7 kills, you're going to feel like a real desperado. Everyone with over 50 hours knows the exact feeling I am talking about.

Right off the bat, players quickly realize that any time you load into a game of Hunt Showdown, you are taking a risk. This game thrives off of the idea of high risk, high reward. Picture your fully kitted out hunter, made up of the following: what you might consider the best guns, a full set of consumables, like health shots or grenades, that give you the confidence that you're ready for any fight, and a vast (but not overwhelming) perk system with both specific gun-type advantages as well as just overall quality of life benefits. You feel like you could tackle the world twice over. With over $1000 worth of in-game currency on your swampy soldier's back, you load in feeling like an unstoppable death machine. Surely you just need to play a little smarter and you'll walk out with that same soldier and a large sum of money to boot right? Wrong. Hunt Showdown doesn't give a damn about you. You have a long range Mosin Sniper with high-velocity Spitzer rounds? Well that sucks, you just spawned in a night game, it's pitch black, the extraction points are on the other side of the map, and you're now sandwiched in between two teams. When I say that all it takes is just one bullet from the pistol you get at level 1, to lay you to rest out in the swamp, I mean it. A brand new player that bought the game last night, a lucky shot or two, and the pressure of your life on the line, is all it takes to get that very same life ripped from you right in front of your eyes.

Let's say you manage to make it out of that sticky situation? Players are no longer actively trying to kill you, but the environment of Hunt: Showdown always has you as the number one target. Monsters stand between you and your goal the entire time you're in there, you don't get a break. Monsters scream. Monsters attract other monsters. Monsters create havoc. If you're not careful, and you scare that flock of crows next to you? Anyone near you now knows where you're at, and you'll only know if you've gone from the hunter to the hunted once bullets start flying by your head. Punishing is an understatement . One wrong move can be the difference between walking away with 2000$, or putting your head down on your desk wondering what could have done better. As the legendary Captain Jean-Luc Picard said on Star Trek, "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." You'll find out really quick that life hits you hard in the bayou.

"It kind of sounds like all I have to do is be able to shoot other people before they shoot me. I was good at Call of Duty and CS:GO, what's stopping me from success in Hunt: Showdown?"
Sit down and shut up. Hunt: Showdown is not your average shooter. Good aim can only get you so far in a game like this. It will help, sure, but aim alone will not bring you victory. One thing that Hunt: Showdown brings to the table that I find incredibly interesting for an FPS is bullet velocity. This game does not care that your crosshair was centered on your enemy's head. If your target is moving, and you happen have a slower-travelling FMJ bullet, if you aim right at them you're going to miss. I see post after post about how "my crosshair is on his head wtf". This game is so much more than rooty, tooty, point 'n' shooty. On the fly calculations, predictions, fuse timing, paying attention to your environment, spacing and movement, health and stamina management, knowing what perks you have and applying them to the current situation, hearing what kind of guns your enemies have so you can know when they need to reload, are just a fraction of everything going on, and if you miss even one of those steps, it can be over in a flash. The game offers you the option of trip mines and bear traps, often rewarding well performed ambushes. You can be one of the best Hunt: Showdown players despite being terrible at other First Person Shooter games. The Hunt: Showdown experience is arguably more about tact, decision making, and execution than it is about just shooting enemies.

I cannot stress this part enough. There's arguments for both sides I'm sure. In my opinion, Hunt: Showdown is one of the most unique experiences I've had in my 15+ years of gaming. Hunt is not your traditional shooter. This game brings back the intensity and heart-racing action of old PUBG or H1Z1 games, alongside a fresh art style, a rich, compelling backstory with lore that no one asked for or deserves, and an incredibly well done creepy, eerie, and overall grim aesthetic with a few splashes of fun here and there. There truly is something for everyone. You'll see that most playstyles are accompanied by guns, tools, and perks that fit your intentions. There are duo and trio options, so you and up to two friends can all collectively go insane. Have no friends? There's a partnering system in place to get you randoms to play with. Hate everyone? Enjoy yourself as a solo, with options to only play against duos, or if you need a bigger challenge, queue into duos and trios so you'll never know if there is a third teammate lurking. In game voice chat can lead to incredibly funny or unbelievably wholesome moments, and that kill or be killed drive in your brain will be tested when you're attempting diplomacy with a stranger that could just as easily end you, as you could end them. Hunt: Showdown has a steep learning curve and will frustrate you to no end. Hunt: Showdown is a one of a kind spin on PvPvE, and I have never seen anything like it in all the best ways. Just when you think you're in the clear you will get reminded that there is no rest out in the swamp.

In Hunt: Showdown, no game is the same. You will never encounter a scenario you've experienced before. You'll learn angles, effective strategies, and vantage points, but you'll learn of these things because you'll die to them. You'll die a lot. Death happens in video games. Especially in high stress fights in Hunt, it's important to remember to be kind regardless of the outcome. Voice chat is a gift. too many toxic experiences can mean the difference between funding for a competent developer team, or one stressed out team lead who was put in charge of some interns whose mental health is on a tightrope. Tip your hat to the folks. Comment on their profile about that nice shot they hit. Say GG if you had to break a sweat to wipe that team out. The bayou is already a dark and dreadful place, bring some light to it. Bonus points if you role play as a cowboy.

See you out in the swamp gamers. I hope you all find the Yee to your Haw.

This game is very fun, many fun when hit button right. Kill enemy! Pow terrorist.