I don’t necessarily know how to go into greater detail about this, but that’s the ace in the hole. Instead, Huntdown just simply has near-perfect level design. There’s no level that changes up the formula or throws players for a loop, like a sudden driving section or any kind of genre shift. The odd thing, though, is that none of this polish is blatant, at least from an innovation standpoint. Easy Trigger Games have gone above and beyond here, crafting something that looks completely carefree yet obviously has a ton of work poured into every aspect of the world. And that’s how immaculate every part beneath the surface is and how it clicks together. What makes Huntdown work is something not necessarily visible to the naked eye at first. But all of that is for nothing if you’re running around and shooting punks in just any old setup. Sure, the gameplay is rock solid, utilizing familiar run-and-gun and action-platformer tropes and tools. All of this may not sound like much…and yet it adds up to so much more in execution.Ī phrase that I tend to use often in my reviews, “genius in its simplicity,” easily applies to Huntdown. Which will be extremely tough, given the type of game we have here and the era it pays homage to. The final secondary goal is to complete a level without dying. There’s also the goal of obtaining three hidden briefcases in each level, which requires a nice amount of exploration and even requires you be fast in chasing down enemies that have them before they can get away, upping the ante. See, you don’t have to actually kill enemies when necessary and can run past most of them if they’re giving you trouble, but killing a certain amount of enemies in each level is a goal the game gives you that you can shoot for (and let’s be honest, you will be killing tons of enemies anyway, if only for that old-school rush). There’s also an emphasis on destructible environments at times, including your own cover being damaged or being able to create your own cover in a wall with the right explosion.Īlso notable are the secondary objectives. By ducking behind an object like a crate or car or pressing up while in front of a dark opening, you can pop out simply by pressing fire, which leads to some fun firefights. There are a couple of notable additional elements, though. It’s the type of tried-and-true gameplay that’s easy to get into and controls perfectly. Here’s you (or you and a friend if playing co-op), here’s a specific default gun for your character, here’s a ton of enemies in your way, here’s a bunch of weapons to pick up, now go nuts. Similarly, the gameplay in Huntdown doesn’t require much elaboration. Our main trio are a colorful bunch of ex-commandos, cyborg cops and androids I could discuss, but I would be unable to set the stage as well as the game’s launch trailer (“He’s been a man ever since he was a boy!”). It’s a simple plot from the days of coin-op, and there’s not much more I can add to it. They want you to take care of some of the street gangs that have popped up in this dystopian future, and so armed with a trusty gun, you head out to do just that.
Set in the far future, Huntdown sees you playing as one of three bounty hunters, hired by “Wolfmother,” a mysterious key figure in the Shimamoto Corporation. But can it match the same level of enjoyment as its inspirations? It does everything it can to emulate classic late ’80s arcade games (to the point of having actual arcade versions of the game planned), even if the over-the-top attitude and aesthetics feel a bit like modern design choices. So when confronted with Huntdown, the new 2D action game from developers Easy Trigger Games, I had to see if it could pass a similar test.
Every part of it is designed to make it feel like an NES game that came straight out of 1991. Not merely because it’s a good game, but rather because it wholly commits to providing a perfect retro experience. Whenever I think of the gold standard for retro-style indie games, my go-to title tends to be Shovel Knight.
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