Later sections can become a warzone of flying bullets and rampant explosions, but its natural progression means players aren’t ill-equipped to deal with these chaotic fights. The default mode is almost flawlessly tuned, as it starts out with simple enemies to give players time to acclimate before gradually ramping up with each passing stage. Checkpoints are plentiful and mean that dying is nothing more than a temporary setback and learning experience.īut these gestures don’t mean Huntdown is a cakewalk.
By default, the game is not as punishingly designed as those that came before it. The thoughtfulness that Easy Trigger Games applied to the core move set extends to the other parts of the game, too, and the difficulty is one of the best examples of the studio’s creative touch. Taking cover does take a second too long and can lead to some unexpected hits, but is generally a solid addition since it is yet another option to utilize, and something that further deepens Huntdown‘s gameplay and makes it a joy to play. Sliding also keeps up momentum and means players can quickly react to incoming fire without breaking their stride. Being able to dodge through shots is smooth since there are just enough invulnerability frames to make it an effective tool, but not too many to where it can be abused or mistimed, something that is also reinforced through its somewhat lengthy cooldown. There are also recesses to hide in and bits of cover that help protect players from bullets for those times where less aggressive defensive actions are more appropriate.Īll of these moves make Huntdown a more skill-dependent game that goes beyond pattern recognition and simply jumping over bullets. This works in tandem with the slide that can smoothly glide under projectiles during a sprint. Its dash ability makes projectiles easier to dodge and even functions as a sort of Smash Bros.-esque wavedash in the air, since its diagonal trajectory yields some forward momentum. Huntdown’s controls are the biggest and most noticeable improvement, as they give players more freedom of movement and push the genre forward. It’s a basic and apt explanation, but this game excels in the details that make up those systems.
In Huntdown, players move from left to right, shooting copious amounts of bad dudes with a variety of explosive weaponry.
#GAMES LIKE HUNTDOWN SERIES#
However, it is so much more than the homage it appears to be.īeing a Contra-like run-and-gun game means that Konami series serves as an effective shorthand for its general flow. Huntdown is yet another one of these types of side-scrolling shooters and the intentionally ridiculous characters on its cover and its pixelated art style mean that it can very easily be one of those games that struggles to rise above its obvious influences. Contra-style games have always been a popular touchpoint for indie developers, as shown by titles like Cuphead, Blazing Chrome, Mercenary Kings, and Valfaris to name a few. It’s incredibly difficult to separate the good retro homages from the mediocre or bad ones since there are so many.
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