REVIEW: Huntdown (2020)

We're in for a good time. I love the artwork on this!

Do you like retro games? Is the 16-bit era fondly remembered by you? Do you like over the top films from the 80s? Synth based music might be your fancy?

Huntdown might be a title that scratches your itch.

Developed by the indie Swedish development team that brought you Goat Simulator. A hilarious game especially when dealing with the crazy physics. This time it's a completely different genre. Run and gun. Similar games within the genre include Contra or Gunstar Heroes. While this does fit within this genre I think there is much more.

Cleaning up the streets isn't an easy task. Luckily you have lots of firepower at your disposal.

Yes, you run and you gun. Set during during the soon to be future as outlined heavily by films, this is a fun romp through the streets of this futuristic city. You are a bounty hunter, specifically a female one. Our protagonist is Anna Conda, a fun play on Snake from the film Escape from New York for those in the know. You need to hunt down the baddies in different sections of the city.

Each neighborhood has a different gang that occupies it. Similar to The Warriors film. Only you can liberate the people and rid the streets of the unwanted criminal element. You are tasked with these missions by a secretive woman hidden in the shadows giving you the intel and paying you credits for a completed job.

While the run and gun is a large portion I'd also consider this part strategy. Knowing how to approach the situation is paramount. You'll eventually reach a point where guns blazing will not solve the day. A strategic approach picking off the bad guys is necessary especially in the later portions of the game.

The street punks aren't big conversationalists. Keep up your guard!

The game oozes style. The 16-bit hand drawn pixel art is beautiful and amazing. Take all the best elements of the 80s and blend them together. This is what's waiting for you in this world.

The controls are tight and responsive. A robust cover system is in place here and very welcome. You can hide behind objects, usually crates to shield yourself from enemy gunfire. These are destructible too so you can't simply turtle behind an object for long! You can also hide yourself in the shadows, often storefronts and anything looking dark. This adds a fun mechanic of evading enemy fire while timing your character to emerge and dispatch the bad guys.

You have a pistol with infinite ammo that shoots multiple shots at once. Useful for those situations where you run out of ammo using the numerous guns you obtain during your journey. A simple tap of the button allows you to switch between your newly acquired weapon and the old standby.

Melee attacks are also present if you're close to the enemy. A well placed kick sends these gang members flying and feels so good once you get the timing down right.

You're going to need all the firepower you can get. These are the real mean streets.

Don't forget about the special projectiles either. A grenade, turret and molotov cocktail are some of the throwable weapons that make an appearance throughout this game. Your standard throwable weapon is an axe that arcs almost the entire screen. There is a cooldown on this weapon if you don't pick up something in the mean time. Timing this so it hits the bad buy is also another satisfying aspect and you'll be using it often.

I really like the differing gangs. There's even one with a messed up version of a hockey team, a nod to The Warriors with their baseball gang. All those enjoyable and trashy 80s gangs movies are here to enjoy. You can really tell the developers loved these films.

Each gangland territory contains a certain amount of bosses. To reach those bosses you pass through the territory and the story is told through the scenery you witness. There are usually two sections and then a boss fight. These areas continually introduce new enemy types that keep it interesting and fresh.

The ultimate steel cage match and a tough fight. I'm thinking of Escape From New York here.

Once we hit the boss you're in for a good fight. Each one is unique and possesses powers that fit their own persona. These fights are not easy either. You will need to learn the patterns through trial and error. Classic gameplay that most are used to in these types of games. Once the pattern is known you'll have a much easier time but discovering that will require multiple deaths until it clicks with you.

Each level has certain requirements that add to the replay value. One of them is always to pass the stage without dying. Yeah right, this game can be punishing at moments especially on the boss battles. Secret briefcases appear throughout the level to stimulate further replay. Later on in the game there is a character running away from you with a briefcase in hand, you better stop them to get that elusive missing briefcase before it gets away.

The music is a pure 80s synth extravaganza. Heavy influenced by Tangerine Dream and especially John Carpenter. These are some of the greats so I have no problem with that. I've given the soundtrack a listen outside of the game and have found it enjoyable.

Flame on! I see Aliens, Akira and The Thing theatrical posters. Great choices!

There are a lot of references to film within the game in general. Blade Runner plays a prominent role as most futuristic city landscapes from this time frame have been incorporated. I believe it's safe to say the game has been heavily influenced by Ridley Scott's sci-fi opus. Escape from New York and John Carpenter's music also plays a big role throughout. Right up my alley and I enjoyed every minute. At one point there is a theater in the game with 16-bit posters of Alien and The Thing, we know the developers love the movies as much as I do.

The game length is a relatively short one and perfect for me. I don't have any statistics for the time played and I figure I put in 4-5 hours. Nothing was stretched out or padded, pure gameplay was all. Thank you very much, this was an enjoyable romp through this strange and exciting world.

You can choose between characters. I stuck with Anna Conda in my playthrough.

I played through this release on a Nintendo Switch with the pro controller. The difficulty curve was there and not insane. I'm not gonna lie here, the later part of the games ramps up the difficulty considerably. I eventually triumphed and felt the satisfaction of beating an enjoyable game.

Overall this is a fun game. I like the setting, graphics and most importantly gameplay. Highly recommended for those that enjoy retro graphics, gameplay and most importantly film from this era.

Have fun, the streets are waiting for you.

Apparently an age restriction is required on Nintendo's official trailer for some reason. The official Epic Games trailer will have to do on this one 😀

All media courtesy of Nintendo. Thank you very much.