TLDR: It's one of the best multiplayer shooters out there right now, 10/10. However, you really should read more about the game somewhere to see if it's your cup of tea, or just skim the write-up below.


I'm 1800 hours in at this point and I don't usually write reviews, but I've fallen in love with this game. Initially I was very hesitant to buy it, but a friend of mine convinced me, I didn't think I'd like it but I was very wrong.


General Explanation of the Gameplay Loop
It is an extraction shooter, you can choose to leave the game at any point within the 45 minutes you are given, as long as you are alive and get to one of multiple extraction points. Twelve players load into a square 1km map, with a PVE element mixed in. You have to deal with the other hunters (players) in the game, but also kill zombies and other abominations along the way. Sound is extremely important and extremely well done. There are sound traps like crows, ducks, horses, chicken coops, random twigs etc that can give away your position, pretty much everything that can make a sound will make a sound, including you so you can choose to go guns blazing or be the sneaky Solid Snake of the bayou. You can choose to play as a solo, in duos, or trios with random players or friends.

The boss or bosses that spawn at compounds serve to bring the players to a central point to promote PVP, you can find the boss by finding clues at compounds on the map, then once you get three clues the boss location is revealed, then you must kill the boss and banish it. Once banished the boss drops bounty tokens, which give you a "superpower" of sorts, and you must extract with them to get XP and money to buy more gear. Other hunters will want to kill you for these tokens.
If you're hunter dies and you are not resurrected and and do not make it out alive, your hunter is permanently dead. Have no fear, you get used to losing them and it becomes much less anxiety inducing. I only say this if you have "gear fear", or are scared of losing items/equipment/characters. It's really not a big deal in this game, you bounce back fast. On the topic of hunters, they do gain levels and gain trait points. Basically you can create a build for your hunter and they will exceed at certain things like being more silent, being able to sprint longer, throw explosives farther etc.

You also have an overall account level called your bloodline that will level as you play, that is purely to unlock weapons/equipment/traits. You can get to max level quite quickly, and there are multiple variants of weapons you can unlock once the initial weapon gets unlocked. Purchasing these weapons and equipment requires Hunt dollars, you earn hunt dollars by successfully extracting from a mission, you can earn Hunt dollars in many different ways but ultimately they are there for you to gear up your hunter. If you just like leveling, you can also choose to prestige.


When and Where the Game Takes Place
The setting is in Louisiana, the Bayou in 1895. There are currently three maps (all are one square km) that have different day/night variations and different weather effects. Every single map has a ton of detail, so many places to explore and hide in or bunker down in with traps, and a lot of sneaky peeking spots in every compound. Every single compound is lovingly crafted and updated over time for balance and quality of life.
The aesthetics are also very unique, there are not a ton of games that revolve around the late 1800's in a swampland let alone a multiplayer FPS. It's a nice change from a lot of modern FPS settings. The game has very good graphics, not top of the line per say but they are still excellent, and will improve as Crytek updates the engine over the next year. A fourth map is also scheduled to be released sometime in 2024.


Weapons and Equipment
Do you like single and double action revolvers? Old school shotguns? Bolt action rifles? Winchesters? Want to be Daryl Dixon with a crossbow? Or how about a cavalry saber? Maybe you want to use to an axe and chase people around while yelling like a maniac through VOIP? I have good news for you, you've found the game. This game has a lot of variety in weapons that are era appropriate and each weapon has a TON of variations for you to toy with, on top of that there is custom ammo. Explosive rounds, fire rounds, poison rounds, etc.

You choose how you want to play the game, and there are so many options, or you can play it fairly plain, that works too. There are a lot of good traps/consumables, and other general items that are very fun that allow you to choose your play style. You want to set some traps? Grab some poison trip mines or concertina trip mines, if you're feeling extra spicy grab some alert trip mines and put them next to explosive barrels. That's just one example, but you have access to many tools and consumables that will cause chaos, confusion, and death.
The Art Style and Soundtrack
How this game has flown under the radar in these categories is mind blowing. Hands down, I don't think I've ever experienced a game that nailed both of these quite like this one. Port Sulphur Band does the soundtrack, they are actually devs for Crytek and just happen to be extremely talented musicians. I actually play their albums on my drive to work, and when I'm doing stuff around the house.

On the other side of the coin, the art team also doesn't ever seem to skip a beat, they pump out so many amazing cosmetics, and they've given the game so many fantastic details and artistic touch in all the right places. Both teams nailed it, and they deserve all the praise and recognition.


The Dev Team and Future of the Game
I feel like this is rare nowadays, but the Hunt team really cares about this game, and you can tell it's their passion project. The game is well balanced, and not only that but they actually listen to community feedback. I'm not just saying that to say it. They listen and then they implement changes whether it's to fix something unbalanced, or some game breaking bug.
Now, they are not perfect, and there have instances of certain bugs that took a while to figure out and fix, or general server issues. In their defense, they do actively work on these things, and have excellent communication with the community about the progress they are making or what they intend to do to fix something. They also keep the game interesting by running seasonal events that change aspects of the gameplay and typically introduce some new element, weapons, boss, etc. The game has been out for six years now, and they keep making it better and better. I really believe this game will continue to grow and flourish under Crytek, they've set the bar really high for other developers.


Final Thoughts
All in all, the game isn't perfect, but it's very close, and it keeps getting closer. It is a very challenging game, and it has a very high skill ceiling, but you don't have to be a pro to play and have fun, once you get the basics down it's just a process of repetition. It will take more time to learn than COD, but probably not as much as something like Tarkov.

if you like a challenge and paying attention to the little details, this is the game for you. I've played this game a lot, and I still learn new things and keep trying to get better all the time, it somehow just doesn't get stale. I highly recommend you try it, It goes on sale quite frequently, so give it a shot and see what you think.

Hopefully I'll see you in the Bayou partner.