[Original review preserved as a period piece from a couple years ago. Scroll deeper for a more modern take.]

Man, Hunt:Showdown has really become a miserable time somehow

On its surface it's everything I would like. Stealth action PVE/PVP set in an alternate history civil war timeline with supernatural zombies:

You and a buddy plumb through the bayou hunting zomberinos and banishing demons using guns from the "Nerf or Nothing" era of firearm design.

Full of visceral danger, mortality at every step! but the reality is everyone sets the foliage to off and snipes you across the map because like some kind of Metal Gear Acid Tripper I inevitably end up hiding in bushes that only exist to me.

it's such a great concept that just does not ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ work at all.
or at least simulates exactly how miserable a world in which demons are less dangerous than your neighbors would actually be.

I really think that game would be much improved if you and the 15 other people on the map at any given time were like, actually gonna' have to work together.

Until they do something with it you can really just get the same effect by having your next door neighbor fire a gun in the air somewhere in the yard opposite your home while you stare at a Dark Souls "You died" screen.

[UPDATE]

The game Hunt has been in an ongoing state of improvement for a while now. They've recently completely donked the UI in a way that's inconvenient, but not entirely unclear, but they've actually addressed some of the above points.

The natural hazards of the world have been becoming more frequent and more oppressive in the moment to moment gameplay. Larger, scarier beasts have been added that spawn more sporadically in the gameworld in addition to the usual canned hams.

Gunplay has been addressed to include bullet travel times and bullet drop, meaning that lag wizards who have turned off foliage nearly entirely can no longer 360 aimbot noscope you from halfway across the Virginia wildlands.

Ultimately, I have come around and there is a lot to love here if you can keep yourself unsalted.

[Original review preserved as a period piece from a couple years ago. Scroll deeper for a more modern take.] Man, Hunt:Showdown has really become a miserable time somehow On its surface it's everything I would like. Stealth action PVE/PVP set in an alternate history civil war timeline with supernatural zombies: You and a buddy plumb through the bayou hunting zomberinos and banishing demons using guns from the "Nerf or Nothing" era of firearm design. Full of visceral danger, mortality at every step! but the reality is everyone sets the foliage to off and snipes you across the map because like some kind of Metal Gear Acid Tripper I inevitably end up hiding in bushes that only exist to me. it's such a great concept that just does not fucking work at all. or at least simulates exactly how miserable a world in which demons are less dangerous than your neighbors would actually be. I really think that game would be much improved if you and the 15 other people on the map at any given time were like, actually gonna' have to work together. Until they do something with it you can really just get the same effect by having your next door neighbor fire a gun in the air somewhere in the yard opposite your home while you stare at a Dark Souls "You died" screen. [UPDATE] The game Hunt has been in an ongoing state of improvement for a while now. They've recently completely donked the UI in a way that's inconvenient, but not entirely unclear, but they've actually addressed some of the above points. The natural hazards of the world have been becoming more frequent and more oppressive in the moment to moment gameplay. Larger, scarier beasts have been added that spawn more sporadically in the gameworld in addition to the usual canned hams. Gunplay has been addressed to include bullet travel times and bullet drop, meaning that lag wizards who have turned off foliage nearly entirely can no longer 360 aimbot noscope you from halfway across the Virginia wildlands. Ultimately, I have come around and there is a lot to love here if you can keep yourself unsalted.