Hunt the Night

Hunt the Night nails the aesthetics and world-building, but fails to deliver a truly satisfying combat system outside of boss encounters.

Hunt the Night wants to stand beside the gothic greats it so clearly worships, and visually it often succeeds. That said, its haunting pixel art and oppressive atmosphere can’t hide its many rough edges, as beneath the beautiful darkness lies combat that’s stiff and exhausting instead of satisfying, exploration that rarely excites, and technical issues that constantly chip away at immersion. The creation of Moonlight Games is not without merit, but for every moment that captures the spirit of its inspirations, two more remind the player of why these became classics in the first place.

Hunt the Night has been a surprise, in a good way. Despite some flaws in execution it manages to deliver on almost everything it promises, from its dark, hopeless world to its challenging and entertaining boss fights. The icing on the cake is its exloration, full of secrets and small surprises.

Hunt the Night is a game that gets a lot right but doesn't always deliver it in the smoothest way. The core gameplay loop is engaging, the combat system has depth, and the overall atmosphere is strong and consistent. It can be challenging, but often in a way that feels intentional and rewarding. However, technical issues, especially on Switch, and some uneven pacing in both gameplay and storytelling hold it back from reaching its full potential. If you play it on a platform with better performance, you will likely have a much more enjoyable experience. Even with its flaws, there is something compelling here, especially if you are drawn to dark fantasy worlds and fast, skill-based combat.

Combining great pixel art visuals and the exploration of classic action RPGs with more modern combat mechanics, Hunt the Night delivers a good atmosphere, but ultimately suffers from flaws in some mechanics that can make progression quite frustrating.

Challenging but fun old-school-inspired top-down action RPG set in a rather bleak world

There's something appealing about Hunt the Night's visuals and atmosphere, as well as fun in its fast-paced and dynamic combat. However, issues with bugs, text layout, different commands on the same button, lukewarm dungeons, and the lack of a map system hinder the experience and prevent it from standing out.

Hunt The Night is an incredibly challenging game that does an awesome job of pushing you to perform better and better in its grueling world. 🩸

While its degree of challenge can be high, and its stage layouts aren’t always easy to follow, it still manages to at least be interesting

Its relatively short runtime offers a tight and enjoyable experience that could do with a little bit more content and world-building to iron out the well-intentioned content provided. With a very solid presentation backing it up, it’s an easy recommendation for dark action RPG fans.