Huntdown

A 2D run and gunner that's as in your face as an 80s Troma classic, Huntdown matches its excess with brilliant detail.

Huntdown is a nihilistic, loud, explosive, even obnoxious arcade shooter. But behind its acid comic style and vulgar tone lies a superb, meticulously created action experience, packing in addictive and creative carnage, at breakneck pace, for an agreeable price. Heed the warning: Do Not Sleep on Huntdown. It's an absolute blast.

Huntdown is an ode to the gloriously violent and ridiculous action movies of the 80s, revelling in cheesy one-liners, larger than life characters, and wanton bloodshed. It's challenging but largely fair, with some thrilling boss encounters that require a variety of tactics to bring to justice.

Huntdown is a delightfully detailed and expertly crafted throwback to old-school run n' gun arcade shooters.

Huntdown is awesome, plain and simple.

Does Huntdown pass the test of capturing the spirit of the ‘80s, or is it just another neon-coated imposter? It passes - with flying colours, and probably a slow-motion explosion behind it. It has all the necessary ingredients: the excess, the attitude, the willingness to be completely ridiculous while still delivering something genuinely entertaining beyond the wonderful pixel art that dresses it all. It won’t eat up more than a week of your life (and that’s being generous), but some action games are just better as snacks rather than full meals.

Huntdown may not appeal to everyone, but if you have a soft spot for 16-bit retro shooters and '80s action movies (or if you happen to be a nostalgic gamer of a certain age), it's pretty much guaranteed to please. It's just as punishing and satisfying as you'd expect, and that's a very good thing.

Huntdown is set in a dystopian future, in a city where gangs run rampant and the police have resorted to hiring bounty hunters to deal with the worst of the worst. Choosing from one of three possible hunters, players can enforce law and order on the streets as Ana Conda, John Sawyer or Mow Man. Each will start with a unique gun and projectile, and they all come fully loaded with quick-witted replies and catchphrases ripped right out of an action movie script. This game can be enjoyed in both single and multiplayer, but for the sake of this review, only the single-player experience has been covered.

Huntdown is a tribute to eighties movies and games. It combines the action from titles as Streets of Rage and movies like The Warriors and Last Action Hero in a side-scrolling shooter, which is best enjoyed in co-op. That way the game really gets to shine and entertain you with all its glory. Shooting hundreds of enemies in four worlds never was so much fun together, even if there are a few things off balance at some moments.

Not only does Huntdown perfect what's been done in 2D shooters, it offers several new ways forward for the genre. A retro-minded tour-de-force that feels right at home in 2020.