The time has finally come to play this game 🤠🧌🔫

Over the past few years, I have seen a lot of my favorite gaming content creators give praise to Hunt: Showdown. I've even seen people on Hive talking about it being their favorite game. Let's just say the game has been on my radar for a while now.

There recently was news that Hunt: Showdown would be getting a free next-gen upgrade. This means if you owned the PS4 version of the game, you would get the PS5 version at no extra cost. I knew I needed to pick the game up when I saw it on sale. Lucky for me, the game went on sale as soon as the news broke. I was able to get Hunt: Showdown for only $10. A low barrier to entry means I would be far less likely to be upset with my purchase.

If you are not familiar with what Hunt: Showdown is, then let me give you a synopsis real quick. Hunt: Showdown is a unique first-person shooter developed and published by Crytek. Set in the late 1800s in the swamps of Louisiana, the game plunges players into a nightmarish world infested with monstrous creatures and supernatural horrors. What sets Hunt: Showdown apart from many other shooters is its innovative blend of player vs. environment (PvE) and player vs. player (PvP) elements. In the game, players take on the role of hunters tasked with tracking down and eliminating grotesque and formidable boss monsters. These hunts are made all the more challenging by the presence of other player teams, creating a dynamic and suspenseful experience.

The game's signature feature is the constant tension between cooperation and competition. Players must work together to hunt down and banish the monstrous bosses, but they must also watch their backs, as other players are lurking in the same hostile environment, eager to steal the bounty. This dual gameplay style makes Hunt: Showdown a thrilling and often nerve-wracking experience, as players must decide when to cooperate with others and when to engage in brutal shootouts. The game's realistic graphics, immersive sound design, and atmospheric setting combine to create a truly unsettling and darkly beautiful world.

Hunt: Showdown also places a strong emphasis on strategy and tactical decision-making. Players choose from a variety of unique hunters, each with their own set of abilities and gear, and they must carefully plan their approach to each hunt. The game's progression system allows hunters to level up, unlock new equipment, and customize their loadouts, adding an additional layer of depth to the gameplay. All in all, Hunt: Showdown offers a gripping and unconventional multiplayer experience, where every match is a high-stakes battle against both formidable AI opponents and other skilled players in a nightmarish, supernatural Louisiana.

I had heard way too many good things about this game to go in with low expectations. Although the PS5 version isn't out until next year sometime, I did go ahead and try the PS4 version to see if the game was actually as fun as it looked.

I'm sad to report that I really just did not like Hunt: Showdown. It's not a bad game at all, but it just didn't seem like my type of game. For one, I didn't really have much idea of what I was doing yet and I could tell the game had a lot of things you must learn. It would help to have an experienced squad to play with, but I didn't have that luxury.

It's also just creepy as hell and I don't really go for the jump scare games much. It keeps me on edge and I end up being more stressed than I need to be rather than chilling out and having a good time.

This game is also just difficult. Not only are the other, more seasoned human players lurking, but the AI also isn't super easy to deal with. The setting though, damn is good. The swaps of Lousiana are such a cool place and truthfully the perfect arena for this game.

In today's video, I will be giving you my true first impressions of Hunt: Showdown. I'm putting the game down for now, but will revisit it once the PS5 version drops sometime next year.