With many of today’s games focusing on realism, and not to mention more complex controls (Steel Batallion’s 40-button controller comes to mind), sometimes simple games that don’t require much thinking are a welcome get-away. Such is the case with Hunter: The Reckoning. Hunter is an engrossing next-gen hack'n slash game, with a bit more depth than other games of it’s type. While Hunter is a simple game at heart, it provides loads of fun, especially with more than one person around.

While many hack'n slash games basically focus on just the gameplay, Hunter also adds great graphics, sound, and a very good story to set it apart from other games in it’s genre. It’s easy to think of Hunter as Gauntlet Legends and Resident Evil in one game, and the cross works perfectly. Hunter is deeper than many hack'n slash games, but it isn’t any less fun; in fact, it’s depth makes it more fun.

The story of Hunter is good enough to get people interested in it, and even though hack'n slash games really don’t need a story, Hunter benefits from it anyway. Based on White Wolf’s pen-and-paper RPG, Hunter is the story of a small town called Ashcroft. Ashcroft has been secretly living under the control of Vampires, WereWolves, and other supernatural forces for years, but people do not realize it. Vampire attacks are disguised as gang violence, while Werewolf attacks are regarded as animal maulings. Creatures have been using humans as pawns to take power over the other groups, but humans do not have the power to see these acts of violence. Four people are brought to the Ashcroft Prison for the execution of serial killer Nathaniel Arkady. A priest, biker, raver, and cop, each of whom have been brought by some circumstance to the execution. During this event, the spirits of dead inmates killed by vampires and werewolves are released from the execution, and the four witnesses are given the power to see this evil. They see certain people as the zombies and vengeful spirits they really are, and they can also see vampires and werewolves as well. This power allows them to kill the evil lurking around Ashcroft, and they do just that, sealing off the prison in which angry spirits stir. One year later, on the anniversary of Nathaniel Arkady’s execution, a rave is held. The rave once again wakes up the spirits of the inmates, turning all of the ravers into zombies, and letting the supernatural take power again. Now the Hunters must reassemble to save Ashcroft yet again.

The Multi-Player is definitely a nice choice, and very much needed in higher levels. The easy to get used to controls, the adequate graphics all make this game a good buy. Online support would definitely have put this one up higher, but still the ability to have four people play on the same screen is awesome.