Windows

Hunter Hunted

I really enjoy playing this game, and I am thrilled to see a rather different kind of shooter enter the game picture. We have too many 3D first-person shooters being released, and while Hunter/Hunted cannot compete with the direct virtual reality of Duke Nukem or Quake, it is not supposed to do so. Sierra's production values are uniformly superb in this game, and it is encouraging to see k.a.a ("knot another adventure game") as a rebellious splinter group within Sierra responsible for this product and moving the company in a new and exciting direction.

You run down the alley and stop at the corner. You know the monster is around. You can hear is angry grunts. You draw your pistol and just wait for it to come. You here the sounds of brick being smashed. So you look up just in time to see the mighty beast pounce on you. This is the world of Hunter Hunted by Sierra. It's a side scrollin' action game that puts you in the shoes of either Jake, the strongest human on Earth, or the beast, Garathe Den, who is the most ferocious creature of Kullrathe.

Der er ikke megen nytænkning i Hunter Hunted, og hverken grafikken eller lyden er særlig enestående, men nærmere middelmådig. Alligevel formår det at holde én beskæftiget i lang tid, fordi spilopbygningen er simpel, sjov og ligetil.

Hunter Hunted stellt keinen Meilenstein dar, bietet jedoch überaus solide Actionkost mit erfreulich vielen, abwechslungsreichen Levels.

Det gode ved Hunter Hunted er spilkonceptet: enten er man jægeren, eller også er man byttet. På den måde møder man ikke bare den sædvanlige kanonføde, men også intelligent modstand med ordentlige våben.

The gameplay is straightforward and violent enough; the tight graphics of the characters, the flying shell casings as players unload into their onscreen enemies, and the crispness and power of the sound effects remind one of the sheer joy of gunfire in Out of This World or Flashback, which are fine steps to follow in. Also, the soundtrack, ranging from screechy metal tunes to clashing industrial bangers, suits the action well. The two-player split-screen mode is no more nor less annoying than most split-screen game situations, and you do, at least, have the ability to delve horizontally into the world and attempt to sneak up on your opponent from behind, above or below. Hunter Hunted is a level-hopping step in the right direction...but only a small, tentative step (as opposed to the line-crossing stomp of, say, Abuse). There is reason for hope if Sierra's new, edgier title division Keeps Applying Attitude.

Hunter Hunted ist sicherlich keine Sensation im Weihnachtsgeschäft, ein solides und kurzweiliges Spiel ohne allzu hohen Denkanspruch ist es jedoch allemal. Für die Mittagspause im Großraumbüro eignet sich Sierras Spiel ebensogut wie für das kleine Spielchen nach dem Abendessen. Daß man sich mit Hunter Hunted mehrere Nächte um die Ohren schlägt, ist jedoch äußerst unwahrscheinlich.

While Hunter Hunted shows a lot of sure-handed gameplay and attention to detail, it ultimately is unable to transcend the genre and lacks the crucial multiplayer features and level building utilities that could make it a cult favorite a la Abuse.

Musiken i spelet är förträfflig, och höjer spelglädjen avsevärt, men Hunter Hunted är rätt simpelt, sin vackra grafik till trots. Man springer till höger och vänster och plockar upp lite vapen, och den här typen av plattformsspel känns förlegad och ointressant.