HUNTDOWN CHARACTERS FULL

No matter the difficulty, this is when it gets tough.

The real challenge across the different districts are the boss fights. Some encounters can swarm you with punks, if you’re caught in the middle they can easily make short work of you. Most enemies can be dealt with swiftly, some bigger enemies take a little longer but with good use of cover they still go down. Be prepared to do lots of jumping and shooting to deal with the punks up on platforms. At first, it was disappointing, after so many years of being able to shoot upwards. You can’t point your gun at any angle, it’s straight ahead only. You’re also restricted in your movements. Although you can’t get too complacent hiding out either, some attacks can’t be avoided and are there to force you to keep moving. The enemies also make good use of cover, it often becomes a standoff as you both duck in and out from your hiding spots. These take the form of crates or recesses you can step back into, taking me right back to playing Blackthorne in the 90s. Your best bet is to make use of cover, liberally spread through each area. It doesn’t take long to be gunned down if you stand there hoping to jump over any projectiles. It’s not as simple as run and gunning it through the levels. Larger in size, they each have their own customised appearance fitting with the theme along with their own arena designed around their specific attacks. While they’re all dressed to suit the theme, it’s the bosses that get the most personality. Be warned that some stereotypes are a little dated.

HUNTDOWN CHARACTERS FULL

The earlier districts are full of punks and Hockey hooligans followed up by Motorcycling Rockabillies and cyber-samurai themes. All of these bosses are somewhat themed to the gang that occupies each area. Each district has several levels, with each level ending with a boss battle until the big boss in the final level of the district. It is a little more forgiving than arcade games like that, well until you hit the bosses that is. Huntdown is an arcade shooter reminiscent of games such as Contra. Whether it’s a sawn-off shotgun, rocket launcher or a hockey stick, you’re a force to be reckoned with. Along the way, you’ll also find secondary weapons you can pick up for some extra firepower.

Even though the submachine gun isn’t as hard-hitting, the rate of firing was helpful for multiple enemies. I stuck with Anna Conda most of the time. You can swap characters at any time, although you do have to restart the level if you’re already in one. Each hunter has an individual gun and throwable weapon, and each weapon does make a difference in how you approach the levels. The hunters don’t care what they have to do, just as long as they get paid. Themed criminal gangs are running rampant, the police are useless and the Shimamoto Corporation wants you to clear out the criminal underworld. All representing different walks of life in this mega corporation-filled future, a Human, a Cyborg and a Droid. Three bounty hunters – Anna Conda, John Sawyer and Mow Man. Enter Huntdown, a mish-mash of grimy futuristic dystopias with a criminal underworld, resembling themed gangs ala The Warriors all bundled up in a 90’s era arcade 2D shooter. It also happens to make a great setting for video games, in fact, most movies had a video game adaptation, or heavily inspired them. During the 70s and 80s the world got its fair share of futuristic dystopias through movies Escape from New York, Blade Runner, Robocop, The Terminator and even The Warriors.

Huntdown characters