#HUNTDOWN ART FULL#
#HUNTDOWN ART TV#

Whilst platforming is never a focal point, the player has enough movement options to keep the moment to moment gameplay interesting, and I regularly found myself dashing from cover to cover before trying to sneak in a few shots at an enemy.

As a result, Huntdown sometimes feels less of a run 'n gun and often becomes a more nuanced, methodical shoot ‘em up. In many ways, Huntdown feels inspired by modern AAA titles, from The Last of Us to Uncharted, which have used cover mechanics as standard in their combat. Huntdown further separates itself from other similar titles in the genre by placing a premium on cover mechanics, with levels regularly featuring alcoves for the player to hide in, or environment objects to crouch behind, putting the player in a prime position to pop off a few rounds before heading back into safety. Unlike other 2D games that the game is reminiscent of, for example the superb Contra series, in Huntdown the player can only shoot horizontally there’s no upward or diagonal shooting, and platforming is generally kept to a minimum. Things are heating up in the realm of the silver screen. Combined with the wonderful sound design and synth-heavy soundtrack, the level of presentation far surpasses other independent titles I’ve played this year and it creates a level of immersion that I haven’t felt since I first played the original Hotline Miami. As I made my way through the opening levels, the amount of detail I spotted in the backgrounds was impressive. Huntdown doesn’t just look good – it feels good.

#HUNTDOWN ART FULL#

The heavy 16-bit art style is more than just a throwback to a previous generation, with environments full of detail and with the developers having clearly spent a lot of time on gorgeous animations. Screenshots alone do not do justice to how brilliant the retro inspired visuals are.

It’s a simple premise, but it doesn’t need to be made any more complicated. With an art style inspired by the likes of The Terminator and Blade Runner, Huntdown is a proper old school side-scrolling shoot 'em up where the player takes control of bounty hunters brought in by the police to eliminate murderous street gangs that have taken over the city.

#HUNTDOWN ART TV#

In recent years, TV shows like Stranger Things have made people around the world fall in love with the eighties aesthetic, from neon lights to thumping bass soundtracks, and it’s something that 2D shooter Huntdown masterfully throws tribute to. Despite being born two months into the nineties, like many, I have a huge fondness for the eighties and everything it encapsulated.

Huntdown art