Next on the list of games that are outside my normal genre we have Hunt: Showdown. Or as I like to call it Bayou Zombie Simulator 2020. Greg has wanted this game for a while and its made for duos so I figured I’d try it out too.

First impressions: wow I suck at this but it’s fun! I can best describe this as a mini-battle royale with some PVE and mostly PVP. Each match has players hunting for clues to find the bounties. Which are very large creatures with tons of health. As you find clues, areas on the map are greyed out to show you where the bounties aren’t. The ultimate goal is to kill the bounty, grab the coins it drops and run to extraction before anyone can take you out.

This is not my typical cup of tea but it has a lot of things I like. First and foremost it’s a duos game. There’s an option to allow teams of 3 to join your match but you can leave that unchecked. Matches are a mix of two-man teams and solo players. Second, it’s set in the 1890s. When’s the last time you played a game set in that time period? Ok fine, Red Dead Redemption 2 was 1899 but still, it’s a unique setting. The time period also means that the gunplay is a lot slower. We’re talking some guns can fire 1 round and then have to reload. Which is a plus for me, I’m terrible at FPS games but the slower gunplay gives me a fighting chance. Third, there are a ton of unlocks not only at the character level but at the account level too. I’m getting new guns and perks left and right. Yay progression!

Hunt: Showdown has features I’ve never seen in games before. Like the fact that if your character dies in a match they’re dead for good. You lose all the equipment and guns on them too. Hunters and weapons are cheap so it’s not so bad but it’s always in the back of your mind if you want to stay and fight or extract and keep your stuff. Also, everything makes a unique noise. Run through the woods and twigs will snap under your feet. Run past some crows they’ll take off and make a really loud noise. Sound is almost more useful than what you can see when you’re trying to find other players.

I will admit, I’m surprised that I want to play more of this game. I thought for sure I would play it and return it before the two-hour mark. But I’m having so much fun with it. We managed to extract a bounty once which skyrocketed our account levels and I’ve been getting better at aiming and hitting targets. There’s a lot to learn and I hope it remains as fun as it is in these early stages.