After some time of being an Epic exclusive, HUNTDOWN has now released on GOG and Steam making it available for Linux from developer Easy Trigger Games. Note: personal purchase.
Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. It's insane - in the best way possible. It reminds me of Broforce for the over the top action, which remains as my all time favourite action platformer. However, HUNTDOWN is already looking like it might end up taking the number 2 slot - it's just that good.
"In the mayhem-filled streets of the future where criminal gangs rule and cops fear to tread, only the bounty hunters can free the city from the corrupt fist of felony. Lay waste to the criminal underworld and make a killing in this hard boiled action comedy arcade shooter."
Featuring hand-painted gorgeous 16-bit styled pixel-art, it's an absolute feast for the eyes combined with the incredible fluid action back up by the pumping soundtrack. The voice acting is absolutely spot on too, fits in perfectly with each character. It's weapons and boss battles that make it ridiculously enjoyable though with such a fantastic mix available. Small guns, shotguns, machine guns, huge mounted weapons, a guitar, a bat and the list goes on - blowing things up just feels seriously epic here.
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Characters available:
- Anna Conda: Ex-commando, firearms expert, and full-time loose-cannon, Anna will assassinate without question or mercy, as long as you don’t mind the collateral damage.
- John Sawyer: Once a Special Forces cop who left the law behind. This scarred veteran has lost so many limbs in combat he’s practically half robot.
- Mow Man: Modified recon droid, stolen and empowered with banned software. Trades bodies for cold hard cash. Don’t expect to be taken alive if Mow Man’s on your six.
Gangs to take on:
- Hoodlum Dolls: Violent feral punks winning the gang war with the toothless authorities
- Misconducts: Organised hockey hooligans, experts in robbery and extortion with a penchant for explosives
- The Heatseekers: Murderous motorcycle club. These rockabilly villains style themselves on the centurions of Ancient Rome
- NO.1 Suspects: Masters of discipline and organised crime. Martial arts experts, these slick psychopaths control the night through their casinos and nightclubs
It's an easy recommendation to go get it. Honestly it was love at first sight with HUNTDOWN. Not just because I grew up with similarly styled games but HUNTDOWN is close to perfection. As for the Linux version? Absolutely great! You just can't help but smile and maniacally laugh as you blast your way through it. If you loved games like Metal Slug, and other similar explosive experience do check it out. In a word — fantastic.
I almost overlooked this title thanks to Huntdown being for a time (1 year!) exclusive to the Epic Games Store. While I attempt to be understanding how such a Faustian bargain is difficult to resist for indie developers (I have no compassion for AA/AAA who take the same deal while crying poor despite operating as a megacorp), such exclusivity harms PC gaming as a whole and especially Linux gaming as EGS seemingly purposefully does not support Linux - even when selling games that already have Linux builds when they were released on Steam (Slime Rancher is a good example)!
In many cases, developing and releasing first for EGS means that the game is much less likely to get a Linux port but thankfully Easy Trigger has proven to be an exception. Despite the somewhat frustrating year of EGS exclusivity, its release on Steam coincided not just with a massive update to the game but debuted Mac and best of all Linux support on day 1! This is pretty close to a miracle when we see how many indie and crowdfunded titles who end up failing to support Linux, even later in their releases. Even more so than other titles and developers, I unreservedly think Huntdown is worth purchasing on Steam and however we can showcase Linux support the better, hopefully leading to Easy Trigger Games' next title coming to Steam and Linux on day 1.
An excellent title all around and worth the wait, if Huntdown sounds interesting its certainly worth the purchase!
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