Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward impressions

Universal Vivendi recently stopped by with a pre-alpha build of Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward, the PlayStation 2 game that continues the narrative that began in Hunter: The Reckoning for the Xbox. The Xbox game was a third-person action title, in the vein of Gauntlet Legends, that put you in the role of one of four hunters charged with rescuing innocents in a town overrun by demons. Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward is set two years after the Xbox game and finds the original four hunters contacted by a mysterious messenger who torpedoes their sense of accomplishment with the revelation that evil is still lingering in the town of Ashcroft. The appearance of a new cult spells trouble that requires the four heroes to make their way back to the zombie-friendly town, which sets the stage for the new game.

While the core gameplay mechanics haven't been changed--you'll still be required to kill anything that looks remotely evil or undead--some significant tweaks and additions have been made for the sequel to streamline the overall experience. The original Hunter's linear structure has been replaced by a hub system that allows you a measure of freedom when playing through the game. The hub in Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward actually offers more than just a portal to different missions--you'll be able to access a number of different features in it. The computer terminal in the room will collect all the game hints you find and let you review them at your leisure. A trophy room will hold the various trophies you can collect as you play. For example, if you manage to save all the innocents on a level, you'll earn a lifesaver trophy. The entertainment center will let you check out cinematic sequences and character models and listen to music from the game, which will include tracks from licensed artists. Finally, the map serves as the mission-select screen, allowing you to choose from different missions, each with its own objectives. Once you're in a mission, you'll notice that some significant changes have been made to the series' objective system, which now offers three different types of objectives: required, optional, and hidden.

We were able to check out three levels in Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward--streets 1, hospital 2, and graveyard--and they gave us a taste of what to expect from the game. As mentioned earlier, the game takes place after the Hunter game on the Xbox and features an original story. As a result, you'll be visiting some of the locations seen in Hunter, but you'll be duking it out in areas not seen in the Xbox game, which should keep the PlayStation 2 game fresh. The game's cast of hunters will be spruced up by new a look for the gang and the addition of a new hunter you can unlock as you play. Best of all, the game's camera system has been tweaked based on user feedback and doesn't appear to pose as much of a problem during gameplay, thanks to the use of transparencies.

The game will also feature new weapons and enemies. We were able to check out the flare gun, which shot off incendiary shots that set enemies on fire. We were also able to see three new enemies: a boojum, an aileron, and a mourner. The boojum is a slithering creature that looks a like a free-roaming spinal cord with teeth. The aileron is creepy batlike creature that is fast and annoying in groups. Finally, the mourner is a floating ghoul who fires off enchanted green knives that will do damage and stun you momentarily. We were also able to see a werewolf boss in the graveyard level that used a variety of attacks and had a healthy number of minions on hand to try and prevent his demise.

Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward addresses issues fans had with the core gameplay mechanics of its predecessor and features an original story and refined gameplay. Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward ships later this year for the PlayStation 2. We'll bring you more on the game soon.