Hunter: The Reckoning Redeemer Impressions

We got an up-close look at Hunter: The Reckoning Redeemer, the next Xbox game in the White Wolf-licensed action series, at Gen Con Indianapolis 2003. Like the original game, Redeemer will be a fast-paced brawler that will let you play cooperative multiplayer games with up to four players as you race through the town of Ashcroft, which has once again become infested with undead monsters, including the slow-moving zombies that are most common in the early levels of the game.

Redeemer will feature all four of the original game's four playable characters, plus a new, fifth character: Kaylie Winter, a blonde-haired teenage girl whose family was murdered by the undead some years prior to the events in the current game. Kaylie seems to be extremely light on her feet--she runs and fights quickly, and she carries a curved sword that, like the weapons of the other four characters in the game, will become larger and "more impressive looking" as she and her comrades gain experience levels and improve their combat skills. Kaylie will also have her own all-new set of "edge" attacks, like "abjure," an ice-based ranged combat spell. In Redeemer, characters will improve their skills with use, so players who prefer melee combat will see their characters' melee weapons become larger and more ornate, and players who prefer ranged attacks will see their characters' ranged weapons increase in size and complexity (an "upgraded" rifle will have a bayonet attached to it, for instance). Ranged weapons will be just as viable as melee weapons, especially since many of them, such as the dual pistols, will have unlimited ammo. And of course, players can also increase their three major physical attributes (strength, speed, and stamina) over time.

One of the most obvious improvements that Redeemer will make will be the addition of the ability to change your direction and target in mid-attack. The previous game had combination attacks with preset animations that forced your character to complete an animation in the direction he or she started it in. In Redeemer, you'll be able to freely turn and face different enemies at any point in an animation. You'll also be able to save your character's current state, experience levels, and inventory to your memory card and use it on a friend's Xbox for multiplayer games, if you wish.

Redeemer will have a number of hidden and unlockable items, such as zombie cards, which can be collected after defeating lots of zombies. Collecting all three zombie cards unlocks the zombie player model, which will let you play as a zombie if you so choose. The game will also feature some downloadable content via Xbox Live, though the first of these updates will most likely consist of alternate costumes for the game's characters. Hunter: The Reckoning Redeemer is scheduled for release later this year.