Published , by Sam Chandler
Published , by Sam Chandler
Hunt: Showdown is about to undergo a dramatic change. On August 15, 2024, a massive update will come in that introduces a host of improvements to the game, the least of which is a name update to Hunt: Showdown 1896. Ahead of this release, I got to go hands-on with the update in a test environment where I explored the new map, Mammon’s Gulch, checked out the updated UI, and saw what this new Wild Target looked like. I can say with certainty: Mammon’s Gulch is a brilliant addition.
There are a multitude of elements that make Mammon’s Gulch so brilliant. The first, and likely the most obvious, is the completely fresh location. Players are leaving behind the dusty and swampy bayou in favor of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, which offer far more verticality between compounds.
The best way to describe this verticality is if you were to imagine Kingsnake Mine from DeSalle and expand upon its elements. Rivers wind through canyons, the paths up to the mines are twisted zigzags, and the tunnels beneath the mountain’s twin peaks loop around and connect a few of the main compounds to the center of the map.
While there are some common elements in the compounds (lumberyard, railway, factory etc), there are enough differences here that make them feel fresh. The lumberyard, which is skirted by rocky elevations, has several buildings within its perimeter as well as a log flume. The railway area has a central turntable and a yard, setting itself apart from Lawson Station’s straight lines.
Then there is the new style of locations, like an oil field and the aforementioned mines. The oilfield is particularly interesting, with its wooden derricks and dark oil slicks staining the ground. I’m pretty sure it’s here that I ran into the terrifying new Wild Target, Hellborn.
I was minding my own business, gathering clues, when I heard a crackling scream of anguish nearby. In Crytek’s effort to keep things fresh, you won’t be collecting clues to find the Hellborn, you’ll need to keep your ears peeled while in Dark Sight. So I started slinking around trying to work out what direction it was coming from.
The moment you see the Hellborn, you’ll realize exactly the type of fight your about to be in. It’s like a juiced up Immolator and somehow even more pissed off than you can imagine. I shot it once and instantly it was hurling fireballs at me. I had to retreat into a nearby building to avoid the flames that were all around the area and plink away at the boss until it went down.
The whole time it was screaming and tossing fire. It might as well have been a massive flare alerting everyone else on the map where I was. The good news is that it has no banishing time, so send it back to Hell, grab your bounty and burn token, and move on.
Admittedly, it’s tough to get a comprehensive understanding of how a new Hunt map plays in such a short preview window. Anyone that’s played the game over the years knows this. It takes dozens of hours to learn the position of the compounds, and another dozen to formulate solid strategies. However, it’s clear that Mammon’s Gulch is a winner. I’m looking forward to squadding up with my mates and no-lifing the Scorched Earth event once the update arrives.
Outside of map composition and enemy behavior, there is a great deal of other updates here that elevate Hunt: Showdown 1896. The visuals alone are an improvement, which is saying something given that the current (now old) iteration of the game is visually stunning. Crytek has also noted improvements to its CrySpatial ecosystems, but much like the visuals, the audio design in the game is second to none to begin with, so this is just more goodness.
However, there was an element of my hands-on that I’m not quite sure about just yet. It might be that I’ve spent several hundred hours staring at Hunt: Showdown’s current UI, but the updated UI isn’t grabbing me. It has the modern gaming tile design you see a lot in video games these days. It probably makes it easier to navigate on console, though, whether or not it’s an improvement remains to be seen as I retrain my muscle memory.
Hunt: Showdown 1896 is a bold new step forward for Crytek as it looks to embrace change and keep the game fresh now that it’s been available for six years. Even after 350 hours, I’m excited to dive back in and learn Mammon’s Gulch, take down the Hellborn Wild Target, and go toe-to-toe with some of the best players in the OCE server.
This preview is based on a hands-on test environment provided by the developer. Hunt: Showdown 1896 is scheduled to release on August 15, 2024 on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.