I first played Hunt Showdown now known as Hunt Showdown 1896 when it was released on the PlayStation 4. I had heard of extraction shooters but had not played them a lot before Hunt. There was something about Hunt Showdown that initially peaked my interest. The whole PVPVE and setting/theme drove it home and quickly catapulted its way onto my favourite games list and one of the best games I played in 2020.
Fast forward and for some reason I sadly started to drift away from Hunt Showdown, I think it was due to other games like Monster Hunter and Fortnite (Don’t judge me) but just over a year ago I picked up Hunt Showdown 1896 again but this time on Steam when the love for the game got rekindled when I came across Crytek Partner and Twitch Streamer Failish when they had some Twitch Drop available for the game. Though, sadly, the game didn’t run very well on my PC (due to my PC’s age) and made it hard to play with all the crashes and frame drops.
So Hunt Showdown 1896 went back onto the shelf sort of speak. Fast forward a bit then I saw the announcement about the PS4 and Xbox One servers closing down and making way for the next step in Hunt’s journey, Hunt Showdown 1896, a complete upgrade that can put the PS5 and Xbox Series X power to the test. For those of us who are lucky enough to own a next-generation console, it was made even better when they said that this newer version would be a free upgrade and that all our progress would be ported over.
I did feel for the people who don’t have or didn’t plan on getting a new console because it meant that they were losing a game that they had put so many hours into and potentially were about to lose all their hard work and everything they had earned. This is a constant fear of mine with video games nowadays. I only spend my money on DLC packs for games I play regularly, just because I don’t like the idea of it being left behind when the newer version or next instalment in the series is released.
It is one of the reasons I think I invest in Fortnite because up to now it has allowed everything to be carried over with every new season, chapter, and mode. Fingers crossed they keep doing this and don’t make Fortnite 2 and then I lose everything but less about that and more about Hunt Showdown 1896.
Hunt Showdown Overview
A quick overview of Hunt Showdown 1896, it’s a first-person shooter where you the player will find yourself diving into the two main modes that are on offer and the backbone of what to expect. There is “Bounty Hunt” where the player plays as a bounty hunter. Where you have to hunt down one or two of the game’s bosses to claim a bounty, players can work together as a trio or risk it solo to find clues that will reveal the whereabouts of the monster’s location.
The maps are filled with environmental dangers and AI enemies that will try and hinder your progress, slow you down and if you’re not careful reveal your locations to other Bounty Hunts on the maps. The maps support up to 12 players at a time and you must do what it takes to get out alive. As you collect three clues it will locate the monster’s lair for you to go claim that bounty, that is if another team hasn’t gotten there first.
Be mindful of your surroundings and don’t take your ammo for granted as it comes in short supply which leads to the tension of making every shot count. You will also have various tools at your disposal like traps and decoys which can swing a fight in your favour. If you are successful in killing the monster then you will be able to claim the bounty, though the fun doesn’t stop here as you then have to try and extract from the maps without getting hunted yourself.
While holding a bounty you get given a small buff which allows you to see the approximate location of other bounty hunters nearby. If you kill someone that has the bounty or if you are killed while holding the bounty then others can steal it and leave with it and claim the rewards.
Then the other mode is “Soul Survivor” This turns Hunt Showdown 1896 into a battle royale mode that rounds last 15 minutes. For each match, the players will pick a basic loadout made up of low-grade gear. You then must locate four rifts on the map and then activate the Wellspring. While looking for these rifts you can take the opportunity to scavenge better equipment and weapons to ready yourself for the fights ahead.
The first player to activate the fourth rift becomes the Wellspring Carrier and must defend themselves against the other players. You win by either being the last one standing (which is the traditional victory condition in a battle royale) or by depleting the Wellsprings timer. A neat feature with this is if you win you can then keep that character and recruit them with all their collected traits and equipment and use them in the Bounty Hunt Mode, which is pretty cool, not going to lie.
The New Bits
So, the bulk of this update welcomes players to Colorado. Hunt Showdown 1896 provides a whole new biome set in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Alongside the new map, there are upgrades to tech, performance, and much more that give us Hunter something brilliant to sink our teeth into. It launched August 15th, 2024 which was also the date that PS4 and Xbox One players lost access to the game as it moved into this new era.
Right off the bat, I love Mammon’s Gulch, it is the first time we see Hunt Showdown 1896 move away from the swamps of Louisianna. Unlike the old map, Mammon’s Gulch has grueling mines, beautiful vistas, and huge mountain areas which are packed full of 16 new compounds. Being heavily designed with community feedback helping its development the map has stunning waterfalls, hunting lodges, and a mining town to name but a few things you will come across.
The new map has quick a lot of vantage points that overlook compounds which makes using scoped weapons more stratifying and gives you a good look at where you need to go. I love the complex mining systems and they make for some epic gunfights when you are a team of three against others, I also love the train track that runs through the map. You can use this to get around quickly and use it as a main point so you can get your Barings. Some of my favourite compounds that have stood out to me have been Graystone Pit, La Plata Mines, and The Gasworks to name a few.
In all fairness, the whole map looks gorgeous and the water and lighting are evidently better too. It goes without saying that it combines the best elements from the previous map and gives it a new face that Hunter will welcome with open arms, I’m sure. For those wondering if will we ever see the old maps again, I have seen on the website that we will after they have received a revamp of their own, which is something else to look forward to.
Along with the new map we get the Scorched Earth Battle Bass that offers players a lot of goodies to unlock and grind toward. There is also a new Wild Target the Hellborn, picture an immolator but more pissed off and bigger. It will instantly hurl fireballs at you and be a challenge for any Hunting groups or hunters looking to take it down. Don’t engage unless you are ready for a fight. Crytek has done wonders with this new update and I love that I’m able to jump back into it after a long hiatus and pick up where I left off in a way just in a new location.
I feel like now is a good time as any to jump in because even the veteran player will be experiencing Mammon’s Gulch for the first time which means it’s an evenish playing field. The Hunt Showdown 1896 community is super welcoming and I have nothing but fun when playing with others even if I’m not that good I still feel like they are willing to help me improve and provide tips which over this last week has helped massively and I can already feel myself getting better and feeling at home with Hunt Showdown 1896.
This is a nice change of pace from Fortnite and Call of Duty and currently is the game I got to first when I do get that time in my busy schedule to get some hours in.
Conclusion
The Hunt Showdown 1896 update is fantastic and breathes fresh life into a game that continues to improve and offer its players a new way to Hunt. I love loading into Mammon’s Gulch and discovering all its wonders. It is hard at times to not get fully distracted by its beauty and get taken out. It goes to show that simply changing the scenery can ignite more hype for a game that has been out for some time now.
At first, I wondered whether it would fit moving away from the bayou but because of the great level design and art direction it continues to provide everything that the bayou had and more. I’m excited for this new era for Hunt and if Crytek keeps up the good work and gives the players solid additions I can see this game thriving and expanding for many years to come.
I have only played this on the PS5 and am aware of performance issues on the PC but I can honestly say I haven’t come across any issue yet (touch wood) the only thing I will touch on is that it can take a while to find and load into a game. This can be frustrating if you die quickly off spawn but it isn’t something that I let get in my way as I’m too pumped with this incredible update. You have nothing to lose if you have a PS5 and owned the game previously on the PS4.
If anything, the offer of the free upgrade should be a no-brainer and I’d snatch that right up. For all you Hunters out there, who might stumble across this article, happy hunting, and see you in the Gulch.
Hunt Showdown 1896 Trailer
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