Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward Review

Developer	Vivendi Universal
Publisher	High Voltage Software
Genre	Action

We had high hopes for Wayward, but the fact is, the game just isn't all that it could've been (i.e. fun). The sequel to the Xbox and GameCube's Hunter: The Reckoning, Wayward is a direct continuation of that game, exclusive to PS2 (even though the PS2 never got the original game).

Gameplay - Imagine Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, only in the modern world, full of dead things, demons, and shotguns. Sounds delicious, huh? Well, that's what Wayward looks to be. But just because a game looks similar to another doesn't mean it plays like one.

Instead of being the next Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Wayward is instead more akin to Gauntlet in that the hacking and slashing is so repetitive with minimal rewards that the game wears out it's welcome with only a few levels of play. In addition, the game is further marred by a few bad choices in it's design. For one, there is no camera control, other than the ability to pan it close or a couple of inches further. It can't be rotated, so you are often running directly at the screen with enemies spawning right in front of you. And speaking of which, enemies respawn much too often, resulting in near-constant fighting without anything to really look forward to, as rewards for fighting are next to nothing. Even enemy variety is low, so not only are you endlessly hacking, you're looking at the same creature models over and over. Different projectile weapons are found scattered throughout the levels, and though your character's stats increase with experience, the differences are nearly unrecognizable, making the "art" of combat almost unbearable.

How unbearable? We skipped as much fighting as possible, quickly doing all the dodging and jumping we could to complete our level objectives and move on. And while we're on the subject of level objectives, know this: they make almost no sense, and are utterly silly. Most of the game has you finding hidden tapes that your fellow Hunters thought would be a good idea to hide inside tombstones or some other equally stupid location (your main enemies are zombies called Rots. "Let's hide these tapes in a place zombies don't spawn. Hey, I know! A cemetery!").

What's more, the combat feels clunky, thanks in large part to not being able to halt a melee attack mid-combo. If you're attacking in one direction, and an enemy comes at you from another, you won't be able to face him until you finish whatever combo you're pulling off, resulting in a lot of cheap damage and deaths. The dual stick controls are tight enough, but the combat mechanics compromise the controls.

While games like Dark Alliance have nice environments and interesting details to enjoy while trampling through the game's levels, Wayward's are fairly boring, both cosmetically and in design. Of course, with all of the combat (or trying to avoid it), there isn't much time for exploration.

But even with all it's inherent problems, Wayward has some redeeming value. The game offers level hubs, where you can play certain levels without having to go through them in order. Two-player co-op is where the game is at it's most fun (as games like this usually are), though the four players we're accustomed to on the Xbox and GameCube original Hunter is notably absent. The story and macabre setting are enough to keep your interest if you're in to this sort of thing.

Graphics - Wayward is far from ugly, but the game isn't anything to look at. The color palette is appropriately drab and gritty, but also boring and uninspiring. The character and enemy models are hit-and-miss; some look okay, but others just look unimaginative. Animation isn't bad, but definitely on the jerky side, and the framerate takes a slight dip whenever there are multiple enemies onscreen (which is most of the time).

Sound - The weapon effects satisfy, as do the character voices, but otherwise, the sound, while not bad, is certainly forgettable. Not even one moment's worth of memorable audio comes to mind, and with a game set in a world brimming with horrific innuendo, atmospheric sound would've benefited the experience greatly.

Overall Value - Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward isn't a bad game per se, but it's been done so much better before. The frustrating combat system needs an overhaul, and players need to be rewarded more for their combat efforts.

The four-player option from the first game did a disappearing act, making this release all the more pointless, as the only new element to offer is a different Hunter character to play as, and level hubs. Other than that, the first game on Xbox and GameCube did it better. It's worth renting for PS2 owners who never had a shot at the first game, but otherwise, we'd pass. With Wayward, the Hunter: The Reckoning series has taken a step back.

Review by Brendon Hivner