Crytek's make or break cooperative, PVP, demon-banishing action title, Hunt: Showdown, has now entered Steam Early Access. Don't expect it to leave anytime soon though, as Crytek has suggested that it could remain there for as long as a whole year while the developers tweak the gameplay experience, improve performance and expand the available content for players.
As it stands Hunt: Showdown enables up to 10 players in pairs or by themselves, to make their way through a handcrafted swamp sandbox in an attempt to hunt down one of two giant demonic creatures: a huge spider, or "the butcher." They'll be competing to do so, but will also be able to gun down one another should someone secure the bounty for banishing the fell creature.
There are 16 unique locations on the map, as well as four mini-boss enemies, randomly generated grunts, four different missions, 28 sandbox features for distraction and attraction, 33 pieces of equipment to choose from and 17 variants for added gameplay options.
Progression in this Early Access model is offered on three tracks: personal hunter progression, whereby individual characters get more experienced and capable as they complete missions and survive, Bloodline progression, where account-wide bonuses apply to all descendants of the player's original character and Prestige, whereby those who complete their original runs will be able to reset to earn new bonuses over time.
"Hunt: Showdown is an Early Access title, and players should note that they will experience crashes, as well as optimization, performance, and balancing issues," Crytek said. "We are dedicated to fixing major issues as quickly as possible, and to optimizing performance and balance. But some of these things will take time, and we ask for your patience as we continue to develop the game."
Despite these caveats though, early reviews of the game are strong. Although there are some concerns about performance, for the most part the game appears to play well and people are enjoying it.
Would you be happy to throw $30 at Crytek's big attempt at a comeback game?
