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Remember those White Wolf role playing games you saw on the shelf of your local bookstore
that were famous for their supernatural storytelling and addicting gameplay? Personally, I just
caught a glance of them when I went to reach for the Calvin and Hobbes books or a strategy
guide, but I came to realize that the series was also responsible for Gangrel, the WWF
wrestler who used to hang around with Edge and Christian. White Wolf Game Studios decided
to take it to the next level by eventually expanding their media empire to the Xbox and
Gamecube, with an arcade-type hack and slash that made the transition from tabletop to
console much like Soul Blazer, Star Ocean, and Demon's Souls. This is Hunter: The Reckoning
for the Xbox, developed by High voltage Software and released by Interplay. Through the lens
of the third person, this monster slasher can be as repetitive as its genre can get,
but is still highly entertaining. This opinion of course comes from someone who is privy
to liking the genre, but you'd be lying if you say that cutting up zombies and vampires
with a huge broadsword in the shape of a cross isn't entertaining. So basically bloodthirsty,
supernatural monsters are threatening humanity, and it's your job as a judge, defender, martyr,
or avenger, to detect the evil monsters from the World of Darkness and erase them from
the surface of the earth. Playing solo kind of feels empty. Sort of like that feel you
get when you open a bag of chips and realize how much empty bag there is. This game, just
like its tabletop parent, is best enjoyed with other players, and probably a hell of
a lot easier when you're up against a horde of savage monsters eager to eat your flesh.
Nonetheless, you are well equipped to deal with the monstrous menace. The Judge character,
Father Esteban Cortez, carries a badass broadsword and a crossbow with unlimited ammo, and along
the way, you'll find more conventional weapons like shotguns, machineguns, and flamethrowers.
True power lies in your conviction attacks that can destroy scores of enemies in your
way. Hunter The Reckoning will put you in more precarious positions besides protecting
your own life. Here you are in charge of a little girl that you must escort to a church,
and even though you'll get attacked more, it's scary when you find yourself out of position
to protect her. With enough guts and Mountain Dew, Hunter: The Reckoning can become your
next hack and slash project. I dig the Rob Zombie or Dawn of the Dead style of this game,
and now that I think about it, it would be perfect with a little Halloween candy and
pumpkin spice ale.