Hunt Showdown is a FPS Co-op multiplayer that is determined to shake things up a bit by placing 5 teams of 2 against each other, all while simultaneously hunting a monster. Hunt takes place around the late 19th century, allowing players to take on the role of supernatural bounty hunters. You and a partner are placed into the large open map and tasked to track down the beast. Along the way, you can run into other minor monsters that you can fend off or run away from, or you could even encounter other hunters that are looking to kill you. Permadeath is present in Hunt, which brings a huge sense of loss and value. Once a team is eliminated from the map, they are not coming back, making them one less team to worry about.

During the E3 demo, it showcased a team moving strategically across the map, taking out monsters and tracking down the giant spider hidden somewhere on the map. Once they found a clue as to where the monster may be hiding, they immediately headed to the town in question. Once entering the barn, they made their way upstairs and encountered the giant spider. With its incredible speed it dashed in and out of the barn through its windows, avoiding the players gunfire. Both players had to work collectively in order to take it down but eventually managed. Once killed, it then needs to be casted back into the dark world. All players are alerted of the monsters death and are then able to attempt to interfere with the casting in order to steal the bounty.

 So, not only do you have to kill the monster, but you have to defend your earnings in order to reap your rewards. Once successfully defended by other monsters and the opposing teams, you can then choose to extract from the area and keep the bounty, or risk staying in the map and grab another bounty from another monster. But remember, if you die its permanent and you will be kicked out of the server and lose everything you had worked so hard to gain. It’s a very unforgiving system but its also what makes this game so interesting. This isn’t your average FPS multiplayer, its something different that we haven’t seen yet. Something fresh, exciting, and totally worth keeping tabs on. Hunt Showdown is currently planned for a PC release with more info coming soon.