HunterX Review

hunterx
  • HunterX is an indie-developed, anime-themed, metroidvania souls-like game.  Quite a mouthful to say, but playing the game is quite simple.
  • Overall, it's a very enjoyable semi-difficult game that serves as a great introduction for people who have never played souls-like games before, people who like anime, or people who like both souls-like games and anime.

Quick Points

Positives:

  • Gameplay is incredibly smooth.  The controls feel very deliberate and every time I died it felt like I messed up instead of lag.
  • Mechanics are very accessible and introduced well.  I didn’t feel overwhelmed by systems overload compared to some other games, allowing me to focus on the solid gameplay.
  • The anime aesthetic lands well for people who are into it.  Priestess is cute.

Negatives:

  • Advertised customization isn’t as high as I imagined when they advertised “choose your own fighting style”
    • Melee combat appears to be the same - I picked up a war hammer and axe, imagining that they would have different attack animations/slower attack speed to compensate for higher damage, but they were pretty much strict upgrades as far as I noticed.  This might happen later with some weapons I haven’t unlocked yet, though.  
    • So far there isn’t much feedback on my intended builds - even if I want to be a spell slinger, my battle patterns don’t change much since I run out of spell-casts mid battle and can’t recharge them without consumables.  
    • Do note that I’m rather early in the game, and from the upgrade trees it does seem that there may be more customization in the future.
  • Attacks are mono-axis.  Basic attacks can only be done sideways, spells (at least the first two) cannot be aimed directionally.  The first spell only travels sideways, and the second spell can only be shot upwards.  It does feel slightly restricted compared to beams and missiles in Metroid that can be aimed in 8 directions.
  • Minor nitpick, but Priestess’ model looks lower poly compared to the other enemies.  Especially considering she’s supposed to be a shop owner/a recurring character.

Neutral:

  • I’m not sure about game balance - I tried to max out Occult (spells), and ended up being able to half health a boss immediately.  This is balanced by literally needing to go back to the prayer area to recharge spell uses.  To be fair, Occult also counts for a different charged attack as well.  

The Experience

Background on Orange Popcorn is bare.  From what I could find, they are a small studio based in East Asia.  Despite the lack of a company site, the first and only game they put together speaks beyond their meager (English) social media presence.  

Although I might be biased after my review of Postal 4 (of which the devs surprisingly take pride in getting a 2/10 from IGN), HunterX was a charmingly enjoyable experience for my first Souls-like game.  People who have played actual Souls-like games may find the game too easy. As someone who hasn’t, I found it very accessible after I accepted that the game is supposed to reward technical play (i.e. get good or die). 

start

Quick shot of the Purple Moon right before literally jumping into the action.

There’s no fancy cutscenes or cryptic mystery at the start - Tsuki, the protagonist, jumps off a rooftop building while her little totally-not-a-magical-girl mascot comments about how much thicker the moon looks.  Then it’s straight into the streets and sewers of a Japanese town.  The first thing I noticed was how deliberate the controls feel - they aren’t fancy or overwhelming, but perfectly playable on a controller.  Every input felt like it was carefully metered, from my jump height to aerial movements.  There is a certain floaty maneuverability that Smash Bros players might find familiar, but unlike tournament johns these controls tell you, “If you mess up, it’s your fault.”  The movement options might feel limited at first, but as a metroidvania, you gain abilities like aerial dashes as you explore and level up.  

The souls-like combat translates pretty well to 2D, so far as what I imagine a souls-like game would be.  Although it would be cool to see flashy effects like Platinum Games titles, the core combat feels fair and well polished.  Attacks have weight to them even if I tried to spam slashes, while the slight bullet time from parrying feels impactful, deserved, and never tiring to see.  Casting spells seem slightly lackluster since you can’t aim them directionally, but they do their job in-combat admirably.

priestess

Priestess probably could've used a few more polygons.

Aesthetics are the biggest initial draw to the game.  People who aren’t into the Western Fantasy/realistic style of many souls-likes might find this an easier entry point, while fans of both souls-likes and anime will probably enjoy HunterX.  The Japanese voice acting is well done and doesn’t feel grating.  While I did predict that I’d get tired of the Priestess’ quote when she defeats you, it’s more due to insult on top of injury.  The artstyle doesn’t feel uncanny, though the background details are pretty simple as far as 3D assets go.  

Overall, I would recommend HunterX to people who are looking for a solid entry souls-like experience and are fans of anime.  It’s not a flashy game oozing with style like the Persona series, but as far as an indie game goes there’s a lot of quality to like.  

HunterX is available on Steam for $15.  As of writing it is on sale for 15% off until May 5th. 

Side note: one unfortunate part about HunterX is its name - search engines will think you’re looking for Hunter x Hunter, so it’s difficult to just type in “HunterX” and find its steam page.  Searching up “HunterX Steam” results in a different game called, “Hunter X Begins.”    While this might affect traction, hopefully it gains enough following to be searchable. 

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GamePress Operations Manager.

Loves going to conventions and interviewing cool people!

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