The extraction first-person shooter Hunt: Showdown has been going strong for five years and has gotten dozens of patches and updates, but none as big as the one that launched recently. It’s such a significant upgrade that the game itself got a new name — Hunt: Showdown 1896.
If you’re not familiar with Hunt: Showdown, it’s a multiplayer shooter on PC and console that mixes the supernatural with dark realism. It’s a PvPvE extraction shooter that puts you in the shoes of a bounty hunter. In order to claim your bounties, you need to venture across large maps, kill supernatural creatures, and fend off your fellow hunters to survive long enough to reach the extraction point.
The game’s recent update might have changed the name, but it’s not a sequel or standalone expansion. So if you purchased the original game, you already have access to Hunt: Showdown 1896 for no additional cost. All you have to do is download the update, and you’ll get upgrades to virtually every part of the gameplay experience. Let’s get into specifically what those improvements are.
A New Engine
It all starts with the game’s move to CryEngine 5.11. That makes all the rest of the upgrades possible, raising the level of what the dev team at Crytek can accomplish across the board. In addition to improving things like performance and visual fidelity, the new engine will also allow Crytek to make future updates and react to community feedback faster. The central gameplay loop won’t significantly change, but the upgrades will give players on all platforms a more immersive experience.
Improved Console Performance
Speaking of platforms, the update moves Hunt: Showdown 1896 into the current generation of consoles. It now runs natively on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and while that means it’s no longer playable on PS4 or Xbox One, it also isn’t held back by the technological limitations of those consoles. It now runs at 60 fps and in HDR on all consoles, with faster loading times and more responsive input, providing smoother gameplay.
Better Lighting and Visuals
On all platforms, the upgraded engine has allowed devs to improve visual fidelity, including textures, lighting, and animations. With richer blacks and higher quality lighting, interior locations look more realistic and added visibility means more details to spot. Character models have also been improved, while flowing water looks more crisp and realistic. These details may seem small on their own, but they add up to create a more immersive experience.
Audio Upgrade
The game’s audio mix in general has been fine tuned to provide more clarity and sound definition. The update also adds support for new spatial audio options, such as Dolby Atmos. If you like to play with headphones, you’ll also have access to 3D audio. PC and Xbox players will benefit from Microsoft Sonic for headphones, while PS5 players will get Tempest 3D audio compatibility.
New Content
While the previous improvements refined what was already there, a new era wouldn’t be complete without brand-new content that really mixes things up. Hunt: Showdown 1896 has that in spades. Up until now, the game has exclusively taken place in the swamps of Louisiana. But the new update features a one-year time skip and a shift in setting to the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
The new map, Mammon’s Gulch, focuses on verticality, with mountains stretching aboveground and mines burrowing below. It provides unique sight lines and attack angles, adding another strategic layer to gameplay. And if you’re a longtime player and fan of older maps, don’t worry, they’ll be returning in the coming months after getting revamps of their own.
Mammon Gulch isn’t the only addition. There’s also a new wild target called the Hellborn, as well as an event called Scorched Earth that sees new terrors spill out of fiery oil wells and underground mines.
The latest update is full of improvements and new content, but it’s just the start of a new era. Crytek will continue to update and fine tune the experience, as they have been for the past five years. Whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer, there’s never been a better time to dive in. Hunt: Showdown 1896 is available for download now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Happy hunting!
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