Hunted: The Demon’s Forge Previews

The web is home to a trio of new previews for inXile’s Hunted: The Demon’s Forge, all of which are based on the build shown at GamesCom and PAX.

NowGamer:

Hunted is actually bringing forward a number of ideas particularly its integrated co-op features that should see us baying for the blood of all those orc-like creatures. Even the combat seems to have improved since we last saw it; now it’s much clearer how the characters interact with each other.

The hulking Caddoc swinging broadly, supported by the blood thirsty E’lara when a puzzle needs solving they’ll combine abilities and likewise when their backs are against the wall; working together brings back memories of all those old fantasy games, even as far back as the original D&D. That’s, incidentally, exactly the point, but despite all the good intentions and relatively intelligent if not totally original ideas everything still feels dated and a little rough.

Gaming Union:

In case you hadn’t already guessed, Hunted is full of the usual fantasy tropes. There’s orcs and elves and distant mystical lands with talking doors and shrieking demons. Taking place in a murky, greeny environment of stone walls and dark woods – it’s all a bit generic.

So off you trot together, in search of… something. To be honest, I can’t really remember what it was. But it wasn’t very exciting. Perhaps it’s poor form to knock a game for a barely recollected storyline. I couldn’t argue against that. But I tell you one thing – I remember every detail of the four minute BioShock Infinite footage I was shown. What does that tell you?

And Destructoid:

Seeing an elf snap into cover is kind of absurd, yet it strangely works. Players can take on the role of the sword-swinging Caddoc or bow-toting E’lara, and while both characters are fun, the elf is the clear winner. Using a cover system, aiming from over the shoulder, and taking on armies of skeletons, the game has a very modern third-person-shooter feel, yet the fantasy trappings lend it this incredibly refreshing air.

Caddoc lends more of a hack n’ slash feel to the game, and it’s worth noting that if you’re playing co-op, you don’t have to stick with one character. Various stones found within the game allow players to swap characters, so you can enjoy the game as a shooter or a hack n’ slasher as you like. At the moment, the close combat is a little loose and unrefined, but hopefully they’ll tighten it up. The shooting is as good as perfect.