10 Reasons To Start Playing Hunt: Showdown In 2025
Hi guys, REX here! Hunt: Showdown is a first-person extraction shooter by Crytek. I personally started playing Hunt when it first launched 7 years ago, but for various reasons the game did not keep my interest back then. While I loved the overall vibe and concept of the game, it was simply too clunky and unpolished upon release which led to a lot of frustrating moments. When I returned 3 years later however, the situation was entirely different. Since then I have put nearly 5000 hours into the game and I can safely say I am still not getting tired of it, which is exactly what makes this game so great. No matter how many hours you sink into it, it seems to pull you back in. Likewise, after an extended break, it’s always fun to come back to, making it very rewarding to play consistently. In this video I will give you 10 reasons to give Hunt: Showdown a try. After all, I believe this game is one of the most underrated games, and possibly the greatest alternative first person shooter of all time. Let’s dive into it!
Every match is unique
There are currently three unique maps in Hunt: Showdown, and each map features a large amount of entirely unique compounds. As a result, you’ll rarely get a lot of fights in the same compounds in a single gaming session, and even if you do, there are enough factors in play to make every single fight feel entirely different from the last. Certain map factors like time of day, spawns of resources, AI, boss target location and many other details are all procedurally selected and different each Hunt. In addition to fresh and varied map spawns, you’ll be facing different playstyles, group sizes, weaponry and even varying amounts of players showing up to the fight. Sometimes you’ll be having a standoff solo vs solo, while other times it will be your team against three other teams surrounding the building. You never know what you’re going to get, and that’s what makes it so exciting!
Unique PVP experience
Hunt: showdown offers a PVP experience that is quite unlike anything you’ve played before. You are a bounty hunter, and your goal is to locate boss targets and eliminate them. There is only one problem though. Every player in the match is after the same as you, which means you’re going to have to fight for it. This leads to some pretty unique moments when every player in the match rolls up to stop you from leaving. You’ll have to fight your way through a variety of unique AI and other players in search for your targets, and you never know who is watching you.
High skill ceiling
While the game might seem fairly straight forward, that is probably as far from the truth as it can be. While it is very easy to get the hang of the basics and get started, the difference between a beginner and a seasoned player in Hunt: Showdown is extreme. Over time you’ll acquire a tremendous amount of knowledge about the different maps, weapons, mechanics and reading other players’ movement throughout the matches. After 5000 hours I keep discovering new things about the game that I hadn’t noticed before, and over time all these little details ensure I improve and get an edge over other players in the long run. You never stop learning, and that is in my opinion what keeps the game so fresh and exciting even after years of playing almost every single day.
Thrilling moments
When I was getting back into Hunt: Showdown 4 years ago, I immediately got hooked by the extremely exciting encounters that the game offers. The PVP is something straight out of a western movie with guns blazing, dynamites flying and bodies scattered all around. The standoffs you’ll have in this game are guaranteed to feel different than anything you’ve played before. The game has a hit marker system that gives you audible feedback when your shots land, and an extra crunchy experience when you land headshots. The satisfaction of landing three headshots in a row and wiping an enemy team is something that can only be experienced.
Slower pace and Serious Consequences
Hunt: Showdown is not like your average shooter. While most FPS games these days are very fast paced, Hunt: Showdown features a variety of mechanics that rewards slowing down a bit. The beauty of it all though, is that things can very easily speed up a tremendous amount once the shit hits the fan, which in my opinion creates a perfect balance. It is up to you to decide whether you want to risk revealing your position by moving quickly through the Bayou or slow down a bit to minimize the risk. Ultimately, being too hasty has the consequence of costing you, your hunter, experience and gear, which makes it all the more exciting when you clutch up and come out on top!
Old school weapons
Hunt: Showdown is set in 1896, which means the weaponry in the game is based on that time period. While almost every game these days features fully automatic weapons with modern scopes, laser sights and body armor, Hunt is all about that authentic old school experience. While there are mechanics in the game such as fanning your pistol or levering your rifle for faster firing speed, ammo is scarce, and you have to manage it well. The only automatic rifle in the game has very limited ammo capacity and is quite expensive to purchase. As a result, the game rewards accuracy over volume, and for most weapons a single headshot will kill an enemy hunter on close to medium range. If you are coming from games like CSGO, Tarkov or PUBG, you’ll absolutely love how you’re rewarded for good aim, positioning and movement!
Great for solo and teams
With up to 12 players per match, you can choose to play alone, in duos or in trios. This makes Hunt: Showdown an awesome game to play at any time, whether your friends are online or not, or simply because you prefer to play alone. A well synchronized team can effectively clean up the lobby and wipe out any other teams that get in their way, which means you’ll benefit from playing with a regular team. Should you choose to play alone, you will be outnumbered most of the time, but luckily the game has mechanics in place to even the odds a bit, as you’ll generally be facing slightly lower ranked enemies. There is also a self-reviving mechanic in place to compensate for teams’ ability to revive each other. If you want to get started playing solo, I have a guide that covers most of what you need to know. I’ll leave a link in the description!
Amazing audio
Hunt: Showdown is a game that puts a tremendous emphasis on audio. Everything you do makes sound, and it doesn’t take a lot to reveal your position to other hunters. There are a variety of noise traps in the game such as ducks, crows, horses, dog pens, chicken coops and more, as well as a variety of AI that are all out to murder you given the chance. The sound of charging up your melee attack to deal with a grunt can be heard by nearby hunters and they might end up ambushing you moments later. You need to be extremely alert at all times, and if you are good at listening, you can gain a tremendous amount of knowledge about what’s going on in the match and use it to your advantage. In Hunt: Showdown, listening and gathering information will most certainly help you win.
Variety of viable playstyles and balanced weapons
There is only one objective in Hunt: Showdown. Track, kill and banish boss targets, grab the bounty and make your way to an extraction point. How you do it is up to you. The game features a vast variety of unique and balanced weapons, ammo types, traps and other tools and consumables. This means you are free to play the game however you’d like. You can sit back and snipe players from hundreds of meters away with expensive sniper rifles, or you can run in guns blazing with an inexpensive but still extremely viable shotgun. If you prefer a more primitive style, the bow or crossbow might be for you as both are inexpensive and silent but still very deadly. If you want to really challenge your skill and creativity, you can try meme builds such as using throwing knives, bashing enemies with a hammer, or even use the variety or traps and decoys to outwit your prey. The choice is yours! One of my favorite ways of getting kills in Hunt: showdown is using my flare pistol to blow up explosive barrels that are scattered around the maps. I’ll let this clip speak for itself!
Try it before you deny it
I mentioned early in this video that I believe Hunt: Showdown is one of the most underrated and consistently entertaining games of all time. I think the reason for this is that the game had a fairly rough start and never quite got the exposure it deserved. I personally ended up quitting the game after just 30 hours played, and I’m sure a lot of people are in the same boat. That being said, I’m glad I returned as the game has been polished, and is continually updated with new weapons and events on consistent basis.
In recent times, some content creators and even some very successful streamers have trashed the game without giving it an honest try, which is very sad considering how amazing this game actually is, and this might have had an impact on players considering picking up the game. I would encourage you try it before you deny it, and make up your own mind about it.
If you are expecting an easy run and gun gameplay experience, this game may not be for you, but if you are looking for a game that will provide hundreds or even thousands of hours of entertainment, skill progression, exciting moments and hilarious encounters, Hunt: Showdown just might be your next favorite game!
As a final note before rounding off this video, I would like to mention that I have a variety of beginner guides specifically designed to help you get started. Check out my guides playlist here on YouTube. I’ll be continuously making more guides to help you along the way!
I currently stream Hunt: Showdown 5 days per week, and you are more than welcome to come hang out with me and ask any questions you might have about the game! I’ll leave a link to my Twitch in the description.
Thank you so much for watching, and until next time, I’ll see you in the Bayou!
