Xboxist

Hunted: The Demon's Forge Follow-Up Review

This is the follow up review; the first installment can be found here.

My wife and I are at the halfway point of Hunted: The Demon's Forge, and I think that I have warmed to the game considerably. I stand by my original statements that the graphics are dated, and thus far the story hasn't become much more engaging. Once you look past those two minor gripes however you are left with a deeply engaging cooperative experience which will have you facing off against daunting odds in pitched battles, exploring dark and scary tombs and ruins, and solving a decent variety of puzzles to unlock wondrous treasure vaults.

The combat mechanic takes a bit to warm up to, but once you and your partner have become accustomed to them you will easily find yourself falling into a smooth tactical rhythm, dispatching the hordes of enemies with ease. Eventually you will unlock the ability to battlecharge your ally, imbuing their attack with devastating elemental damage which will make all the difference in the world in some of the tougher battles. Even further in the game you will unlock the further ability to spell link, which on top of giving you a brief battlecharge, will create a magical apparition which will help chip away at the enemies attacking you. Through all of this of course you must manage your three resources: health, mana and resurrection potions. Both characters are limited to how many of each you can carry, which will slowly upgrade through play. Oftentimes my wife and I would discuss ahead of time who had the deeper need of healing before picking up anything, lest one of us be at a marked disadvantage in the next combat.

Exploring is easily our favorite aspect of Hunted. As fun as the combat is, it can sometimes run a bit long, and we usually view it as a distraction in between exploration sections. Outside of your main story quest and objectives you will find frequent side paths and diversions. Exploring these will almost always lead to a new tomb, crypt or other creepy environment just waiting to be plundered. While exploring you will of course be attacked, but enemies aren't the only threat which you will have to face. The occasional trap will spring if you're not mindful of your step, and while they aren't as deadly as they could be, they will serve as a stinging reminder to watch your step.