With roguelike twists becoming increasingly common, Huntdown: Overtime looks to breathe new life into its run-and-gun formula through a more replayable, progression-focused structure.
Before getting into the good stuff, I’ve got a bit of a confession to make. I didn’t realise that I’d played the original Huntdown until revisiting gameplay footage in preparation for this preview. The run-and-gun shooter has earned plenty of acclaim (with an average in the 80s on Metacritic), but my own solo experience was clearly a forgettable one.
Still, I approached Overtime with an open mind. If anything was going to win me over this time around, it would be the addition of roguelike mechanics. I’m also a sucker for ’80s nostalgia, and one thing Overtime absolutely nails is recreating the feel of action films from the era.
What is Huntdown: Overtime?
Set in New Detroit in 2084, Overtime is a prequel to Huntdown and follows cybernetic rogue cop John Sawyer. Inspired by classic arcade shooters such as Contra and Metal Slug, the game sees you blasting through waves of enemies from behind cover, weaving between gunfire and baseball-wielding thugs in its 80s-inspired, neon-soaked streets.
In the heat of its explosive set-pieces, I was often reminded of one of my favourite retro-inspired indie shooters, Broforce. Encounters have that same silly, chaotic energy, letting you blow up barrels and cars with gunfire, electrify enemies by hurling fans at them, or crush them beneath heavy objects like vending machines. The action feels slick and fast-paced, which helped offset some of my frustrations (more on that later).
We can’t talk about an arcade shooter without mentioning its weapons, and fortunately, Overtime has a pretty stacked selection. Early on, the randomised loadouts are fairly standard, offering pistols, SMGs, and sniper rifles, but things quickly escalate. Later unlocks introduce heavier firepower like rocket launchers, plasma rifles, and grenade launchers, dramatically shaking up how encounters play out.
Melee weapons also play an important role in the action, often becoming essential when closing the distance or finishing off enemies while reloading. The options I came across ranged from slow but heavy-hitting mallets to brass knuckles, which traded raw power for more rapid strikes.
Bounties, runs, and progression
During each run, you choose a path through the city streets, depending on which upgrade materials you’re wanting to take home. Whilst the visual assets remain the same, the layouts are randomised each time. These keeps you on your toes with enemies that will ambush you each time, and there being extra rewards to find off the beaten path.
The bounties themselves were real highlights for me as they had their own quirky personalities and unique mechanics to master. One, for example, was a sniper and I needed to avoid their crosshairs and find their location before they dashed into a building. Another wielded a rocket launcher and I need to direct her homing attacks directly towards her.
For killing or arresting these bounties, you’re rewarded with materials that can be spent on permanent upgrades. Cybernetic implants purchased by the doctor can give you permanent upgrades and expand your pool of unlocks on level up. You can also purchase run-altering unlocks at the shop, easing the difficulty of future runs by giving you more healing items, unlocking more powerful weapons, and more.
Growing pains
The biggest frustration I had with Overtime is how frustratingly grindy it feels during its earlier stretches. I repeatedly had to hunt down smaller targets and grind their rewards for upgrades before I even stood a chance at taking half of a main boss’s health bar down. With the game launching in Early Access, I hope its something the devs can look at.
Another pretty minor gripe I had with the game was with its cheesy one-liners. These do fit that B-movie feel that the game is going for perfectly, but they quickly lose their edge with how much they are repeated.
The Verdict
Whilst pacing was a slight stumbling point for me, I still had a lot of fun blasting through pixelated goons and gradually upgrading my cybernetically enhanced hero in Huntdown: Overtime.
The run-and-gun action is slick and fast-paced, with a welcome incentive to switch between melee and ranged weapons. The various bounties also stand out, each bringing larger-than-life personalities and unexpected twists to combat that kept me on my toes.
During its Early Access period, I’d love to see Easy Trigger Games build further on this already solid foundation with even more inventive weapons, varied locales to explore, and a slight tweak to the difficulty curve.
Huntdown: Overtime is out now in Early Access on PC, and I played via access kindly provided by the publisher and friends.
