Hunters (video game series)

Hunters
App icon of Episode One
Developer(s)Rodeo Games
Publisher(s)Rodeo Games
Platform(s)iOS, Android
ReleaseHunters: Episode One
February 26, 2011 (iOS)
November 14, 2012 (Android)
Hunters 2
March 22, 2012 (iOS)
Genre(s)Tactical role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Hunters is a series of two science fiction tactical role-playing video games developed and published by Rodeo Games for the iOS. The first game, Hunters: Episode One, was released in February 2011. The second game, Hunters 2, was released in March 2012.

Gameplay

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Hunters series is a pair of top-down turn-based tactical role-playing games.[1] The games are set in a science fiction universe where humanity has colonized several solar systems and planets are frequently owned by corporations.[1] The player controls a squad of mercenaries, called "hunters", as they conduct missions for corporations on various planets.[1][2] Maps are made up of square grids and characters use action points on each turn for movement and shooting.[1] Episode One is a freemium game where the game is free to download but your squad is stuck at experience level two until the app is purchased.[3]

Release

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Hunters series was developed by Rodeo Games, a studio based in Guildford, England.[4] Hunters: Episode One started development as a multiplayer game.[5] Episode One was released for the iOS on February 26, 2011.[6] By September 2011, Episode One had been downloaded over 550,000 times.[5] Multiplayer was planned to be added to the first game after release.[7][3] Hunters 2 was announced on December 16, 2011, and released for iOS on March 22, 2012.[8][9] Episode One was released for Android on November 14, 2012.[10] By January 2013, both games combined had been downloaded over one million times.[11]

Rodeo Games' 2013 game Warhammer Quest uses Taurus game engine, the same engine from Hunters 2.[12] Rodeo Games' 2015 game Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch is described as a spiritual successor to the Hunters series.[13][14]

Reception

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Hunters: Episode One and Hunters 2 both received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[15][19]

Hunters: Episode One

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Mike Thompson of Gamezebo summarized: "Overall, Hunters: Episode One is a good title that’s on the verge of being absolutely great. Aside from needing some bugs fixed, the game could also use some story missions to provide a solid narrative that players can get behind."[1]

Andrew Nesvadba of AppSpy summarized: "Hunters: Episode One provides a solid grounding for what could be an insanely addictive tactical turn-based title, but bugs and the lack of story missions are holding it back for now."[17]

Tracy Erickson of Pocket Gamer criticised the game design: "The game's primary weakness is an odd structure that limits the number of available missions. New missions are unlocked every 24 hours - in other words, once you complete the initial batch of missions, you have to wait a day before new ones appear. It's an unpleasant restriction and one that seems wholly unnecessary."[16]

In a 2016 retrospective review, Shaun Musgrave of TouchArcade said that "Hunters: Episode One is an important game in terms of carving a path for what followed, but taken as a game rather than a piece of history, I’m not sure it has a lot to offer anymore. The core is solid, but everything good about the game was carried forward into better works."[28]

Hunters 2

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Erik Carlson of Slide to Play summarized: "Hunters 2 is an exciting and ambitious strategy game with deep RPG elements. If you don’t mind a short campaign mode, then the ever-changing missions, fun character customization, and awesome presentation will keep you coming back on a daily basis."[2]

Andrew Nesvadba of AppSpy summarized: "Hunters 2 moves the series forward, stepping away from the sterile and automatically generated levels of the original and on to something more exciting; a great pick for turn-based fans after a game ready to punish players for poor decisions."[24]

Damien of McFerran Pocket Gamer summarized: "Hunters 2 is an almost perfect sequel - it improves on what has gone before without drastically changing too many things. The presence of in-app purchasing is unfortunate, but not enough to sully the good work done elsewhere. Turn-based strategy fans should pick it up".[21]

Rich Stanton of Eurogamer said: "Hunters 2 does everything bigger, better, and in even more detail. It's a much better game in almost every way, with every addition adding a little crackle to the mix. And yet it still leaves you craving something more."[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Thompson, Mike (2 March 2011). "Hunters: Episode One Review". Gamezebo. iWin, Inc. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Carlson, Erik (22 March 2012). "Hunters 2 Review". Slide to Play. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b Usher, Anthony (1 March 2011). "Freemium turn-based strategy title Hunters: Episode One leaps onto iPhone and iPad". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  4. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (17 February 2016). "Rodeo stops making new games after poor Warhammer 40k Deathwatch sales". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  5. ^ a b Jordan, Jim (14 September 2011). "Topdown view: Rodeo Games on the making of Hunters: Episode One". Pocket Gamer.biz. Steel Media. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Hunters: Episode One HD". AppSpy. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b Klosowski, Thorin (9 May 2011). "'Hunters: Episode One' Review – Touchy Tactical Turn-based Combat". TouchArcade. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  8. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (16 December 2011). "Rodeo Games announces Hunters 2". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  9. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (22 March 2012). "iOS turn-based strategy game Hunters 2 out today". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  10. ^ Usher, Anthony (14 November 2012). "Turn-based iOS strategy-RPG Hunters: Episode One blasts onto Android". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  11. ^ Nouch, James (31 January 2013). "How Rodeo's Hunters series proved premium-priced core games can still pay off". Pocket Gamer.biz. Steel Media. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  12. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (23 May 2013). "Turn-based iOS game Warhammer Quest out next week". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  13. ^ Brown, Mark (13 July 2015). "Rodeo's Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch - Tyranid Invasion launches this week". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  14. ^ Musgrave, Shaun (24 July 2015). "'Warhammer 40K: Deathwatch – Tyranid Invasion' Review – Glorious Space Hunters". TouchArcade. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Hunters: Episode One for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  16. ^ a b Erickson, Tracy (15 March 2011). "GAME REVIEWS - Hunters: Episode One". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  17. ^ a b Nesvadba, Andrew (1 March 2011). "Hunters: Episode One Review". AppSpy. Steel Media. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  18. ^ Pugliese, Tommaso (13 April 2011). "La caccia ha inizio". Multiplayer.it (in Italian). NetAddiction Srl. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Hunters 2 for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Hunters 2 review". Edge. Future plc. 4 April 2012. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  21. ^ a b McFerran, Damien (2 April 2012). "GAME REVIEWS - Hunters 2". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  22. ^ Ford, Eric (27 March 2012). "'Hunters 2' Review – A Great Strategy Game that Improves Upon the Original". TouchArcade. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  23. ^ Goryachev, Vladimir (16 April 2012). "Рецензия на Hunters 2 (iOS)". Absolute Games (in Russian). Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  24. ^ a b Nesvadba, Andrew (26 March 2012). "Hunters 2 Review". AppSpy. Steel Media. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  25. ^ West, Lee (10 April 2012). "Hunters 2". Gamereactor (in Danish).
  26. ^ Pugliese, Tommaso (12 April 2012). "La caccia si riapre". Multiplayer.it (in Italian). NetAddiction Srl. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  27. ^ Nirvi, Niko (May 2012). "Vihaiset sotilaat". Pelit (in Finnish). No. 5/2012. Sanoma Magazines. p. 43.
  28. ^ Musgrave, Shaun (24 March 2016). "RPG Reload File 074 – 'Hunters: Episode One'". TouchArcade. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  29. ^ Stanton, Rich (4 April 2012). "App of the Day: Hunters 2". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
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