Huntdown takes you back to the days of classic arcade 2D action games but utilizes modern tools to perfect the genre. From the beginning to the end, this game is an absolute thrill. The attention to detail in the environments and the ever-changing rollout of enemies play a huge part in keeping each moment of gameplay fresh with a high level of intensity. You might lose track of character once or twice in the carnage and die, but that just means you get to go back to the nearest checkpoint and destroy everything again.

Action sequences aren’t all just a case of spraying and praying either, a lot of the game looks like that, but you need to approach things in a more considered matter if you want to actually survive. There’s a constant cycle of fun decisions to make in your weapon choices, movement options, and tactical decisions, and they all elevate Huntdown far above many other run and gunners.

So what makes Huntdown so great? It’s the satisfaction. It’s the way the tiny pixelated people burst into flame when you roast them with a stolen flamethrower; it’s the bits of meat scattering across the screen when a cluster grenade you’ve thrown pulverizes your enemies. It’s the rage you feel when the boss you’ve spent 45 minutes trying to defeat kills you when he has 1 hp left. It’s the elation you feel when you finally beat him.

Huntdown may not appeal to everyone, but if you have a soft spot for 16-bit retro shooters and '80s action movies (or if you happen to be a nostalgic gamer of a certain age), it's pretty much guaranteed to please. It's just as punishing and satisfying as you'd expect, and that's a very good thing.

Of course, in the world of Huntdown, you can find flaws, such as primitive AI, lack of upgrades or too similar characters, but this does not prevent you from enjoying a very bright and well-staged action.

Huntdown is a great example of intense old-fashioned action and bad one-liners, it just has the flaw to last as long as a single shot. Tasteful, but short.

Huntdown is definitely aiming in "emulating" the scenery, brutality, and b-movie aesthetic of the 80s action movies, but from the lenses of an 16-bit, pixel art game that would fit in perfectly in the arcade cabinets of their golden age. Need we say more? Just enjoy its simplistic albeit utterly enjoyable action.