Hunt the Night

The best part of reviewing video games is when you get a chance to play a game you had no prior knowledge of, then get completely blown away by it. One of the last times this happened to me was when I reviewed Rise of the Third Power, which turns out to be by the same developer as today’s unexpected gem: Hunt the Night. The easiest way to describe Hunt the Night would be The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past with a Castlevania aesthetic. It also happens to be as good as the classic titles from those series’ 16-bit eras.

Hunt The Night has combines Legend of Zelda in its puzzles and exploration with Bloodborne in its difficulty and ambiance in a way that will attract fans of either series. Though it might turn off players who are not interested in a lot of difficult boss encounters.

In worlds of fantasy creations, there are so many approaches to the balance of good and evil. In some cases, the evil seems to lurk in the shadows, a creeping dread that all feel but only a select few have to face. There are some where darkness operates with the guise of benevolence, making the protagonist’s quest for righteousness that much harder. I would argue the second is more difficult, simply because many people refuse to believe that what they believe to be good is actually wicked.

Hunt the Night is close to being a great Bloodbourne-inspired Souls-like, but it suffers from a midgame area that's a chore to navigate and a late game difficulty spike that goes beyond punishing and straight into sadistic. Some of this could be adjusted in updates, but as things stand, I can only recommend this title to those who really want to challenge themselves. If that sounds like you, then there is much to like.

Hunt the Night wastes its potential with bad combat and a world that isn't fully realised.

Overall, Hunt the Night has promising aspects but it's held back in frustrating ways. On paper, the game is an interesting combination of classic top-down action games, a dark aesthetic, and Monster Hunter-style bosses. However, it misses critical mechanics like fluid movement and meaningful equipment customisation. The environments are well-crafted but are hampered by odd character designs that don't quite fit. Despite its flaws, Hunt the Night is an ambitious first outing for an indie studio. With refinement and attention to detail, Moonlight Games has the potential to create an excellent ti...

The world of Medhram is a dark, violent place facing an even darker, more violent future. Moonlight Games' action RPG Hunt the Night takes on the oftentimes brutal task to save this world.