![](https://i0.wp.com/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c8/Hunter_Hunted_cover.jpg)
In the then-distant year of 2015, Earth has been attacked by a race of aliens known only as “the Masters.” Humanity has been largely destroyed in the ensuing war, and surviving humans are enslaved, enduring life-or-death challenges for the amusement of their new overlords. The human protagonist, Jake Hunter, is attempting to make a getaway while repairing the remains of an old car with post-apocalyptic scrap as he struggles to survive the Masters’ gauntlet. Simultaneously, a similar fate befalls the tauren inhabitants planet Kullrathe as the masters herd the survivors into concentration camps. Put into similarly dire straits, the Kullrathian protagonist, Garethe Den, has similar plans of escape. Who will you be — the hunter, or the hunted?
In each level, your goal is to complete all objectives and get to the exit. The controls are fairly standard platformer fare; arrow keys control direction, space is attack, and so on, playing much like Contra and similar titles with a “hiding” mechanic similar to that of Blizzard’s Blackthorne (1994). It’s quite playable by keyboard, but works rather well with a joypad. The game can also be played in split-screen for two players (using two devices or one keyboard) or over a LAN connection for both competitive and cooperative play
![](https://i0.wp.com/livingwithanerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/hunter-hunted-firing.jpg)
As to be expected, both man and beast have different styles of gameplay. Jake largely relies on guns, rockets, and other such items to attack, but has definite weakness in agility and strength. Garethe relies on feral weapons such as clubs, knives, and good ol’ fisticuffs. However, his physique grants him superior speed, strength, and stamina compared to Jake. The strengths and weaknesses of both sides are pretty well balanced, so it really comes down to a matter of preference rather than power-gaming.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.gameclassification.com/files/games/hunter-hunted.jpg)
It’s a bit of an odd assortment of artistic choices, gameplay, and light narrative that really makes a great game for short sessions with an engaging combination of puzzle and action. The game itself is simple enough to learn quickly for competitive or cooperative play, making it a great choice for a pick-up game to play with a friend. It doesn’t take up any noticeable space on your hard drive, so you should be able to get this to run well on even the crummiest laptop. Overall, Hunter Hunted is perfect little “time waster” of a game, but one can hardly call an enjoyable time a waste.
Doc Watson is an editor for The RedShirt Crew and founder of The GameRx Clinic. He’s considered a cosplay of Jake Hunter, but has decided that it’s far too much work to get in shape to have no one recognize who you’re supposed to be. If you have questions or input, leave a comment of send him a tweet @DocWatsonMD