Hunt: Showdown 1896 stands as a first-person action title centered on bounty hunting in a corrupted 1890s world filled with monstrous threats. Players equip hunters with period-appropriate firearms and tools to track targets, manage resources, and survive encounters against both AI enemies and rival teams. The game emphasizes careful movement, auditory cues for positioning, and loadout decisions that influence each match's outcome. Recent additions include the Last Laugh DLC, which introduces the Hyena hunter along with themed weapons and a consumable that tie into a circus backstory involving corruption and personal loss.
Gameplay
Core loops revolve around entering matches with chosen hunters and gear, locating and eliminating bosses to secure bounties, then extracting safely amid competition. Sound design plays a central role, as footsteps, gunshots, and environmental noises reveal nearby activity without relying on visual markers alone. Loadouts combine weapons such as rifles and revolvers with consumables for utility or offense, while traits modify health, stamina, or abilities to suit different play styles. The Last Laugh content adds the Hyena hunter, whose story involves a corrupted companion from a traveling show, alongside the Lion's Roar Centennial rifle, Banner Shot Pax Trueshot revolver, and Warm Embrace Concertina Bomb. These items carry thematic details from the hunter's past, where a big game expert turned circus performer confronts the spread of corruption after a difficult choice.
Game Modes
Bounty Hunt serves as the primary experience, placing up to twelve players across larger maps to hunt bosses, banish them, and race for extraction points while fending off both PvE hordes and other teams. Bounty Clash offers a faster alternative on smaller locations, focusing on quicker contracts and direct confrontations. Soul Survivor operates as a solo-focused mode where individuals scavenge and eliminate others until one remains. Supporting options include a tutorial for basics and a shooting range for testing equipment without match pressure. These formats accommodate solo, duo, or trio teams depending on the selection, with randomized elements like boss locations and supply placements adding variety to repeated sessions.
The Last Laugh DLC
This addition expands the roster with Harlan Grant, known as the Hyena, who once performed alongside a trained spotted hyena named Cackle in a circus setting. Corruption from an artifact called the HelioStone altered the animal, forcing a tragic end that drives the hunter's solitary fight against its minions. The included weapons reference this history: the Lion's Roar rifle stems from an incident where the hunter stopped a feral lion during a show, while the Banner Shot revolver evokes the performer's flair for dramatic displays. The Warm Embrace Concertina Bomb ties back to an early encounter that turned the hyena from threat to companion. Together these elements provide new cosmetic and functional options without altering core systems, appealing to players interested in narrative flavor alongside mechanical variety.
Is It Worth Playing?
Player feedback shows mixed recent reviews following the 1896 update, which brought engine improvements, a new map, additional enemies, and UI changes that some found disruptive to performance and navigation. All-time reception remains mostly positive, reflecting appreciation for the tense extraction loop and meaningful loadout choices. The game receives ongoing support through updates and seasonal content, including DLC releases like the Last Laugh pack. It suits those who enjoy deliberate pacing, high-stakes multiplayer decisions, and atmospheric PvPvE combat over fast-paced arcade shooters. Newcomers benefit from the tutorial and range modes to build familiarity before jumping into full matches, while veterans appreciate the depth in sound-based tactics and trait customization. Availability on PC makes it accessible for those matching the preferred style of calculated risk and team coordination.
