It’s not easy to translate a pen and paper role-playing classic to a video game format, but Hunter: The Reckoning on the Xbox surprised gamers with its addictive Gauntlet-styled action and interesting supernatural story.  While the game found itself on GameCube as well, PS2 gamers didn’t get a chance to experience The Reckoning--that is, until now.  Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward, a sequel to the original, is the perfect introduction to the series but does it translate well to the PS2? 

The original game placed four very different characters in the small city of Ashcroft that has been infested by a great evil during the eve of the execution of a death row inmate named Nathaniel Arkady, filling the city with zombies and other monsters.   Yet the threat was stopped by these four heroes who have become Hunters and saviors of all that is good. Two years later, two Wayward Hunters go missing in Ashcroft and it is up to Deuce, Samantha, Kassandra and Father Cortez to find them and stop the invasion from starting anew.

From the very start of the game, you are given a choice of which of the four Hunters to play as even though you can switch characters in any of the two Hunter bases.  Samantha relies on her speed as well as her katana sword and powerful revolver while Deuce relies on his strength as well as his heavy battle-axe and his pump action shotgun.  Kassandra is the acrobatic one who carries twin blades as well as twin pistols and Father Cortez uses divine spells as well as his trusty crossbow and crusader sword.  Each character has his or her weaknesses but some characters are better suited for specific levels than others.

Control-wise, Wayward is as smooth as a baby’s bottom when it comes to executing each action.  The PS2 controller seems better suited to the actions than the Xbox game and it’s easy to switch weapons on the fly when needed most.  Trust me, this is a good thing since the game continuously throws enemies (such as zombies, creepy exploding spider creatures and powerful hulking monstrosities) at you in waves.  Thankfully you can jump or strafe out of a situation and you can even aim using the right analog stick.  Your Edge ability allows your character to increase his or her strength when it’s best needed most and, thanks to the many pick-ups and glyphs (for health, extra strength or information) scattered throughout the game (such as extra guns), you can certainly hold your own pretty well.

While the controls are ultra smooth, the framerate isn’t and you’ll notice a few stutters and slowdowns especially when the game throws way too many enemies than usual.  Still, it really doesn’t get bad enough that it distracts from the rest of the game.  Yet I do have one major complaint and that is that the four-player option is now a two-player affair and thus keeping it from being a cool party game.  Still, the extra goodies to unlock (earned many ways including by rescuing X amount of innocents) and special features you can check out in your Hunter base more than makes up for this.

The PS2 certainly can’t compete with the Xbox in terms of graphical power, but the visuals in Wayward are actually not bad at all considering the fact that so many things can happen on the screen at once.  The environments are rendered decently enough but it’s the characters that look great in the middle of a frenzied attack.  Yet it’s the game’s special effects that are the noticeable attraction (Father Cortez has some pretty flashy spells that light up the ground around him).

The sound effects certainly win big points here since it is truly creepy enough to rival that of the Resident Evil games.  Nothing is more chilling than hearing the wailing of unseen creatures hidden somewhere in the darkness or the empty echo of an abandoned building.  Your firearms produce a sharp and loud retort and slicing through the hordes of monsters sounds sickeningly real.  The score is creepy during moments of calmness and then turns chaotic in time with enemy attacks. 

Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward is more than just a satisfying old-school hacking, slashing and shooting action game, it’s an involving game with plenty to offer action junkies.  Never mind the occasional framerate slowdowns and the lack of a four-player option, Wayward has too many good things going for it.  If you’re new to the series, the game will certainly be a pleasant surprise.  If you’re a fan since the Xbox game, this one will remind you of what made you a fan in the first place. 

Gameplay: 8.7
Compared to the Xbox original, Wayward certainly translates well on the PS2.  The control scheme is actually simplistic and easy to get into since actions like Edge or jump has been assigned by default to the L1 and L2 buttons respectively.  Each character also handles situations differently and mastering their fighting techniques is a joy.  There are also a few tasks that keep the game from being a simple button-mashing repetitive experience like the mission that has you escorting an ally to safety.

Graphics: 8.0
Visually, Wayward looks more than decent when it comes to displaying the massive environments that are detailed nicely enough to give you the impression you’re in a city that’s been damned.  You’ll find all the usual things such as abandoned vehicles and emptied stores.  What the game does excel in is the ability to fill the screen with its gruesome monstrosities and dazzle with great special effects.  Watching the undead turn into dust is just plain awesome.

Sound: 8.2
The game’s sound, on the other hand, is wonderfully detailed down to the sounds of spent bullet castings dropping on pavement or the sounds of the wind through the abandoned streets as monsters groan in the distance.  There’s also a soundtrack that’s pretty good at setting the mood during appropriate times throughout the game.  The voice acting during the game’s cut scenes are also nicely done.

Difficulty: Hard
The Hunter: Reckoning games have always been about throwing you into the lion’s den with dozens of hungry lions ready to rip you to shreds all at once.  If you’re playing this one solo--even in the game’s normal setting--you’ll find yourself getting slaughtered more than a few times . . . especially when you go up against bosses or the more hulk-like monsters.  The game includes a Nightmare mode, the game’s most difficult setting, but only experienced gamers should consider playing the game with this mode.

Concept: 8.2
Those gamers that experienced the game’s first outing on the Xbox will feel a strong sense of deja vu since the same location is used yet again.  Yet there are more things to do this time around and there are plenty of hidden goodies that are just waiting to be discovered while playing the game.  There are enough extras to unlock in this game, thus adding more to the replay value.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Alas, the four-player multiplayer action has been reduced to a two-player deal and this will not sit well with those gamers that got to play the original Xbox game.  Hunter: The Reckoning is one of those games that feels great playing with four other friends, especially when the game in question piles on the enemies in seemingly non-stop waves.  To make matters worse, you’ll occasionally find a few hiccups and stutters when playing with a second player.  I guess it’s an unexpected blessing that a four-player deal was included.

Overall: 8.3
Once again, fans of Hunter: The Reckoning will gladly take up the call and declare open season on the forces of evil.  Wayward is a truly entertaining and addictive gruesome action game and a perfect sequel to the original.  Gamers will be more likely to forgive the sporadic slowdowns and the lack of a four-player option due to its interesting story, great characters and arcade-styled action.  I highly recommend you try this one out.