Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: inXile Entertainment
Genre: Action
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

Teamwork is usually optional in games. A lot of co-op campaigns have a very relaxed sense of camaraderie, where you can either choose to work together or alone, but the end result remains the same. There is rarely any need for interaction. This is not the case with Bethesda’s Hunted: The Demon’s Forge. Developed by inXile Entertainment, Hunted gives new life to the phrase, “everything is better in pairs.”

Hunted: The Demon’s Forge tells the tale of mercenaries Caddoc and E’lara. Led by a vision Caddoc had, they arrive at the town of Dyfed to find it under attack by the vicious Wargar, a race of violent, underground monsters. After battling their way to the Lord Mayor of Dyfed, they agree to be the town’s saviors…for a price. As their journey progresses, they find out that Dyfed is not the only town with problems, and that the situation with the Wargar is much bigger than it first seemed.

Hunted is a third-person action game with two perspectives. Playing as the warrior Caddoc involves swords, shield, and vicious melee combat. Playing as the huntress E’lara involves taking cover and striking down your foes from a distance. Both characters have spells and abilities that can be used to help each other out. One such ability is Caddoc’s Wind of Wrath, which can levitate all of the enemies around him, making them helpless targets for E’lara’s arrows. E’lara’s Arcane Shot can destroy shields, making it easier for Caddoc to dismember stronger opponents. Both characters can use their magic and combine abilities to create powerful effects like Spell Links and Battle Charges.

This game features an introductory prologue and six chapters throughout the campaign. Each chapter is filled with prisoners yearning to be set free, restless souls wishing to tell their story, and puzzles demanding to be solved. When playing through the campaign by yourself, the partner AI works pretty well. There were several times, particularly in narrow hallways, where the AI would have trouble moving around you, forcing you to push your partner out of the way. In battle, however, the partner AI was a very good team player, utilizing spells and abilities that would best benefit you. An AI-controlled Caddoc will use Wind of Wrath often, so that the player-controlled E’lara will always have an easy shot. While the game is entirely playable by yourself, it is much more fun when going through it with a partner, either via split screen, a system link, or over Xbox Live. Having two sets of eyes means you’ll find more of the game’s many hidden areas, and being able to work out battle strategies makes it more fun. When you finish the campaign, the game also features a Crucible mode, which allows the player to make their own dungeon. Once you set the path of the dungeon, you can change the enemies, theme, weapons, and requirements for each section, allowing for a completely customizable experience. InXile Entertainment has several pre-made dungeons available to give you ideas for your own creation. New dungeon settings unlock as you collect gold throughout the game.

Hunted is a blast to play, but it is not without its flaws. There were several instances where dropped items would glitch into the ground and I would be unable to pick them up. This happened a lot with the crystal shards that are used to level up your spells. I also experienced a bug while firing magic arrows that would cost me the requisite mana, but only fire a regular shot. This didn’t happen often, but it was an annoying problem, particularly during bigger battles. Once or twice the game froze up on me completely, and I had to reset my 360. The checkpoint system is also strange. What may seem like a checkpoint wasn’t always one, and I ended up having to do a few levels over because the game didn’t save where I thought it would.

Even with its flaws, Hunted: The Demon’s Forge is a great game. It has an enjoyable campaign with decent writing and above average voice work. The visuals are good enough, but more importantly the game is fun. Playing co-op was a great experience and you can lose hours of your life playing other people’s Crucible dungeons. Check it out now for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

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