MACHINE HUNTER

Are you looking for a new deadly challenge? Then get ready for the ultimate 3D onslaught and terrifying power struggle...if you dare

MACHINE HUNTER drops you into a multi-layered 3D hell where survival depends on destroying an army of mechanised killers one-by-one, taking over their bodies - then using their powers to annihilate the rest of the horde. It's a totally new dimension in bloody combat complete with crafty AI-motivated enemies, sensational underworlds and enough firepower to blow away gamers of all ages and skill levels.

• Overhead 3D environment with full 360° attack mobility.
• The ultimate combat challenge. First waste your enemy - then take over their bodies and use their powers to crush even deadlier opponents.
• 9 deadly classes of robots - each one more devastating than the last.
  
  
• INNOVATIVE GAME DESIGN  
  Allows you to actually transform into your 'kills'.
• 16 MULTI-LAYERED ARENAS OF COMBAT  
  Deliver you a vicious challenge at every turn.
• HIDDEN ROOMS AND SECRET LEVELS  
  Provide relentless - and addictive - gameplay.
• A FUTURISTIC WEAPONS ARSENAL  
  Housing the most lethal weaponry ever.
• HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPETITION  
  Multi-player network option that supports up to 8 players.

~ from the back of the box

In the world of game development, you'll find a lot of designers outright copying from others. Games like Doom or Myst had so many that they were referenced as the name of their own sub-genre before more generic terms like first-person-shooter or first-person-adventure we coined. You never hear about the "Loaded-clone" though. Unless your scouring old reviews for Eurocom's top-down shooter Machine Hunter that is...

For those not in the know, Loaded was an early PlayStation launch title that gained notoriety for its unapologetic in-your-face violence. You could play as a clown or an adult baby with all sorts of explosive weaponry at hand. It was my fourth-ever PlayStation game as a kid, and was rather fun in short bursts. You can still play it on the PS5 if you want to have a go. Machine Hunter, on the other hand, has no clowns or babies, but lots and lots of robots.

Unlike you, hostages are invulnerable making you ask the question; "why save them?" (left). The map screen

will show you the locations of hostages, objectives, enemies and more should you have them toggled on (right).

At the beginning of the first stage, you are just a person in a yellow jump suit with a basic gun. You're fairly weak here, but you find you can mow down other humans with ease. When it comes to the robots, it's a little more difficult. Their relentlessly stalking AI attacks in patterns that you'll need to use all the tools at your disposal to navigate past, and this is where Machine Hunter is much more than a Loaded clone. Each of the four face buttons of the controller (or YGHJ on the keyboard) will shoot in each of the four cardinal directions and diagonally if two are pressed at the same time. Holding down a key will let you strafe while you shoot allowing for a more tactical approach to enemies than the brainless carnage of Loaded. Alternatively, you can hold Ctrl - the basic shoot button - to shoot straight ahead while you move.

A cleverly dexterous use of these tactics will become necessary to defeat these bots without dying. And if you do, you're in for another entertaining gimmick that makes it stand out from its inspiration. Just before you completely destroy a machine, it will shut down as signified by the sparks of electricity fizzing from its metal carcass. It indicates that your weak human form can now take control of the bot and its more damaging weapons. You're health will reset too, now representing the improved defensive abilities of the exoskeleton you're piloting. There are 9 machines populating each of the huge levels, and each have their own tactics, attack patterns and backstory detailing their original use before they went rogue.

Each robot has their own bio. Some of them had quite the unusual function before they went rogue. Whoever
thought a laughing clown with a machine gun would be the perfect child's entertainer should rethink their life choices.

The stages are huge and varied, and not just about finding the exit. Well, they are, but objectives need to be completed first. Some stages require you to destroy a number of landmarks or gun turrets, each thankfully marked on the map (if you have objectives toggled on, that is). They make an effort to make each stage interesting, with one of the most memorable in the first half involving a computer virus infecting some toy clown bots, making them super deadly should you try and pilot them. Regardless of what stage you're in, you can collect hostages to boost your sigh score. There can be dozens scattered around and tucked away from the obvious path given you every reason to explore each nook and cranny of the polygonal levels. Add to that some screen-clearing bombs, health pick-ups and damage-boosting power-ups and there's more than enough happening to keep you invested in the otherwise simple gameplay.

Generally, I found Machine Hunter to be a far greater game than the middling reviews at the time gave it credit for. It may get overwhelmingly chaotic at times, erring on the higher end of the difficultly scale, but I had a great time regardless. Perhaps more so than my two-decade old memories of Loaded. Vastly underrated.

To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses the DOSBox-X build of DOSBox 0.74 running Windows '95. French-language Manual included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.

IMPORTANT - Remember to shut down the emulated version of Windows before exiting DOSBox. This could potentially result in errors, lost saves and corrupt data. The program will automatically shut down when you exit the game.

File Size: 289 Mb.  Install Size: 474 Mb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

Download


Machine Hunter is © Eurocom Developments
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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