Hunter's Arena: Legends enters into a battle royale genre already full of popular games like Apex Legends and Fortnite and attempts to shake up the formula by focusing solely on melee combat. Developer Mantisco largely succeeds in this endeavor, using a combination of elements from MMORPGs and fighting games to deliver an unique battle royale experience for fans.
Hunter's Arena: Legends takes place in ancient Asia, with players assuming the role of of a Hunter as they battle demons and other Hunters. There are 17 different Hunters for players to choose from, with character designs varying from typical humans to unique options like a panda bear. Hunters fall under three different classes of combat styles: Melee, Mid-Range and Long Range. This allows players to experiment with all of the Hunters to find the playstyle that fits them best, much like Apex Legends.
Combat in Hunter's Arena: Legends is fast-paced and difficult at first, with a myriad of elements that must be learned over time. Hunters have a basic attack and Martial Arts move to help break guards, as well as a dedicated block/parry/Quickstep system to help defend themselves from incoming attacks. Additionally, each Hunter has their own set of combat skills that can be chained together with normal attacks to create combos, as well as a Super Skill ability that builds up over time like Ultimates in Overwatch.
It's all a bit overwhelming at first, especially in the first few matches when trying to learn all of the combat's nuances. Mantisco thankfully provides resources like a Game Guide that goes more in-depth about the combat system, as well as a Training Ground that allows players to choose each hunter and practice combos against AI Hunters. Once the combat clicks, it's an incredibly satisfying experience, with each battle becoming a Mortal Kombat-like dance of attacks and defense that is truly skill-testing in nature.
Hunter's Arena: Legends launches with three different game modes. Solo mode sees 30 players drop into the map in a free-for-all to be the last Hunter standing, while Trio mode allows them to team up in groups of three and work together to defeat other teams. Tag Match separates itself from the other modes by ditching the battle royale mechanics and focusing strictly on one-on-one combat, with players choosing two Hunters and facing off with one other player in a competition of skill.
Matches in Hunter's Arena: Legends begin like other traditional battle royales, flying in from a floating shrine to land at one of the map's many points of interest. Mantisco has provided a diverse map to explore, with snow-covered terrain, lush forests and sandy ruins creating a landscape that avoids becoming stale. The game looks and runs great, which is a huge plus considering how much is going on during any given match.
Battle royale games typically have moments where players find themselves wandering around the map looking for other combatants, which can easily get boring. Hunter's Arena: Legends attempts to rectify this by including a plethora of activities to engage in from the moment of being dropped into the map. Enemy AI of various designs are scattered across the map to fight, with each defeat leveling up a Hunter and making them more powerful. Huge bosses also spawn in at random points throughout a match, dropping Legendary equipment upon defeat.
Better equipment can be obtained from these enemies and looted from treasure chests scattered in the environment, helping prepare players for battles later on in the match. Equipment can also be upgraded at merchants and blacksmiths around the map, while crystalline formations provide enhancements like a protective shield or damage boost when collected. All of these elements work together to ensure no lulls throughout the 15-20 minute matches, even when engaging in PvP combat isn't an option, making for a consistently fun experience.
Some areas of the game do need some improvement, with certain Hunters being a little too strong at launch and button inputs not completely registering in combat engagements, leading to moments of confusion when a Hunter doesn't do what they should. However, Mantisco has already released a patch within the first week to improve the game at time of writing, which indicates the potential for swift improvements to any shortcomings at release. All things considered, Hunter's Arena: Legends is definitely a battle royale game that fans should check out, with enough of its own identity to seriously contend for people's time in an increasingly crowded genre of quality options.
Hunter's Arena: Legends is available now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.