We tested Huntdown Overtime on the Steam Deck – it runs flawlessly in early access
Just short of five whole years, Easy Trigger Games’ Huntdown is getting a prequel. Huntdown: Overtime launches into early access on Steam this May 7, described by Coffee Stain Publishing as a “blood-soaked roguelite prequel” that features run-and-gun action with “VHS-era” arcade gameplay that continuously builds the player’s power level with unlockable weapons.
Huntdown: Overtime is, without a doubt, a great game for handheld owners to pick up and play. It’s officially Steam Deck Verified, and to put that rating to the test, we’ve been playing Overtime on our office Steam Deck – the devs generously sent us a review code ahead of time. First of all, the beautiful 16-bit pixel art style certainly looks great in the portable form factor.
How does Huntdown Overtime play on the Steam Deck?
The first thing you’ll notice is that the game ships with a default game profile, so there’s no real need for any extra setup, unless you happen to prefer a particular control scheme. For instance, shooting your primary weapon is bound to a face button (X) by default, while the right trigger is a secondary action – but everything is quickly rebindable in the settings menu.
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A note on the Steam store page says that the developers recommend playing Huntdown: Overtime with a controller, and its simple control scheme definitely lends itself to the form factor. We found the controls intuitive and easy to pick up while playing on our Steam Deck. As a 2D side-scrolling platformer, there’s no need for any precise aiming – just stand and shoot, or crouch (or slide) and shoot, with the latter also proving useful for dodging incoming fire.
Alternatively, you can just clobber things with a baseball bat, sledgehammer, or any other melee weapon you come across, if that’s more your style. Based on our time with the game, the balance between melee and ranged weapons seems fair, making both styles viable in their own way. Two main weapon slots ensure there’s easy access to both styles – no tedious weapon switching required. Sliding in and swinging a sledgehammer to mash enemies into pixely gibs was particularly fun.
Performance-wise, we have absolutely no complaints. We went into the game expecting a smooth experience, and that’s exactly what we got. A steady capped 60 FPS during gameplay, even when things got a little (or a lot) more destructive. Huntdown: Overdrive is easy to jump in and play on the Steam Deck – it won’t overheat your system, and only asks for a couple of gigabytes of space, two things which are much appreciated for a painless handheld experience.
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“Hunt, die, upgrade, repeat” is one of the taglines of the game. With each death, the player can restock back up and grow stronger for their next run, spending their hard-earned credits on cybernetic implants from medic man Tony. While it does initially seem strange to be rewarded for dying, you do still lose your weapons and are required to stock back up to overcome the procedurally-generated challenges ahead.
We should probably touch on the stunning cyberpunk style, too. To complement the pixel art within the gameplay, comic-style cutscenes are sprinkled throughout. They’re not presented in a strict comic strip style with speech bubbles, but the art is reminiscent of a darker comic style; we’re told cutscene stills are hand-drawn by comic artist Henrik Jonsson. No AI art here.
The game boots into an intro to get you in the mood, and other skippable cutscenes may play when transitioning between areas, such as when you die and first meet Tony the medic.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a new title to scratch the roguelite itch, Huntdown: Overtime is an excellent choice. For handheld users, it offers a seamless jump-in and out experience with flawless performance. Our LCD Steam Deck is definitely on the lower end as far as PC handheld power level goes these days, certainly compared to the likes of the ROG Xbox Ally X, so you’ll have no problems running this game on a wide range of hardware.
