Why you may not be playing Hunt to its fullest potential. 

Hunt: Showdown is an extremely immersive and mechanics heavy game. Part of that immersion is the stellar sound design that makes the swamps feel lived in and dangerous. Navigating these dangerous muddy waters can take more than your hears, so theres some helpful general tips sprinkled in for good measure.

15. Sound Effect Settings: 

These are your base line sound effects for Hunt, meaning everything from zombie groans to the slight intake of breath a hunter gives off when aiming down sights, this setting covers it all. There isn’t a magic number to set yours to, as it comes down to personal preference and ability to discern what sounds are what and what they mean for your next move. 

Why it’s important: Sound is everything in Hunt and making sure your SFX setting is tuned to your personal preference is key to hearing everything you need to make tactical decisions. You can hear hunters aim down sights or crouch walk as they try to sneak on you for an ambush. Not adjusting this setting to where you can reasonably hear everything you need to, leaves you at a huge disadvantage.

14. Headphones: 

Not so much a setting as it is a requirement, good headphones can make or break your time with Hunt. One of the first screens in the game even tells you it’s best to use headphones while playing and it is not lying. 

Why they’re important: The 3D audio in Hunt:Showdown is some of the best sound design in modern games. It’s not often a games’ sound is made to be able to hear the direction of footsteps from 3 floors down in a creaky building, so good headphones are a must for the full experience. 

13. VOIP ( Voice On In Proximity): 

This can be a tough setting to deal with for antisocial people, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Having VOIP on allows you to communicate not only with your teammates but possibly even enemies should the situation arise. 

Why it’s important: VOIP allows for giving callouts to teammates and making sure everyone is on the right page. Like any internet game, talking to strangers can be a dice roll. Hunt has a community that can be welcoming as long as everyone is on the right page and nice. Best way to ensure this is communication. Another benefit to VOIP is communication with enemies. That may sound counterintuitive, but the bayou has been known to foster diplomacy as well. If all else fails VOIP works great for mind games on your opponents as well, but keep it classy everyone. 

12. Dialogue Volume: 

Now that we’ve introduced VOIP as a concept we need to be aware of how it can affect your performance in game. Communication is key in Hunt but too much or too little can overtake a fight and become a distraction in a second. 

Why it’s important: Adjusting your dialogue volume doesn’t necessarily mean turning it off or on. This setting is more about finding that balance of still being able to hear the mosquitos and monsters of the bayou, while also being able to hear what your teammates are saying without them having to shout. This setting can also save you from a straight up startling, as the voice chat works by proximity, you may misjudge where someone is only to have their very loud voice pop out of nowhere like a demon from hell. 

11. Training Mode: 

Moving more into general tips, training mode is exactly what it sounds like. It drops you into a small corner of the map, with a boss ready to be beaten and banished. This mode allows you to use a load out without losing it should you fail. The training mode. There is a safety net for failing the training mode, it wants you to learn so learn. 

Why it’s important: Training Mode offers the lowest pressure way to familiarize yourself with Hunt and it’s mechanics. Everything from finding clues, to banishing the boss and extracting, this mode will teach you the basics without hurting your resources. Because you can use your own loadouts, this also gives you a chance to adjust any aim settings or sensitivities you may need to.

10. Quickplay: 

An alternative to the games main Bounty Hunt mode, this free for fall loot grab is a good way to familiarize yourself with the game. It costs nothing so there’s no harm in trying it out for some profit and game experience. 

Why Quickplay is important: 

Quickplay is an important and underutilized tool in a hunters arsenal. Hunt’s weapon progression runs off xp gained toward a certain weapon “tree”, with more and more xp unlocking different variations along the progression path. Because Quickplay is a free for all with loot scattered all over the map, there’s tons of gun variants for you to pick up and level up for free. Because the game mode costs nothing, the little bit of cash you get from playing adds up as well. Along with the other reasons, Quickplay also gives you a lower pressure way to learn map layouts. 

9. Trials Mode: 

Trails mode offers the most unique way to engage with the games mechanics and earn rewards. Players compete in several scenarios or obstacle courses in order to earn stars for rewards. Each challenge offers 3 criteria for obtaining these stars, so these can be quite difficult but very rewarding. 

Why it is important: Trials Mode familiarizes players with some of the more deeper mechanics like vaulting and sidestepping, in a different way than the regular running for your life you usually get. This mode takes place all over the maps and features several different compounds, allowing you to learn all the ins and outs of all sorts of buildings and areas. On top of game knowledge, you can also unlock more equipment and exclusive weapon skins by getting as many stars as possible in Trials. 

8. Graphics Settings: 

These can be a bit of a no-brainer when first starting a game, but Hunt: Showdown is a very CPU heavy game that can tax your system more than you first expect. This can lead to performance issues which can no doubt affect your gameplay. Depending on your setup, you may have to adjust certain settings so you're not overworking your pc. 

Why it’s important to adjust Graphics Settings: Performance is everything in a game like Hunt and every little hiccup you can avoid ensures your only worry should be tactics and gameplay. Depending on your system, it may be worthwhile to adjust certain graphical settings to ensure your CPU is not being overworked unnecessarily. 

7. Equipment: 

This is the name of the game in Hunt. What a hunter brings with them into the bayou, can make sure they get out alive. From healing to ways to silently kill AI for stealth, your equipment loadout is your lifeline. 

Why it's important: A carpenter is only as good as their tools or something like that. You always want to make sure you’re prepared for whatever the bayou has in store. One can never go wrong by always bringing a melee tool, such as a knife or Knuckle Dusters, and a medkit. These provide utility that will ensure your survival. 

6. Solo Hunting: 

Having teammates can put a lot of pressure on new players. Maybe you don’t want to get into conflicts while you're learning the game, so loading in solo is always a viable option. While intimidating at first, once you realize you don't owe anyone a fight, it makes it a lot easier to run around learning maps and locations. 

Why it's important to not be intimidated by solo hunting: whether it's against duos or trios, going into the swamps solo can be a daunting task if you’re going in to fight. But in the beginning we go in to learn. Run around compounds, learn the ins and outs, find weapon stashes or cash registers, all while not hampering your teammates who may be more experienced ( or just jerks, it is the internet). 

5. Don’t be afraid to group up: 

Some players may not feel comfortable with going solo and getting into a new game can be daunting. That being said, Hunt has a very welcoming community that is open to teaching new players the ropes. Putting yourself out there can be scary but finding people you can just grunt at for callouts can be priceless in a fight. 

Why it’s important: Humans are social creatures. We crave interaction with others, even if that may be a very small controlled amount. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and hold your ground. The game tells players in one of the first screens about building a better interactive community so people can have a good time, so if someones not doing that then they're in the wrong. 

4. Utilize Free Hunters: 

Equipment gets expensive in Hunt: Showdown, so you should always keep an eye out for a bargain. It also doesn't get much cheaper than free, so the equipment these hunters come with can be quite welcome to those hurting for Hunt Bucks. 

Why it’s Important: Recruitment is your main way of selecting a hunter and loadout for a mission. So not only is a free hunter providing you with a no cost body to throw into the swamps, they often come with their own pieces of equipment. Which is now yours, you can just have that and use it for free. 

3. Use Text Chat: 

While VOIP is extremely helpful, it may not be for everyone so Hunt provides an alternative way of communicating, should talking not be your forte. Maybe not as practical in a gunfight, it can be a good way to start the match off on the right foot by greeting teammates. Then you know for sure if they are psychos, cause who yells at someone just saying “howdy”? 

Why it's important: When playing with a team, communication is everything. Not everyone will be able to or even comfortable with talking, even in push-to-talk scenarios. Text chat allows some form of communication to be maintained, but be warned, enemies in range also get the message. This can lead to some interesting interactions, or advantages if you get in range without the enemy knowing you can eavesdrop. 

2. Ping: 

Underutilized in so many ways, online games having a ping option is the most helpful and quickest form of communication in a game. You look somewhere with the press of a button your team knows what and where you are looking. Not enough people us this for their teammates' benefit and the team suffers because of it. 

Why it's important: Callouts are essential to good teamplay. However,  if you're with a random group or just can't get out more than “ they're over there by the building!”, being able to quickly give a point of interest to your team is essential to working well together. There are red pings for emergency situations like enemies or a general white ping if you just want to indicate a direction. Either way the ping is an essential tool for communicating well in Hunt. 

3D Audio Headphones: 

There’s a reason this is mentioned twice, and its the same reason Hunt gives a notification upon booting up that this game is meant to be played with headphones. Not just the ones that came with your phone either, stereo headphones with 3D audio capabilities are the one true way to get an advantage. 

Why they're important: Your senses are everything when it comes to survival, and Hunt is no different. The sound design in Hunt is maybe the closest a game has come to synthesizing real life sound in a virtual environment, and to get the most out of that you need the right equipment. With stereo headphones the game becomes much more immersive, allowing you to make better tactical decisions, as well as making the game scarier which is just more fun. It kinda sucks to say you need a peripheral to fully enjoy a game, but headsets and headphones are a pretty common accessory most people have, but often don't use. 

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