Developer Easy Trigger Games’ Huntdown is a love letter to 80s video games with a splash of modern flair. Part Robocop, part Contra, and a little bit of Blade Runner, Huntdown presents players with a fast-paced side scrolling shooter/platformer that can be punishing at times but is consistently a joy to experience.

The basic setup for Huntdown puts the player in control of one of three bounty hunters: Anna Conda, John Sawyer, or Mow Man. Each has a default weapon that favors a slightly different play style. While Anna’s weapon is burst fire, Mow Man’s is a weaker single shot pistol that fires as quick as players can tap the trigger. John Sawyer’s weapon is stronger than the other two, but it is also the slowest.

Depending on who players choose, they will find a different playstyle that works. For our playthrough with Mow Man, for example, it was relatively easy to keep moving forward and eliminating enemies along the way. Whereas John Sawyer requires a more deliberate and considered approach that takes advantage of the cover available in the game. Alongside those starting weapons, players will also pick up a variety of other weapons (and throwables) with limited ammo. They can hold one of the unique weapons at a time and use them for specific enemies or sections.

Unlike Contra or any of the side scrolling shooters of the era, Huntdown allows players to use the terrain to their advantage. They can duck behind boxes, step into an open door, or leap above their targets to flank. At first, direct conflict is the quickest and easiest path to victory but as players progress and the difficulty ramps up, they will need to better use their surroundings.

Those surroundings and environments are split into four main categories themed after a different gang. The Hoodlum Dolls are the game’s version of punk rock fans, with brightly colored mohawks, ripped jeans, and a love of pop culture. The Misconducts favor the subway and love hockey. The Heatseekers are an Elvis-inspired motorcycle club. And the No. 1 Suspects are a Samurai-influenced futuristic group.

Each of the game’s four areas is separated into 5 levels each with a boss at the end. Players will first take out four key henchmen in the hierarchy of the gang before eventually taking on the leader. Throughout the levels, players will encounter a variety of enemies with clever designs, cool weaponry, and that require unique strategies to beat. One level might have players dodging ninjas and samurai robots, while another features Mad Max-esque cars with a “concrete surfer” in tow.

So much of what makes Huntdown exciting is that players don’t know what to expect next. The game carefully peppers new enemies throughout each of the 5 levels so that nothing ever feels too repetitive. And eventually things get very frantic, as players try to dodge advancing attacker and bullet fire whiling simultaneously the herd of enemies in front of them. It can become overwhelming and the game is no pushover even on the normal difficulty, but carefully choosing when to fight and when to be more cautious makes for satisfying encounters.

Where Huntdown really shines, though, is in its boss battles. Usually, a boss battle will require some element of timing, dodging, and patience, as players learn the attack patterns of their opponent. Without question one poor choice or an attempt to get a little extra damage in can derail the whole thing, and most of the bosses can take a while to beat. As a result, not everyone is going to enjoy Huntdown’s major selling point, especially when the normal difficulty still feels quite hard. Personally, the pattern memorization and small windows of opportunity made for an experience that was immensely satisfying when done right. The one big nitpick to be had with the boss battles is that the AI sometimes feels a little too smart and in turn a little cheap.

The good news is that Huntdown does offer co-op to alleviate some of the stress that comes with a difficult game like this. Working with a partner adds a new layer of strategy and it also helps eliminate that overwhelming feeling. The chaos becomes easier to manage and the experience becomes a little breezier. Personal preference will determine what the optimal way to play Huntdown is, but those who want an easier time should find a buddy.

As a whole, Huntdown delivers nail-biting boss battles, exceptional music, a slick design, and fast-paced combat. It’s a throwback to a time where games did a lot with a little, while testing players’ skill the whole way through. Admittedly, the difficulty (unless players want to drop it down to easy) is going to be a turn off, but most will find the checkpoint system forgiving enough.  For our money, the punishment made the victory all the more satisfying.

Huntdown is available now for PC, PS4, Mac, Switch, and Xbox One. Game ZXC was provided a PS4 code for this review.