# Hunter (video game) {#hunter-video-game .reader-title}
------------------------------------------------------------------------
::: content
::: {.moz-reader-content .reader-show-element}
::: {#readability-page-1 .page}
::: {dir="ltr" lang="en"}
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------
Hunter
{file-width="250" file-height="316" height="316" width="250"}
Developer(s) Activision
Publisher(s) Activision
Designer(s) Paul Holmes^\[2\]^
Programmer(s) Paul Holmes^\[2\]^
Artist(s) Jason Kingsley^\[2\]^
Composer(s) Martin Walker^\[2\]^
Platform(s) Amiga, Atari ST
Release August 1991^\[1\]^
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------
'*Hunter'* is an early 3D action-adventure game in which the player
navigates around a series of islands. *Hunter* was developed by Paul
Holmes and Martin Walker (music), and was released by Activision for the
Amiga and Atari ST home computers in 1991.^\[3\]^
<figure>
<img
src="Hunter%20%28video%20game%29%20-%20Wikipedia_files/Hunter_Screenshot01.gif"
class="moz-reader-block-img" data-file-width="320"
data-file-height="256" width="250" height="200"
alt="Screenshot of Hunter" />
<figcaption aria-hidden="true">Screenshot of
<em>Hunter</em></figcaption>
</figure>
The player controls a soldier in a large three-dimensional world and can
move by walking, swimming or using various vehicles ranging from cars to
tanks to surfboards. The player may also enter and explore a variety of
buildings.
Other in-game characters include enemy soldiers, civilians and animals
such as seagulls, sharks and cows. The player has a range of weapons.
Surrounding terrain can be surveyed with aerial observation units and
radar. Food and money can be used to bribe and gather information from
other characters. Target coordinates can be recorded into a log book,
and the player\'s position in the game world can be seen on an
overlaying map.
In addition to shooting, enemy soldiers can also drive vehicles to track
the player down. Guard towers, tracer guns, cannons and SAM launchers
have the ability to shoot towards the player, and homing missiles
launched by the enemy follow the player\'s vehicles.^\[4\]\[5\]^ Birds
can also flock around the player, which can cause them to get killed by
a vehicle.
The game is controlled mostly via joystick and mouse. The joystick
controls the directional movement of the character, and the mouse is
used in the selection of weapons and items.
There are three game modes to choose from. Each mode has its own map:
- *Hunter*, an action-adventure game in which communication with other
characters is important. The player\'s mission is to track down and
assassinate an enemy general and return to headquarters before time
runs out. The mission can be accomplished by collecting clues from
civilians, bribing enemies and using various vehicles and weapons.
- In *Missions* mode, the player has to complete a short mission and
then return to headquarters in order to receive another assignment.
The objectives become progressively harder and the time shorter to
complete each mission. The last mission is to destroy the enemy
headquarters.
- *Action*, one large mission in which the player has to destroy a
preset number of targets in any order he wishes. The player is given
a long list of enemy targets and must use the map and log book to
locate each target and destroy them before time runs out.
The game world consists of a 3D polygon terrain with islands, hills and
lakes. In addition to various buildings and vehicles, also some trees,
plants and rocks are modeled in 3D. Use of colour is limited and shades
of green, orange and blue are emphasized. The game features a 24-hour
clock, and the brightness of the environment depends on the time of day.
Flares can be used to illuminate the surroundings during night.
The only music in the game is the main theme composed by Martin Walker,
which plays during the title screen. Sound effects include engines,
gunfire, explosions, waves and squawks of seagulls. Typically the Amiga
is both visually and sonically more advanced, using more colours and
having digitized sound effects whereas the ST version uses more
dithering (re: the ocean areas) and uses synthesized sound effects.
*Hunter\'s* maps are randomly generated each time the game is played,
and are created using fractal geometry.^\[2\]^ After the map is
generated, pre-made 3D objects are randomly placed in the game
environment.^\[2\]^ *Hunter* has a total of 182 pre-made 3D
objects.^\[2\]^
*Hunter* began development in February 1990, and was originally planned
for a February 1991 release date,^\[2\]^ but was delayed to
August.^\[1\]^ The December 1990 issue of British gaming magazine *The
One* previewed *Hunter\'s* development.^\[2\]^ *Hunter\'s* maps are
randomly generated each time the game is played, and are created using
fractal geometry.^\[2\]^ After the map is generated, pre-made 3D objects
are randomly placed in the game environment.^\[2\]^ *Hunter* is 64
kilobytes large, and has a total of 182 pre-made 3D objects.^\[2\]^ The
code for *Hunter\'s* 3D environments was written by Paul Holmes, and was
originally intended for a game by CRL Group before they went defunct and
the game was cancelled.^\[2\]^ This code, while used as a base, was
\"substantially rewritten\" according to *The One*; the code relied on
the Amiga\'s blitter chip, but due to *Hunter\'s* planned Atari ST
release, this needed to be reworked.^\[2\]^ Holmes created software that
mimiced the Amiga\'s blitter chip that was compatible with Atari ST
hardware; the program turned out to run faster than the Amiga\'s
blitter.^\[2\]^ Holmes said in an interview that \"the trouble with
using the hardware, is that it imposes certain limitations that then
have to be overcome with clever software routines\".^\[2\]^ The object
editor created to design *Hunter\'s* 3D objects was written in a week,
and Holmes expressed that writing *Hunter\'s* game logic and enemy AI
was more difficult than the game\'s 3D routines.^\[2\]^ *Hunter\'s* maps
are generated upon 128 by 128 grids, and the game runs at an average
frame rate of 12 frames per second.^\[2\]^
*Hunter* received very positive reviews (ranging from 85 to 95 points
out of 100) in various game magazines. Although occasional graphical
glitches^\[5\]\[6\]^ and simplistic animation^\[5\]^ were noted, most of
the reviewers considered *Hunter* one of the first serious takes on 3D
gaming.^\[4\]\[5\]\[6\]^ The game was characterized as an innovative
addition to 3D vector games^\[4\]^ and a bold step forward.^\[5\]^
What gathered most attention, however, was the scope of the game and the
freedom of movement inside the game world:
> \...regardless of which mission you are on there are no restrictions,
> apart from time, over how you do it. You can use whatever transport or
> equipment you like. This sense of freedom allows exploration and
> experimentation over transport and equipment mixes.^\[1\]^
>
> Although the missions have time-limits there are no constraints as to
> how you must complete them, and this flexibility is severely lacking
> in past attempts at accessible 3D games.^\[4\]^
>
> I loved the idea of controlling your character with freedom to travel
> around the various locations, using the various means of transport and
> going into buildings without so much as a \"by your leave\".^\[7\]^
Although most reviewers were enthusiastic about the game world and its
absorbing nature, some argued that the game world was small and could be
explored in a few hours.^\[5\]\[6\]^ Another aspect considered negative
in the reviews was the lack of music and the quality of sound
effects.^\[4\]\[1\]^
The combination of the game\'s 3D graphics and sandbox-type gameplay has
been subsequently compared to the *Grand Theft Auto* and similar sandbox
games, such as *Far Cry 2*.^\[8\]^
\
:::
:::
:::
:::