You might not know me, so I’ll introduce myself. I’m one of the biggest fans of post-apocalyptic games and extraction titles that you’ll ever meet, and I’ve done them all. If it has an end-of-the-world theme or the ability to load up, enter a map, loot, shoot, and leave, then I’m your guy. And recently, I found myself diving headfirst, for the first time, into the world of HUNGER.
From the creators of Hell Let Loose (who founded a new studio called GOOD FUN CORPORATION), HUNGER is a satisfying, brutal, and drop-dead gorgeous extraction RPG that’s poised to fully disrupt the genre. It’s in the midst of a closed beta test right now, and I’ve put some time in and come away with my expectations shattered to oblivion.
HUNGER just superseded every other extraction title I’m waiting for right now in terms of hype.
HUNGER is Harrowing, Horrifying, and Historic
I’ll be very transparent: when I booted HUNGER, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I mean, I knew it was a Napoleonic extraction title with some RPG elements set in a world ravaged by ‘HUNGER’, a plague that has turned most of the populace into undead, shambling shells, but I had no idea how deep things would run.
I was expecting something stellar, but my hair was quite simply blown back.
On the surface, you’ve got an absolutely beautiful extraction game that represents juxtaposition of sorts. It’s disgusting, bloody, and gory, but at the same time, it has a beauty about it that leans on intensely realistic visuals and detailed set pieces to fully immerse you in a world that you’d never want to visit.
HUNGER has devoured France; humans have been forced back into fragmented, struggling bastions, and you represent the remnants of society, forced to scavenge a living from the remains of the recent past while fighting the dead, the elements, and other players.
Every stitch of HUNGER looks, feels, and sounds superb. From the sounds of birds singing happily in some hanging tree somewhere to the splash of red-stained mud under your heels as you trudge to your unmarked destination, it’s easy to appreciate the clarity and quality of this game.
The character models are sublime and grotesque, the brutality of the scenery is unmatched, and the authenticity is off the charts.
Let me tell you: until you’ve spent 10 seconds reloading a flintlock pistol in a desperate race to beat the guy standing a few meters away from you doing the same thing, you haven’t felt intensity.
Healing, the loot you pick up, the things you wear, and the general sense of the world around you; it’s all rooted in history and looks like scenes out of a documentary. You know, except for the bloodthirsty, violent mutants roaming the hills, villages, and forests.
But at this point, I’m only discussing the surface layer of HUNGER. It gets so much deeper.
GOOD FUN CORPORATION is Cooking
In HUNGER, you reside in the Chateau, a stalwart castle that houses the area’s last survivors. Think of The Tower from Destiny; it’s a gathering place for players from far and wide, and it’s here where you’ll manage quests, craft things, visit vendors, and get ready for (and embark on) your next Expedition.
It’s also here where you’ll dabble with Professions, roles that you can select and develop over time, leaning heavily into the game’s RPG elements and becoming something unique. There are starting characters, but there are no classes in this game, and you’re ultimately free to become whoever you want to be.
If you want to be something small, light, and agile, then so be it. If you’d rather be an absolute psycho who runs hell for leather into every fight imaginable, then go for it.
As you level up your character, you’ll pass through 100 ‘talents’, unlock new abilities, represented as a trio of ‘Passive, ‘Tactical’, and ‘Ultimate’, and keep your equipment in tip-top shape. You’ll cut across three core maps (with more to come), solving quests, finding lost survivors and loot, and wiping out as many of the shamblers roaming the wasteland as you can.
HUNGER promises none of the tropes that bug people in many other extraction games. For instance, there are no forced wipes, you have permanent skill progression, most customization elements are unlocked via grinding, and you’re not shoehorned into a particular style or build.
All that, and GOOD FUN CORPORATION has advised that there is plenty more coming. This could be one of the most diverse, dynamic, and downright remarkable extraction games to hit the market in many years, if not ever. It’s innovative, it’s incredibly unique, and it’s very satisfying to play.
The day-night switch, weather elements, animations, challenge level, loot pool, and just about everything in between… Chef’s kiss.
If there’s one concern I have, it’s that the usual PvP-based extraction tropes apply. You’ve got campers, you’ve got sweats, and you’ve got people who sit by the extraction point waiting to jump you. But that’s part and parcel of it, and who knows what’s in this game’s future to deal with that.
Have you given HUNGER a try in the closed beta test? Let us know your thoughts about it on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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