Summary
Overall, if you’re a fan of anime-style games with Metroidvania gameplay mechanics, then this one is a no-brainer. It lacks the challenging combat of say Hollow Knight but it’s a fun romp with some stylish cut scenes and over-the-top characters that will keep you entertained throughout.
Developer – IceSitruuna
Publisher – IceSitruuna
Platforms – PC (reviewed)
Review copy given by publisher
Frontier Hunter is an anime-style Metroidvania game available since 26th July on PC via Steam and PS5. You initially play as Ezra, a world-famous streamer who also moonlights as a bounty hunter! Along with your haunted hairpin (just go with it!), you head out into unexplored deep space where you quickly pick up damage and crash land on an alien planet. Through exploration, crafting, levelling up and combat you must explore unknown planets to pick up parts to repair your ship and progress.
Starting with just Ezra, you quickly pick up two other playable characters (Nia & Ciara) and can switch between them with the click of a button. The combat style for each character is varied and you can buy or craft stronger weapons, armor, and buffs to suit your play style. Platforming is fairly basic but exploring new areas and finding hidden secrets in hard-to-access areas is very satisfying.
Ranged combat makes defeating the majority of enemies very simple but if you prefer up close and personal, then using katanas or stomping boots is a tasty option for some of your playable characters. Also, some doors and barriers will require certain weapons or bullet types to break down, allowing you access to newer areas.
Boss fights are where the main challenges lie in Frontier Hunter. Bosses have multiple health bars with shield breaks and varied move sets making each one a decent challenge to overcome. Learning what combos will stagger the boss while also dealing as much damage as quickly as possible is key to your success.
Plotwise, the game is cuckoo bananas, to say the least! You have three playable characters who interact in cut scenes and dialogue, motive, and plot seem overly complicated at times. It’s one of those games where you’ll have a lot more fun if you focus more on the gameplay and just let the plot slide right over your head. As with many JRPG-style games, there are also plenty of sexual undertones and innuendoes. Personally, I didn’t mind this as it’s often par for the course. It was more cheeky and immature than outright offensive to me but be warned, If you are sensitive to schoolboy humor, then this may not be the game for you.
Aside from platforming, exploration, and boss fights, the game has many stats-based mechanics that feel a little undercooked. You level up through combat but also collect items for crafting new weapons and armor. You can also buy recipes for meals that offer buffs and different weapon types and armor offer different attack buffs and defenses. It all seems at first glance to be complex but most of it doesn’t make a huge impact on your gameplay. This is certainly not Elden Ring and your stats aren’t going to drastically affect anything.
On top of regular mission quests and exploration, you’ll receive side missions which generally boil down to fetch quests or killing/collecting a certain amount of something. There is also a challenging tower defence mission that pops up from time to time to break up gameplay which is quite cool if a little bit on the hard side.
Overall, if you’re a fan of anime-style games with Metroidvania gameplay mechanics, then this one is a no-brainer. It lacks the challenging combat of say Hollow Knight but it’s a fun romp with some stylish cut scenes and over-the-top characters that will keep you entertained throughout.
