PC Gamer - UK (2022-04)

I

n a time when every
multiplayer game
around operates on a
regular seasonal
schedule, complete
with battle passes and all sorts, I
kind of miss the days when games
would just randomly get cool
patches with new stuff. There’s a
spontaneity to the surprise patch
that makes even smaller additions
feel special, and the closest I get to
this feeling today is in Hunt:
Showdown, which recently received
an interesting set of new gun
variants, and some significant
balance changes.

Crytek does give players a heads-up
when an update is on the way, but
the lack of a fixed schedule means I
was pleasantly surprised to boot up
the game a few weeks ago and find
three new variants of the Scottfield
Model 3 revolver waiting to try out:
the Scottfield Swift, Scottfield
Spitfire, and the Scottfield Precision.
I’ve given all three a whirl and, boy
howdy, it turns out this ageing six
shooter has some fantastic new
tricks up its metal sleeve.
The base Scottfield hasn’t been a
favourite of mine since it was
released a few months ago. It’s based
on the real-life Schofield revolver
that you might recognise from the
Red Dead games. The Scottfield is a
cool gun in a game full of other cool
guns – a break-action revolver with
the unique ability to evacuate all of

its spent rounds at once and reload

faster as a result.

That and its hard-hitting medium

ammo made it a good pick for

low-cost loadouts, but it still pales

against the Caldwell Pax revolver’s

superior velocity. There wasn’t

much of a reason to pick a Scottfield

over a Pax until 1.7.2’s new variants

came in. Now, I can spend a few

extra hunt dollars on a Scottfield

with a precision stock. A rifle stock

hanging off the end of a dinky little

revolver looks as goofy as it sounds,

but paired with full metal jacket

ammo, the Scottfield Precision

becomes a gnarly sharpshooter that

can pick off enemies dozens of

metres away. The recoil is so soft on

this bad boy that I’ve been able to

challenge rifle users at range and

win! (Sometimes, at least.)

DEEP POCKETS

More often, though, I think I’ll be

taking the Scottfield Spitfire, a

unique variant for the gun with a

shorter barrel and improved trigger

guard that lets users cock the

hammer faster and significantly

increase its fire rate. The big trade

off here is you’re taking a serious

drop in accuracy, but the Spitfire

cycles rounds so fast that it rivals the

double-action Nagant Officer

revolver for sheer amount of bullets

in the air. The Officer’s ease of use

has made it one of the most popular

guns in Hunt: Showdown for as long

as I’ve played it, so it’s nice to have a

medium ammo alternative that

certainly feels distinct.

I’m also keen to try dual wielding

the Spitfire and doubling its already

fast output, but I’ve been somewhat

deterred by patch 1.7.2’s nerf to

accuracy for that kind of two-fisted

action. Double pistols no longer get

an accuracy bonus from crouching

and have more recoil. The recoil

hasn’t been a huge deal for me so far,

but the crouch nerf really hurts. I

haven’t spent as much time with the

Scottfield Swift because, as neat as it

is to reload a six shooter with a

speed loader like Overwatch’s

Cassidy, the Swift is otherwise just a

normal Scottfield. Don’t get me

wrong – that’s not a bad thing by

any stretch of the imagination. It

speaks to the strength of Hunt:

Showdown’s weapon store that

Crytek can make relatively minor

tweaks to old guns and end up with

variants that behave more or less

like completely new firearms.

Crytek gets a lot of bang for its

buck, though I don’t think I’ll be

dropping my bucks on the other big

variant of the 1.7.2 patch: the

Berthier Mle 92 Deadeye. Hunt’s

newest rifle now has a scope, and it’s

probably going to be scary good in

action. The Berthier’s hefty $362

price tag has kept me from using it

much in the months it’s been out,

though I do really love the idea of its

nifty three-round cartridge that can

be rapidly reloaded if you have the

patience to fire all three shots first.

If you haven’t tried out Hunt:

Showdown for yourself yet then all

this revolver rambling probably

sounds like nonsense. It’s one of the

best competitive shooters out there

right now, a horror battle royale full

of clever twists and featuring the

most unique arsenal of guns in the

biz. A revolver with a stock is only

the tip of the iceberg, I assure you.

NEED TO KNOW

RELEASE

Feb 22, 2018

PUBLISHER

In-house

DEVELOPER

Crytek

LINK

huntshowdown.com

HUNT: SHOWDOWN

Hunt’s latest update makes an old gun feel new again. By Morgan Park

I’VE BEEN ABLE

TO CHALLENGE

RIFLE USERS AT

RANGE AND WIN!

GUN CASE

How to pick the best six shooter for every situation

SCOTTFIELD

SPITFIRE

Hits hard for a

pistol

Fires fast

Big recoil

NAGANT OFFICER

Fastest gun

for the price

Great for

headshots

Low damage

CALDWELL PAX

Looks cool

Basically a faster

Scottfield

Slower reload than

other guns

SCOTTFIELD

PRECISION

Very accurate

Fast fire rate

Takes up a

medium slot

WHAT’S NEW IN THE BIGGEST GAMES

UPDATE