An extraction shooter, but without shooting and featuring RPG gameplay reminiscent of Dark Souls? Exactly that is offered by Mistfall Hunter. It may sound niche, but at least it has found some fans. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus has already played the beta, but shares the criticism of the players.
When I tested Mistfall Hunter in June, the “extraction ARPG” initially drove me completely up the wall… as any good Soulslike probably should. It wouldn’t be the first time, that I rage quit in such a game and also not the first time, that I drove to the gym in the middle of the night because of it.
After the initial frustration, Mistfall Hunter then occupied me the whole day, and I was almost sad when the testing phase was over. On July 30, the action RPG finally released for PS5, Xbox, and PC (Steam, Game Pass) – with mixed reviews.
However, the initial criticism improved significantly over the weekend: from initially less than 60% positive reviews on Steam (and thus “mixed”), Mistfall Hunter is now at 77% and is “mostly positive” (August 3 at 5 PM).
According to SteamDB, more than 44,000 players logged in simultaneously on Steam alone. I wasn’t one of them yet, after all, I had to travel 15 years back in time to play LoL Classic. But I will soon join the other players, as I am totally fascinated by the gameplay.
Full force instead of lame bush camping
Even though the gameplay of Mistfall Hunter is extremely similar to that of Escape from Tarkov or Dark and Darker – you visit a map, collect loot, and try to disappear unnoticed – the gameplay couldn’t be more different.
Instead of guns, there are bows, instead of combat knives, there are sword and shield, and those who wish can throw magic around. The focus on martial weapons provides a much more intense gameplay experience, after all, you face your enemies and don’t just see them through 20x magnification from 2 km away.
And yes, of course, PvP is active and constantly present. This is part of extraction games, whether it’s ARC Raiders, EFT, or other games of this type. If you trust other players, it always comes with a certain risk.
While you will never leave a map with good loot without a certain level of danger, you at least don’t have to constantly face other players. The maps offer a lot of space, and conflict zones are mainly “points of interest” such as boss arenas and the like.
Story, classes, and loot – Mistfall Hunter has everything a good RPG needs
What particularly grabbed my attention was the RPG aspect of Mistfall Hunter. It’s not just a gimmick to differentiate itself from other extraction games. It feels more like the opposite: an RPG that wanted to try a new gameplay style.
Looting and leveling are core elements of the game’s DNA, and it’s very clear. Each class – yes, there are some – has items that only they can equip, with sets and effects as well as talent trees. Or rather: talent circles. The entire system is somewhat more “RPG light,” but still noticeably RPG.
In particular, the class mechanics allow for various combinations in trios that shooters like EFT simply couldn’t have. Whether the mage uses offensive or supportive magic, or whether the warrior is equipped with sword and shield or two-handed weapon, changes the dynamics and sometimes opens up new possibilities.
And I’m not just talking about PvP, where the team with the hardest “bonk!” often wins, but also about PvE events like boss fights or quests that can be completed on the map.
In a coop game, the coop is particularly annoying – but not only
This very aspect, however, is also what is often criticized and, I believe, rightly so. Mistfall Hunter has a story and multiple maps. The first of these maps can be played solo or in a team. The second, however, where the story inevitably leads, requires a team.
If someone wants to play alone, sooner or later they simply won’t progress and will have to find randoms. Understandably, not everyone is keen on that. I must also agree with a few other criticisms:
- Mistfall Hunter costs only 25 euros, but it has a real money shop with skins. Sometimes a single weapon skin costs about 70 euros – although these are exceptions at the upper end.
- The balance between the classes is not yet ideal, though this could resolve over time as players master their own classes better.
- There are still some issues with the “clunky” gameplay, which I can confirm: tight stamina and slow strikes can be frustrating, especially in PvP.
Initially, there were also bugs and performance issues, which, it seems, have since resolved. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed Mistfall Hunter so far and I will play it more as soon as time allows and the other games release their hold on me… if it doesn’t end like Highguard, which I also liked very much.
Have you played Mistfall Hunter? What do you think of the idea of a fantasy Tarkov with swords? Would you play a melee version of the extraction shooter? Leave a comment!
It doesn’t happen often, but currently I have so many good games on my list that I cannot even give all of them the time they deserve. Surely many of them are relevant for my work here, but at least one of the gems I could discover through this has really captured me: A pirate game on Steam has kept me hooked for over 46 hours, bringing the Caribbean feeling from outside to Steam
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