Eric “Getty” Gettinger
It is always interesting to see current trends pop up in games because it can certainly date them. Frontier Hunter: Ezra’s Wheel of Fortune quickly introduces you to the main character as a streamer, but Ezra can and does so much more. With the comical nature of this streamer being trolled by her father during her live stream the game’s tone takes a fast turn into something of a Monster Hunter meets Metroid mash up. You get access to a few characters to use and swap out, complete loadout changes for them, and several crafting systems to round out a fairly expansive offering. Frontier Hunter does a lot right with the humor and crafting while also allowing you to slot your items with monster souls. At times the combat can be frustrating but ultimately satisfying when you find your groove. Frontier Hunter is shaping up to be something special as the team working on it continues to add more all the time.
Some of my favorite parts of Frontier Hunter are the cutscenes and the exploration. In the start Ezra is seen as a streamer but she is also a scientist off exploring the unknown in a state of the art craft. She is joined by her talking hair accessory Diablo, who is actually a rare being, and Ciara who is a pervy girl completely smitten with Ezra. The banter between the three in the early portion is fantastic. Shortly after the intro and exploring the ship you begin crossing into the ‘Grand Storm’ which separates civilization and the unknown. Suffice to say you find yourself stranded and begin exploring the surrounding areas. After setting up a base camp it’s a free for all. There are all kind of items from cooking supplies, ores, enemy cores, and money. Keeping up on your gear and items is essential while exploring and leveling up. While you do level up the boosts you get from crafting new gear and equipping it with enemies cores (stat boosts that fit into an items grid) are where your real power comes from.
Combat can and will vary differently based on your own preference, or character, and of course with the skills you are able to locate. If you want to play close up and dirty then Ezra can help you slice and dice opponents, but if you are more hang back and blast then Ciara might be your go to when starting a new area. I found that it works best when switching on the fly and utilizing everything at your disposal including the magic attacks. Magic attacks can really make a bad situation a piece of cake if you know how to properly use what you have equipped. As you progress through the enemies do become smarter and more aggressive with shields, traps, and even spells of their own. So getting to know your characters and keeping your gear up in tip top shape make a world of difference.
Since Frontier Hunter is still in early access there are a few things I noticed. Some of the text when characters talk will run onto the next line making it awkward to read. The standing art of the characters you encounter in the base are also very stiff. At times it can still feel like there is a lot going on but the tutorials and reference material are easy to navigate and for that I am grateful. I was also able to play a portion of the game on the Steamdeck and it worked really well. There was some of the screen that was cut off but knowing it was not fully optimized was very promising turning this into a handheld game would be a real bonus. Those items aside it still feels very much complete for an early access game.
Frontier Hunter has a lot to offer for those gamers looking to get in before the full release. With content for days that allow you to customize your characters from weapons to swappable clothing and hair color you can create your own unique play style. With fast paced combat and a focus on exploration you can quickly find a groove and enjoy all the hidden secrets found around the map. Keeping in mind that this is still early access so somethings might be tightened up or changed the heart and soul of the game is already there to behold.
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