Mistfall Hunter hands-on preview — Where we droppin’ peasant?

I’ve played my fair share of extraction shooters. DMZ, Gray Zone Warfare, and Exoborne are all examples of games that have taught me how the formula works. Get in, get crap, get out without dying. Although I know that Dark and Darker is a thing, I didn’t ever think that a fantasy game would really work in this genre. Now that I’ve played a bit of Mistfall Hunter, I’m astounded seeing what I assumed was a square peg somehow fit into a round hole.

Thrust into the shoes of a nobody, the gameplay reminds me a lot of a Soulslike. Fitting, as in an extraction game, every life matters. You’ll fight around with a few low-level grunts (all the types are called the Corroded), which is a bit different as soulslikes don’t really have lesser enemies, and then continue further into the dungeon while trying your best to avoid other players. Or chasing them down if that’s your thing. You’re technically forced to go further in, because a thing called the Gyldenmist appears, closing in on an initial area before constricting further. It’s a circle… Mistfall Hunters has a circle. I, for one, can’t believe I’m playing a fantasy game with an extraction shooter circle.

This isn’t a problem, though; it’s more that it's shocking to watch it somehow work for this kind of game. In order to get free, you’ll have to find a "Returner Woodling", which begins to spawn after a few circles go by. Killing one will give you an item that allows you to create a portal to escape. If you’ve played an extraction game, you understand that this is only the end of the cycle, and one you’ll repeat as you grind your way into the upper echelons of players. All the while, bringing the loot you need to get there with you.

Dungeon-crawling is an unexpected method for an extraction game, and while intriguing has its drawbacks. The stressful element of the genre is in having a time limit to find your way around and loot. Even with quite a few pathways available to move around these ruins, I found myself stuck in tight corridors, pressured by the Gyldenmist closing in to engage with enemies on their terms instead of mine. That could be a product of the soulslike design, but given there’s no going back for what you lost, it can suck in an extraction game. Particularly if you run into a real player who is better than you, and get stuck in a corner.

Even with that in mind, it does feel more approachable. There’s some give and take that has to happen combining two genres, and allowing for a bit of an easier road makes up for other issues. I found a couple of harder enemies, but could usually avoid them in the opening circle by going a different direction. The grunts I mentioned are easy to take out without taking much damage, which allows you to both stay alive and get some basic loot as you grind towards your goals.

These goals take the form of many extraction shooters, although with Mistfall Hunters RPGs it up a bit. There are multiple classes, like the mercenary who is more hack and slash, or the shadowstrix, which operates like a thief or assassin. Thankfully, you can outfit these characters via the warehouse, a shared space you can drop loot in. This means everything you grab is valuable, even if it’s not for your current character. Beyond this are skill trees which allow you to get more out of your cooldown abilities, and a camp you can upgrade for more storage and such. Of course, this wouldn’t be an extraction game without tasks to take in to complete in your runs, and those are here as well.

The most interesting thing about Mistfall Hunters is how you can play it, and these RPG elements add a lot of pizzazz. Whereas in an extraction shooter you’re largely just shooting (duh), here your attacks are more varied depending on your choice of class. It’s a cool idea that I haven’t seen beyond Exoborne’s exo-suits, which aren’t as deep as this is.

After playing Mistfall Hunters, I find myself much more positive about it than I was before. Extraction shooters are cool, but Soulslikes simply aren’t my thing. Somehow, this blend of both of them works for me. Here’s hoping there is some beta testing available soon, because I’d love to understand even more of the complexities beneath the surface. Mistfall Hunters doesn’t have a release date planned as of yet, but will be coming to PC and Xbox Series consoles. You can wishlist the game here.