Hunter: The Reckoning — A Time of Monsters

I really liked this game. I've finished my first playthrough and it really felt like a great Hunter adventure, with tons of reactivity and opportunities to change the course of the story. The setting is fleshed out and its fun putting yourself into the shoes of your Hunter. I am really looking forward to alternate replays, going down similar paths but different choices, and seeing new paths I never explored before. If you are a fan of world of darkness setting, I have enjoyed this CYOA more as a story and as an RPG than I did Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2. Sure, Bloodlines 2 is gorgeous and this game is text, but I was more engrossed in trying to find enough money to buy a crowbar and flashlight in this game than I ever was killing hundreds of Anarchs on rooftops.

This game is a success! I love it and I already plan to do another run after I finish the first.

Good game with interesting story options, nice introduction to the World of Darkness and Hunter the Reckoning.

I definitely think this one is worth checking out. Lord knows we WoD fans are always starved for good external media. Thankfully ChoiceofGames delivers, as always. As someone whose played a lot of CoG's other WoD games, I feel like this one fills a good niche while also still adhering to the source material in a successful manner. Compared to Beast of Glenkildove or Book of Hungry Names (two other Choice games in the WoD library) this one felt significantly less of a "slow burn", with your entire adventure spanning the duration of a single in-game month. They do something really interesting with this one by setting you in the role of a homeless person, as the obvious intention is for you to join the Hunter Cell and get to know your allies, as the whole overarching message of Hunter has always been that Humanity survives when it bands together But if you want? You can say "♥♥♥♥ that" very early in and your choice to go it alone makes the game significantly harder. You feel almost like you're playing This War of Mine in how desperately the game makes you fight just to survive, and no two choices ever really feel like they have a "right one" between them. Personally, I felt like the "go it alone" route was TOO hard and that's where you see all the claims from people about "railroading" because it's clear you're being punished for refusing companionship of others. But that's the point of it, right? This is a tabletop game and you're just one of these players, no ♥♥♥♥ your Storyteller is gonna punish you for trying to solo it. After playing both a "♥♥♥♥ yours, got mine" run and a "the power of friendship is canon" run, I gotta say; It's not just simply those two "Routes" as hard binaries, there is a LOT of wild ass directions the narrative can take. Obviously, I won't spoil those here for you, just know that the game isn't entirely as "railroaded" as some would have you believe. Give it a try if you like WoD as a setting and enjoyed any of their other titles. It "feels" shorter than the others by virtue of how short of an in-narrative time frame your character has, but it's still a pretty sizable read and well worth the price they're charging!!

Its kino, non stop kino

I found A Time of Monsters engaging and enjoyable, if a little uneven. For a first foray into the World of Darkness—and into a modern-day setting—Paul Wang does an impressive job establishing voice, atmosphere, and character. It’s generally very well written, and it’s full of great set-ups and character moments. That said, ATOM doesn’t quite come together as cleanly as Wang’s Infinite Sea books, or some of the strongest entries in the wider WoD catalogue. For one, the protagonist is so close to a blank slate that it feels like a missed opportunity. There’s plenty of room to define your hunter’s history and personal stakes, but the game rarely gives you the space or tools to really do that. The ending also arrives abruptly; two or three additional chapters to sit with the cast, deepen motivations, and let key relationships breathe would have made the climax feel more earned. I also think the story would have benefited from committing more fully to one major thread. The split focus between the gangs and the Taishanhui makes both factions intriguing, but neither ends up explored as deeply as they deserve. None of this is a dealbreaker—more a collection of missed opportunities that stand out because the writing and setting work so well. It’s like going to a fine steakhouse where the steak is excellent, but the portion leaves you wanting, and the only sides on offer are coleslaw or underseasoned vegetables. Worth it for the steak, but the meal doesn’t quite leave you fully satisfied. I hope this doesn’t discourage Wang from returning to WoD. For a first attempt, he does a lot right; it’s just that in comparison to his own high bar, and the best of what WoD has to offer, ATOM is a solid entry rather than a standout.

Nice

p. good.