Hunted: The Demons Forge

Kala Moor is a dying dark-fantasy realm where ruined cities, flooded caverns, and monster-infested temples conceal a threat far larger than a simple mercenary job. Hunted: The Demon's Forge mixes the over-the-shoulder gunplay of a third-person shooter with swords, bows, spells, and dungeon-crawling adventure. Its tone is grimy and violent rather than heroic and pristine, with two rough-edged protagonists trading barbs while pushing through increasingly hostile territory. The result feels like a forgotten early-2010s attempt to turn a cooperative shooter into a fantasy quest.

Players choose Caddoc, a heavily armed brawler who excels with blades and shields, or E’lara, an agile archer whose ranged attacks and magic keep enemies under pressure. Encounters revolve around managing swarms of creatures, using cover when arrows and spells start flying, and coordinating with a partner to revive, heal, distract, or finish targets with cooperative attacks. Dungeons regularly interrupt combat with environmental puzzles, hidden routes, loot caches, and switches that require both heroes to work in tandem. Character upgrades expand combat options over the campaign, while bosses and larger enemy groups demand more deliberate positioning than the game’s hack-and-slash surface initially suggests.

What separates it from standard fantasy action games is its commitment to asymmetric co-op: one player controls the frontline while the other supports from range, yet both can swap between melee, magic, and scavenged weapons when circumstances change. The Unreal Engine 3 presentation gives its muddy ruins and underground spaces a heavy, theatrical look, even if the design remains firmly rooted in its era. The Crucible level editor also lets players build their own combat-and-puzzle dungeons, though sharing features can depend on current platform support. Fans of Gears of War-style cover shooting who want a sword-and-sorcery variation, especially with a co-op partner, find plenty to enjoy here; solo players can still bring an AI companion, but the adventure is clearly built around teamwork.