Hunter: The Reckoning (HTR) is a compact and interesting TPS thriller, with superb graphics and good balance. Best of all, the game was created with four-player in mind, revealing a classic arcade influence.

Even going solo, you’ll quickly see that this game shines. For if blasting away at hordes of the undead is an art form, the makers of Hunter: The Reckoning can be considered masters. Those who played Vampire: The Masquerade will recognize this title as the latest incarnation of White Wolf Studio’s epic franchise. Likewise, anyone familiar with the epic zombie blaster Gauntlet will also know just what to do.

Here’s the back-story: in The World of Darkness, clans of powerful vampires secretly rule the world of humans. Outside the reach of even the vampires are werewolves, who can disguise themselves easily and are incredibly strong. Other beings exist as well – ghosts, spirits and assorted spooks. Normal humans cannot see these supernatural beings, but Hunters can see them just fine. Especially where they’re thick.

In the small town of Ashcroft (presumably not named for the U.S. Attorney General) there is a prison. It is a notorious locale, where condemned men have been put to death for many years. When serial killer Nathanial Arkady is to be executed, the flowing electricity instead triggers a reaction and he grows in strength. Four witnesses to the botched ceremony are turned into Hunters and instantly “imbued” with the ability to see the assembled ghouls around them. The four battle their way out of the prison and lock the doors behind them. For years, there were no more zombie problems in Ashcroft.

But the story continues. Recently, a band of bored teenagers went looking for a spooky place to throw a rave. They stumbled upon the apparently deserted prison and set up shop. The music raised the dead, literally, and the four Hunters have again gathered to sweep the streets.

These are the character options:

1. Deuce Wyatt, 7-foot tall biker dude, of the Avenger Creed, relying on a battle axe and a rifle. He rules. 2. Samantha Alexander, petite Defender gal, good with katana and revolver 3. Kassandra Cheyung, tiny little Martyr, using daggers and pistols. 4. Father Cortez, old chaplain guy, a Judge, wielding a crusader sword and a crossbow.

Sorry, no Lara Croft in the bunch, although Samantha has some nice angles. Deuce is the Hunter of choice for most beginners.

As can be imagined, there’s a detailed story for the background and awakening of each Hunter. The different Creeds, which augment certain powers, are also explained in the manuals. There’s no need to go into it all here, but it is well thought-out and adds enough complexity to keep things interesting, not overly complicated. There’s even a paperback if you need more of the gory details.

What you need to know for this review is that the game uses the concept of eight different Edges: Cleave, Smite, Ward, Burden, Word of Power, Demand, and Retribution. It is best to match the three “native” Edges to your hero during the course of the game. If you can’t do that, any Edge is a good Edge, so collect all you can. A good warrior always looks to have an Edge.

Also, there are five different glowing Glyphs found throughout the levels. Stand by one and hit the A button to activate the special charge: Health, Conviction, Strength, Accuracy or Information. Some Glyphs re-charge and can help the next Hunter that happens along. But some Glyphs drain in one dose. Sharing Glyphs is just one of the challenges of multiplayer.

Here’s a good reason to stock your Xbox with all four controllers -- one of the best parts of this game is the classic four-way interface. Forget the old 2x2 micro table concept where everyone gets a small corner of the screen’s limited real estate. In Hunter, all players use the same common view. Gone are the eye-straining pipsqueak-sized Picture-in-Picture hassles. The only big concern is if one of your players is having problems staying up with the rest of the gang. The screen has to keep everyone in view, by force if necessary.

The weaponry options are kept very simple. There are shotguns, machine guns, and assault rifles, of varying punches and payloads. There is a chainsaw and a flamethrower, but each tends to run out of gas way too fast. And the rocket launcher takes forever to reload. That’s the technological limit of the artillery – a rocket launcher. Hopefully in some later version we’ll see the introduction of something more akin to a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range. Until then, the muzzle flashes and explosions are first-class. The accompanying sounds are also excellent. And the melee attacks give an added zest to zombie killing.

For such a simple little affair, the developers have tapped into the strengths of the Xbox on several fronts. Scenes are deceptively rich, and sounds are riveting. But the primary strength of HTR is the game play, due to its emphasis on simplicity.

For example, your choice of enemies is limited – mostly there are Shamblers and Skitters. Shamblers are moaning zombies that don’t move too fast and like to swarm. Skitters are worse – they are like insane little spider-sized suicide bombers who don’t stop until they detonate in your vicinity. One shot usually takes them out.

In many end-of-level scenarios the Shamblers have almost completely filled the screen, but there is a good auto-aim feature that makes the point of the game to blast away while learning a few moves. Good games are simple at heart, and this one leaves you a single, over-riding goal: dispatch these hell spawn back to their nearest parallel dimension. If it moves, shoot it. If you find yourself getting bored with shooting zombies, take heart that according to the literature, there are seven different Bosses.

Interestingly, the game never makes you feel completely surrounded. Probably the feeling would be too hopeless, and added to the gore, the mayhem, the dreary gothic music and the lack of a laser, players might object. Some screens of zombies take forever to clear, but you can do it if you try hard enough. You can also turn tail and run your butt off if things get tough. If the Shamblers had the instinct to surround and swarm, this game would be impossible to beat. As it is, you may find yourself tripping over your compatriots in multiplayer since they are constrained in their ability to move around.

In order to keep the same-side casualties down, there are three friendly fire modes. If you don’t trust each other, you can set for “no damage, no reactions”. Or, there is “no damage, but show reactions” so that someone at least knows they are shooting the wrong target. And there is “full damage, full reactions”, to make it all count.

So, that’s the theme here: elegant and simple. Players pick from four characters with their individual Creeds, select from 20 weapons, acquire eight Edges, find five Glyphs, battle countless enemies…but there are also numerous unlockable secrets, spread out over 23 environments. There’s definitely some replay value with this title.

Like a great arcade game, Hunter is strong at what it tries to do well and unapologetic about the rest. Give it a try.