Streum on Studio had a hard time on their hands trying to craft a game that would elicit the feelings of a classic arcade shooter in the same vein as Doom and Wolfenstein. The end result was a game titled Necromunda: Hired Gun — a title that hit the mark in many ways when it came to creating a fast-paced shooter, but still lacks important elements that would help the title stand in a league of its own otherwise.
There are several problems that players have highlighted in the game, which take a lot away from the overall experience. To rectify some of the biggest issues in this regard, here are the fixes that Necromunda can apply to alleviate these concerns.
10 Fixing The Rigid Animations
As is the case with most AA games, Necromunda: Hired Gun is full to the brim with janky and robotic animation. To an extent, these animations can be ignored for the most part. However, there are some instances when looking at these animations can be quite a royal pain.
The game could certainly benefit from an update that could fix these robotic animations and make the game appear more lifelike. This could be a tough task, but the improved quality would be worth it.
9 Improving Collision Detection
The models of Necromunda: Hired Gun might be impressive at first glance. But when these elements start interacting with each other, the game reveals one of the many chinks in its armor.
It goes without saying that two models merging into each other all the time can prove to be quite an immersion breaker for many players. The studio should update these meshes to reduce the appearance of these amateurish bugs.
8 Making The Game More Stable
A large portion of Necromunda: Hired Gun's player base has also reported one of the most damaging bugs to a player's experience that can make them quit the game in record time — crashes. This kind of annoying occurrence can make players abandon an otherwise good game.
It goes without saying that players would want to avoid any hard crashes whatsoever in their games. Stabilizing the build of this game is a surefire way of accomplishing the same, and making players far less frustrated.
7 Improving Enemy AI
In a high-octane FPS where poor positioning and gunplay can lead to a player's death in mere seconds, it's rather annoying to see just how brain-dead the AI really is when it comes to disposing of the player.
The AI in Necromunda: Hired Gun commits the cardinal sin of running in a straight line at the player without any proper strategy. It makes the act of killing all these enemies less satisfying as a result. Fine-tuning this would create a much more entertaining experience for players.
6 Making The Melee Kills More Satisfying & Less Buggy
Introducing gory melee kills in a fast-paced shooter is a page ripped straight out of Doom. This is one reason why it's honestly quite frustrating to see that Necromunda: Hired Gun fails at executing a concept that has already been perfected five years ago.
The melee kills feature poor and stilted animation — something that has already been discussed at length before. The placement of both the player and the enemy are off-kilter at times, leading to the camera going absolutely haywire during these sequences.
5 Introducing Intuitive Button Mapping
Necromunda: Hired Gun might boast of intuitive movement mechanics. Considering this, it's rather odd to see that some of these button placements are so awkward. Even basic moves feel unnecessarily hard to pull off.
Players must use the same button to accomplish several actions — the tedious act of wall-running is a great example of this. It makes some of the moves in the game downright impossible to pull off in intense combat situations. Players must then ignore the mechanics of the game in favor of what they're comfortable with.
4 Making Customizations Feel More Meaningful
As is the case with most modern FPS titles, Necromunda: Hired Gun features a gun customization system that feels hopelessly tacked on. Players can honestly be forgiven if they forgot that this mechanic even existed.
Perhaps adding a well-thought-out inventory system could have helped these customizations make more sense in the grand scheme of things. As of right now, these customizations feel like nothing more than an uninspired way to change some numbers.
3 Upgrading The Repetitive, Out-Of-Place Music
The music of Necromunda: Hired Gun might feel somewhat fitting early on. Unfortunately, the game suffers from a lack of track variety combined with a generic metal vibe across the existing music tracks. This combination makes for painfully repetitive listening sooner rather than later.
Adding a diverse range of songs would add more flavor to the game's levels and gunplay. An improved soundtrack would definitely be a huge help in ensuring that the game doesn't feel soulless or flat, as it can now.
2 Crafting A More Compelling Story
The story of Necromunda: Hired Gun is easily one of its biggest failings. Most players either fail to grasp the fine details, or completely forget about the lackluster story altogether while playing through this title. It's not engaging for many who play this game.
The problems of the story are further exacerbated by the uninteresting NPCs that drive it forward. The characters in the games can often feel flat and bland. This is a perfect way to segue into the next point...
1 Adding Characters Whom The Player Cares For
One would think that the Warhammer 40K franchise would be full to the brim with potential when it came to delivering a proper story. Unfortunately the characters present in this title are so forgettable and wooden that players will inevitably lose interest.
It might be a tall order, but the game could definitely benefit from improving the quality of existing NPCs and adding new ones. Including characters that feel more human would help strengthen the overall game.