Necromunda: Hired Gun

63%
Game Brain Score Based on 6,902 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Necromunda: Hired Gun Game Cover
A fast-paced FPS set in a Warhammer 40,000 universe, with a captivating setting and an exceptional soundtrack.
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Necromunda: Hired Gun is a fast-paced, FPS set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Play as a bounty hunter with a cyber-mastiff sidekick, taking on contracts to eliminate dangerous targets in the undercity of Necromunda. Customize your character and weapons, and engage in brutal combat using a variety of ranged and melee attacks.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

63%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,902 reviews
story515 positive mentions
optimization158 negative mentions
  • Fast-paced and fun gameplay reminiscent of Doom, with a good blend of movement mechanics.
  • Visually stunning environments that capture the grimdark aesthetic of the Warhammer 40k universe.
  • Satisfying gunplay with a variety of weapons and customization options.
  • Clunky and confusing inventory system that hampers gameplay experience.
  • Frequent bugs and glitches, including issues with enemy spawning and game crashes.
  • Weak story and character development, making it hard to engage with the narrative.
  • story4,304 mentions

    The story in "Necromunda: Hired Gun" is generally considered weak and underdeveloped, serving primarily as a framework to connect various missions rather than providing a compelling narrative. Many players find the plot confusing and poorly presented, with disjointed cutscenes and minimal character development, leading to a lack of emotional engagement. While the game offers enjoyable gameplay and a rich Warhammer 40k atmosphere, the repetitive side missions and lack of a meaningful story detract from the overall experience.

    • “Yes, the story is slightly wonky but it's there and you definitely feel like you are on a mission.”
    • “Beautiful set pieces, rich customizations, deeply immersive story, and highly evocative of a proper 'Necromunda' setting in the best kind of way.”
    • “The story is simple, but in my opinion, is a very Warhammer 40k story, and is really only there to string together combat.”
    • “The story, very much so, barely exists.”
    • “What little story does exist is total garbage, and though it sure looks pretty, there's nothing underneath that.”
    • “The story is a joke and just an excuse to have at least a little bit of progress.”
  • gameplay2,116 mentions

    The gameplay of "Necromunda: Hired Gun" is characterized by fast-paced, frenetic action reminiscent of "Doom" and "Titanfall," featuring a mix of shooting mechanics, wall-running, and grappling hooks that encourage aggressive play. However, many players note that the execution feels unpolished, with issues such as clunky animations, repetitive mechanics, and inconsistent enemy AI detracting from the overall experience. While the core gameplay loop can be enjoyable and rewarding, particularly with character upgrades, it suffers from bugs and design flaws that prevent it from reaching its full potential.

    • “The core gameplay loop is smooth and fun, really well executed.”
    • “Gameplay is heavily inspired by Doom reboot and Doom Eternal, with constant movement being the norm rather than finding defensive positions; the game also pushes you to be aggressive to heal instead of avoiding damage through positioning.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and dynamic, and the fact I can slow down time while bouncing off walls while my dog tears someone apart makes me feel like Max Payne.”
    • “The gameplay itself becomes repetitive quite quickly; the AI isn't all that bad, but the loop of 'use your abilities, shooty mcshooty the bad guys, repeat' gets old fast, and there are no 'builds' you can use to spice it up.”
    • “The first two hours of this game are pretty solid, the environments in the first two levels are absolutely spectacular and the controls and basics of the gameplay are sound - but the more you dig into it the more nonsensical and contradictory all of the gameplay systems become and the level design quickly unravels to uninspired and generic fantasy levels.”
    • “The looting mechanic is completely irrelevant, it gives you no strategic choices besides a linear increase in damage and survivability, so it's just padding out the campaign with 'side missions' to earn money to get upgrades that just drop you in the campaign levels with campaign scripting.”
  • graphics1,062 mentions

    The graphics in "Necromunda: Hired Gun" receive mixed reviews, with many praising the game's ability to capture the Warhammer 40k aesthetic and create visually stunning environments. However, criticisms arise regarding the overall polish, with reports of unoptimized performance, graphical glitches, and animations that feel outdated. While some players find the visuals impressive and immersive, others feel they fall short of modern standards, often describing them as average or reminiscent of older titles.

    • “Excellent graphics, atmosphere and voice acting.”
    • “Stunning effects, sharp textures, and the overall art style make every battle visually striking.”
    • “The graphics are fantastic and absolutely fit what you would want them to be, but things around the core gameplay are jank as in why isn't there a quest journal?”
    • “In my opinion, it's a useless game to buy; no real story, graphics are a big loss.”
    • “The visuals made it look like it was released several years ago instead of just two, and it had superbly subpar voice acting and animations in general.”
    • “The graphics are bad, the animations, shadows, and the lighting are all over the place.”
  • music626 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its heavy metal influence reminiscent of the Doom series, which fits the fast-paced combat well. While some praise the soundtrack as energetic and immersive, others criticize it for being generic or lacking in variety, with instances of music feeling absent during key moments. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight for many, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some inconsistencies in its execution.

    • “The lore is surely there, the environments are almost too accurate to the point of being unreadable and the music, clearly inspired by melodic guitar backing tracks, shadowmind-style instrumentals and the work of Mick Gordon, actually fits very well.”
    • “The music fits the run & gun genre, the look and feel are proper 40k.”
    • “The soundtrack is downright perfect.”
    • “But for example there isn't any ambient music in lots of places or sound wise the place feels empty.”
    • “The music is also some of the most generic post-Mick Gordon wannabe stuff I've heard, I'd like to describe its endless drone of cock-rock guitar in more detail than that, but I don't really remember it well enough.”
    • “More often than not the music feels strangely absent, both in and out of combat.”
  • optimization474 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, particularly on higher settings. While some users have noted improvements following post-launch patches, others still experience severe instability and jankiness, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. Overall, the game appears to require further optimization and bug fixes to reach its full potential.

    • “The most well optimized game this studio has ever produced.”
    • “Visuals are awesome and performance is solid (I've got a 3800ti running at 1440p and on high settings I'm getting over 140fps consistently and I'm not even using DLSS to do this).”
    • “The post-release patches have really improved the performance for me.”
    • “Very poorly optimized, unbalanced and horrible story.”
    • “Extremely poorly optimized game.”
    • “These optimization issues plague the game and coupled with the complete lack of any understandable story for someone outside of the Warhammer franchise, leads me to conclude that it was a very dissatisfying game that I wanted to like for its combat mechanics and level design.”
  • atmosphere436 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Necromunda: Hired Gun" is widely praised for its immersive and detailed representation of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, capturing the grim, gothic aesthetic of the hive city with impressive visuals and level design. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of scale and decay, making it a compelling experience for fans of the franchise, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and sound design. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the standout feature, making the game worth exploring for those who appreciate the 40k lore and setting.

    • “Atmosphere: 10/10 for fans of 40k and Necromunda. This is exactly what you want in a game; every level is in a new and exciting area that is recognizable and perfectly gothic.”
    • “The game nails the atmosphere and gunplay, perfectly capturing the sheer oppressive atmosphere of a setting this most often relegated to descriptions in the lore.”
    • “They do a great job of capturing the trademark immense scale and decay of the Warhammer 40k universe, blending the dark gothic atmosphere with the cyberpunk themes of a hive city.”
    • “Once again, they've tried too many things at once, resulting in a game that really doesn't succeed at anything other than atmosphere.”
    • “The voice acting is the first thing you'll notice that it looks like they skimped on with the production budget; it's flat, emotionless and really not very good, doesn't set an atmosphere and you'll hate it every time you have to hear it.”
    • “Its so frustrating too, since the game is just so damned close to the cusp of greatness, but sadly falls flat on its face right at the finish line, with amazing fidelity and presentation & atmosphere, completely broken by the lack of any kind of gameplay depth with what's there being janky, unpolished schlock.”
  • stability416 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder the gameplay experience. Many players describe it as a "buggy mess," with issues ranging from unresponsive controls to graphical problems and frequent crashes, making it feel unpolished and rushed. While some find enjoyment in the game despite these flaws, the overall consensus is that it requires substantial patches and improvements to reach a satisfactory level of stability.

    • “The game looks and runs great.”
    • “I'm on the third mission, the performance is incredible (solid 140+ fps), alt-tabbing in and out of the game with no issues whatsoever, no glitches, no crashes, just bloody shooting fun!”
    • “No noticeable bugs, no freezes, stuttering, or anything.”
    • “The game is buggy and in places janky: the mouse buttons often stop responding, meaning you're stuck unable to shoot in a firefight; the dog seems to sometimes work and others not, and runs into your firing line frequently.”
    • “This game is so good until chapter 5 then it becomes a broken buggy mess that will only frustrate you.”
    • “While it had its enjoyable portions, it is largely a janky and buggy game with an extreme identity crisis which also feels severely untested.”
  • grinding206 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive. Reviewers noted that the need to grind for upgrades and better gear often detracted from the overall enjoyment, leading to a frustrating experience filled with bullet sponge enemies and uninspired side missions. While some players appreciated the potential for fun in grinding, the consensus is that it feels excessive and poorly integrated into the gameplay loop.

    • “I do almost wish there had been more to find and upgrade, but this isn't like a modern looter-shooter; you aren't grinding for 'god rolls' on a found weapon or anything like that.”
    • “The game makes grinding very tedious and time-consuming to complete missions.”
    • “Without grinding out side missions, you could probably finish this in less than ten hours, and there is no reason to keep playing afterwards.”
    • “The game wasn't exceptionally hard on this difficulty if played slowly, just incredibly boring and tedious.”
  • replayability116 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting a lack of engaging content beyond the main campaign. While some side missions and randomly generated tasks offer a degree of replay value, they often feel repetitive and unfulfilling, leading to a consensus that the game has limited long-term appeal. Players who enjoy grinding for upgrades or are fans of the franchise may find some enjoyment, but many agree that the game would benefit from additional content to enhance replayability.

    • “The randomly generated side missions and loot drops add some replayability to the game too, which makes it well worth the money.”
    • “Not only is the campaign enjoyable, the gameplay with the side missions and the satisfaction with gaining money as a bounty hunter makes this game have plenty of replay value, and I can't help but wonder where they might take this game with maybe a DLC expansion or free update content.”
    • “All levels are incredibly detailed and have multiple paths through them, enabling replayability that is further reinforced by additional contracts.”
    • “No proper balance, no replay value; if you are not into replaying the same levels over and over again in vain hope of finding slightly better weapons.”
    • “The content is completely linear, and there's no replay value whatsoever once you're done with everything.”
    • “Another big problem is it lacks replay value, a huge deciding factor when getting a game like this, and the side content for this game just serves for you to buy upgrades and isn't very fun.”
  • humor106 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of absurdity and jankiness, with many players finding the comedic elements to enhance the overall experience. From hilariously bad animations and dialogue to amusing gameplay moments, such as ridiculous enemy behavior and over-the-top character interactions, the game successfully captures a lighthearted tone amidst its grimdark setting. While some aspects may become repetitive or annoying, the overall charm and humor contribute to a fun, albeit chaotic, gaming experience.

    • “The atmosphere is just the right amount of grim, and there are many spectacular (and funny) gameplay moments/setpieces.”
    • “It's absolutely hilarious to kill 3 genestealers in melee in the span of several seconds by activating both the melee and speed enhancements, proving that astartes are evidently just chumps.”
    • “The game has this kind of charm that's similar to watching a cheesy B movie; the story is paper thin and the game has just the right amount of jank to be funny.”
  • monetization70 mentions

    The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions and live service elements, offering a straightforward single-player experience with only cosmetic DLC packs. However, many players criticize the overall monetization approach, labeling it a "cash grab" due to the game's numerous bugs and poor gameplay mechanics, particularly regarding the aim down sights (ADS) feature, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite the absence of microtransactions, the game's execution leaves much to be desired, leading to a negative perception among users.

    • “The best thing about this game is that it doesn't have microtransactions or 'live service' elements beyond the cosmetic DLC packs.”
    • “No microtransactions, no DLC, just a simple, straightforward singleplayer shooter.”
    • “The absence of microtransactions makes for a refreshing gaming experience, allowing players to focus on gameplay without distractions.”
    • “I really can't think of anything positive to say about the game, don't buy this shameless cash grab.”
    • “Another garbage Warhammer license cash grab.”
    • “Mindless cash grab here.”
  • character development34 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking, with many reviewers noting that the main character has little personality, motivation, or compelling story arc. While the character design and visual worldbuilding are praised for their quality and fitting aesthetic, the overall character development does not meet the same standard, leaving players wanting more depth and engagement with the characters.

    • “The developers obviously love 40k and it's reflected in the level and character design.”
    • “Character designs fit well into the locale, with various well-known gangs and other assorted lowlives (and fauna).”
    • “Character designs are equally fantastic, both enemies and NPCs in the hub zone, and add to the amazing visual worldbuilding.”
    • “By contrast, however, the character designs are uninspired.”
    • “The main character is well-voiced, but has little personality, motivation, or character development.”
    • “Character development and story arc appear limited and not compelling.”
  • emotional14 mentions

    The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with some players feeling nostalgic and empowered, enjoying the freedom of gameplay despite its flaws. However, others criticize the story and the limitations imposed by the game's license, leading to a sense of disappointment. Overall, while the game evokes strong feelings of nostalgia and excitement, it also leaves players grappling with its shortcomings.

    • “But in the end, the game is nice and made me feel very nostalgic about the gaming industry in the past.”
    • “But otherwise, it made me feel like a badass.”
    • “The game is very fun; mixed reviews made me feel uncertain in my purchase, but in the end, I am very happy with it.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

56% average critic score

Buy Necromunda: Hired Gun

Play time

8hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
3-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 58 analyzed playthroughs

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