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The Haunted: Hell's Reach
The Haunted (TH) is a 3rd-person perspective demonic shooter developed by KTX Software and published by

THQ. Released on October 25, 2011 (2012 for consoles) for PC (available on Steam) this game utilizes the Unreal Engine 3 and is an high-paced action horror shooter game.

TH was originally conceived as a UT3 mod for Epic's Make Something Unreal contest in early 2010. The mod won first place which included $50K and a commercial license. Since then, it has been picked up by THQ and has become a full-fledged release.

The game revolves around four characters who call themselves Demon Hunters. These characters lived questionable past lives and have linked themselves to Soulstones and are now bent on liberating cursed places, surviving Hell's minions and eventually defeating Abaddon to redeem their souls and cleanse their past lives.

FAQ

 * "How is this compared to Left 4 Dead or Killing Floor?"
 * This question pops up quite frequently to people curious or considering purchasing this title. While some core aspects are the same, that is pretty much it. This game definitely stands out from these or other co-op shooters. Here is a breakdown of these three titles:


 * L4D's main aspect is campaign which is go to point A to B in a fairly linear route. Run-and-gun with a bit of melee involved. Staying together is essential.


 * KF has more similarities to TH as it is wave-based with a boss at the end. However, in KF, players are usually set in a chokehold point shooting hordes of undead or running and killing with melee weapons around a pre-defined route (kiting). Even though there are few opportunities to 'rest/relax', the action can't nearly be kept at the same pace of TH's. Sticking with your team is also key here.
 * TH's gameplay is wildly different from these two as:


 * The maps are quite wide and spacious. This is necessary as you will be running around the entire map and you need space to move, escape and to change course in a moment's notice.


 * Camping isn't as common since demons can spawn next to you or you will have to run when environmental effects take place.


 * Sticking with your teammates isn't as necessary compared to L4D and KF. Players can definitely take care of themselves (if they have the skill) and with all the hectic action, your team will be spread out eventually.


 * Demons spawn across the entire map and will sit there until a player comes within range. This is because since you will be in one spot or another at any given time, you will always come across a bunch of demons waiting. This mechanic works here rather than having demons spawn and home in player's locations (ala KF).


 * You'll have very little time to relax! There are few safe spots on each map so you'll have to focus on the game the entire time (unless you're dead)! After each wave (encounter), you'll have a minute or so then it's back to it! Hardly enough time for a washroom break, to get a drink, etc. So be warned. Text chat functions normally, but for situations like "Look out behind you!" or "My soulstone is on the roof beside you!", etc. it doesn't work as well because the action moves too fast! Consider using a mic for higher level team-play.


 * "Is there a leveling or progression system?"
 * In the long-term sense, no. You can level up your weapons but it is only effective for that game you're currently in. It does not carry over to the next session. This decision has caused some ripples in the community, some wishing it was implemented for accomplishment and longer-lasting gameplay while the other side of the argument wants it the way it is, saying level progression will only divide and fragment the player base/community. But as it remains, it will most likely stay this way to keep the action same for all and to keep it easier for everyone to just jump in and cause mayhem.

System Requirements

 * OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7
 * Processor: Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 2.8GHz
 * Memory: 2 GB RAM
 * Graphics: Shader Model 3.0 graphics card with 256MB of memory (NVIDIA GeForce 7900GS, ATI Radeon 2000 series or higher)
 * DirectX®: 9
 * Hard Drive: 4GB of free hard drive space
 * Sound: DirectX compatible sound card