Years have passed since that terrible childhood event that still lingers in the dark corners of your memory. New York seemed like the perfect place to start anew, leaving the shadows of your past behind. Everything is shattered when your childhood friend reappears, forcing you to face a brutal reality: the shadows hide very real, truly monstrous creatures.

You become a Hunter, a monster killer, the last line of defence between innocent lives and a looming threat far more powerful than you. Welcome to the World of Darkness.

Personalize your character, from their appearance to their merits and flaws, before embarking on the hunt. But remember, when facing a millennia-old vampire or a werewolf that can easily claw through iron, you are nothing more than a bag of flesh and bone. It’s your choices that will shape the outcome of the hunt. You’ll need more than luck to survive.

Lost in the heart of the city, your safe house is an old bar, which serves as the perfect headquarters to consolidate your resources, organize your equipment, and strategize your next move. As the story unfolds, your safe house evolves, becoming a true hideout for other lonely souls ready to fight the Darkness with you.

Knowledge is a weapon, and each clue uncovered about your quarry provides an additional advantage in taking it down. Spy, infiltrate, hack, threaten, steal…. whatever you need to get the job done! However, consider your actions carefully if you want to survive another day, as every decision has consequences.

In a lopsided war where you’re outmatched by creatures that defy nature, fighting with your bare hands is not your best option. Instead, how about building a studded baseball bat, sharpening a silver blade, obtaining a gun, or any other esoteric tool from a shady seller. Be prepared for anything that may happen, as you might only have one chance, one roll of the dice, to eliminate your target.

You’re not the only one who knows the truth. Others have lifted the veil and chosen to stand against it. They form a Cell: weak humans yet determined to reclaim the night.

Meet several companions in misfortune; each has their own story, trauma, creed, and drive. Decide whom to trust, share your secrets… or your heart. Forge deep bonds during investigations or over coffee, before entrusting them with your life in the final confrontation. Their support during missions can be invaluable, but it may also become a burden that leads to a tragic end. After all, no one is immortal among humans.

Paranoia is your greatest survival weapon, because the truth is they’re out there, hiding in the streets of the Big Apple. This bartender could be a werewolf. The store clerk who shot you a smile might be a ghoul. This priest is really a vampire. To unmask and defeat them, you’ll need to use every means at your disposal. But be careful: acting without precaution can draw unwanted attention. You risk ending up on a police record or garnering the attention of far more powerful organisations with little regard for your goals, only theirs. You’re not the only player in this underworld war.

Your quest for the truth will lead you through the back streets of New York and beyond the East Coast. You’ll start to uncover the reality hidden within the World of Darkness, but the truth is more horrifying than you ever imagined.

Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish