Perhaps one of the most intense games I've played to date for various reasons, Hunt: Showdown is a masterpiece when it comes to tension, strategy, and atmosphere.
I first started playing the game with my fiance and our friend and we quickly got addicted. The game is a PVP PVE style, combining world monsters and danger with real players and competition. Set in the Bayou of Louisiana in the late 1800s, you play a bounty hunter who is sent into hell-infested towns to eliminate demonic threats.
But you're not the only one seeking to get paid for a bounty...
Other players, whether they are playing solo or in teams of 2 or 3, are all going after the same target so you must compete if you want to get paid. That means eliminating enemy hunters. And on top of that, There are monsters around every corner also trying to kill you and they're no joke. Many a bounty hunter has won a fight against players only to die at the hands of rabid hell hounds or screaming zombies.
I loved this game so much that after years of playing and hundreds and hundreds of hours, I got the logo tattooed on my wrist. And as for cosplay plans. I'd set those in motion almost immediately.
Or... at least I planned to.
Life often gets in the way of personal cosplay for me these days. A costume that would have taken me a few days back in 2019 took me two years to finish. In preparation for being a cosplay guest at one of my favorite local cons, Game On Expo, I decided to finally power through the rest of my costume.
As a player of the game, I fell in love with Llorona's Heir immediately. She is one of many "Legendary" skins in the game. I played her often... until I realized her white shirt is far too easy to see in the drab backdrop of the bayou. Still, she remained one of the coolest characters to me and I never thought twice about who I was going to cosplay first.
"Much like the legend whose name she uses, Llorona earned her fearsome reputation by drowning her victims and haunting her enemies. Like a shade, she is fast and subtle, with both gun and knife."
I was a little intimidated by her gun holsters, which are highly detailed and unlike most characters in the game, she carries numerous pistols and I wasn't entirely sure when I'd have the patience to do it. Eventually, I had some leftover materials a couple weeks before Game on and decided to just do it and I was actually pretty happy with it. I added weathering where there wasn't any in the game just to give it my own twist and to make the black shapes stand out in photos. The holsters were sized to the prop guns I had and the straps are adjustable albeit impossible to put ion myself. I'm betting there was a design detail I couldn't see in the game otherwise Llorona would be having a hard time every time she had to go for a bounty 😂
Unfortunately, Game On does not allow prop guns into the convention center so the day
I debuted it, I was without her signature weaponry, but it was still a great time. And, as suspected because the game is not a mainstream game by any means, I was only recognized by one person the day I flaunted the full ensemble. But I didn't mind! Because I love the design and I also love that Hunt is still a bit of an undiscovered treasure in the gaming world.
A Bit About The Process
I had collected fabric for this costume almost a year before I actually made it and I sat on that fabric for some time. I also collected the props and a hat with a wide rim I liked. It wasn't until a trip to Bisbee, AZ that I really got inspired all over again. The town is an old historic mining town and while we were browsing an antique store, I found a beautiful
necklace loosely resembling the one from the game. At that point, I didn't care that it wasn't exact. Members of my family visit Bisbee's cemetery once or twice a year to say hello to a loved one and since the necklace was the only one of its kind in that antique store, I had to get it. It's not enough for me to like a character anymore. I enjoy putting little pieces of my life into them, too.
Most of the other detail was hand painted and stained on this costume. As for that wide-rim hat, at first the top was rounded and the fit was for a giant, I swear. I cut off the top and created my own squared off style like the game and at the same time, adjusted the fit. It turned out perfect, even with a wig on.
The holster is laced up in the back, accurate to the game, so I wasn't worried about the fit seeing as I've made more lace-up garments and corsets than anything at this point. It was comfortable, boning free, and easy to wear, which is more than I can say for most of my costumes.
Overall, this was a great experience and though I usually toss costumes after one or two wears, I think I might hang onto this one for a bit 😂
Photos by CourteX Studios
