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Pardon the dust! This page includes some jargon that hasn't been added to the site's glossary yet. I'll be around to fix this later, but sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime. |
Review: Hunting Simulator
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Your progress is recorded after each hunt. Most of the time this amounts to little more than saving your score and hunting statistics. If you need to pause this game, bring up the game's menu by pressing ESC - viewing your map does not pause the game. Time needed per session:How long you'll need depends on what sort of hunt you're going on; most hunts can easily take half an hour or more, while duck and geese hunting is a lot quicker thanks to the stupidity of the animal's AI.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | Some players may have concerns This is a game about hunting and little more; as such it's not surprising to find some blood, and you'll need to manually retrieve the bodies of any animals you claim. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/hunting_simulator_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/hunting_simulator_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/hunting_simulator_2.jpg)
Game Overview
When most of us think of First Person Shooters, we usually picture a game themed around a war or military setting. But, the mechanics behind this genre work just as well for other types of adventures. Survival and horror games, for example, can make great use of the first person viewpoint to put the player directly into the action. This level of immersion is often a big part of what makes these game so memorable. But, while Hunting Simulator is using these mechanics, it isn't really trying to make the player feel like they're hiking through the wilderness. Instead, it's more of an arcade game themed around hunting.
While there are a few different modes to choose from, players are going to be spending most of their time in this game's campaign mode. This single player mode provides you with a large number of locations to explore and missions to complete. Each mission has you hunting a specific type of animal, and the hunt simply ends when you've claimed your prize or run out of time. When starting a mission, you can take up to two firearms, your pick of sights, and some other equipment like scents, callers, and binoculars. Once you've made your choice, you're unceremoniously plunked into the environment and left on your own.
Like any good hunting game, you'll need to locate your quarry by inspecting tracks. Once you've found at least one track, the animal's general location will appear on your map. As you head in this direction, you'll need to be careful to avoid letting anything hear, see, or smell you. If any animals notice you, they'll probably run away, and the rest of the local wildlife will follow their lead. Fortunately, the game's GUI gives you an advanced warning by displaying an indicator showing how aware of you nearby animals are - if it starts coming into focus, you need to back away in order to remain hidden.
Now, the focus of these hunts is to earn a good score (and possibly a spot on the leaderboards). There are several ways to improve your score, the simplest being to hit a vital part the target (such as their lungs or brain), killing the animal quickly and with minimal pain. Shooting them in a bad location (ie, missing the vitals or hitting the stomach) will cause you to lose points, as will leaving bodies behind or shooting an animal with the wrong caliber.
Overall, Hunting Simulator features a unique take on hunting simulations. It's not immersive like theHunter: Call of the Wild, and there's definitely some beauty in the simpler gameplay.
While there are a few different modes to choose from, players are going to be spending most of their time in this game's campaign mode. This single player mode provides you with a large number of locations to explore and missions to complete. Each mission has you hunting a specific type of animal, and the hunt simply ends when you've claimed your prize or run out of time. When starting a mission, you can take up to two firearms, your pick of sights, and some other equipment like scents, callers, and binoculars. Once you've made your choice, you're unceremoniously plunked into the environment and left on your own.
Like any good hunting game, you'll need to locate your quarry by inspecting tracks. Once you've found at least one track, the animal's general location will appear on your map. As you head in this direction, you'll need to be careful to avoid letting anything hear, see, or smell you. If any animals notice you, they'll probably run away, and the rest of the local wildlife will follow their lead. Fortunately, the game's GUI gives you an advanced warning by displaying an indicator showing how aware of you nearby animals are - if it starts coming into focus, you need to back away in order to remain hidden.
Now, the focus of these hunts is to earn a good score (and possibly a spot on the leaderboards). There are several ways to improve your score, the simplest being to hit a vital part the target (such as their lungs or brain), killing the animal quickly and with minimal pain. Shooting them in a bad location (ie, missing the vitals or hitting the stomach) will cause you to lose points, as will leaving bodies behind or shooting an animal with the wrong caliber.
Overall, Hunting Simulator features a unique take on hunting simulations. It's not immersive like theHunter: Call of the Wild, and there's definitely some beauty in the simpler gameplay.
Points of Interest
Lots of things to do
There are plenty of missions in the campaign to keep a player occupied, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. You can also go hunting with friends in the multiplayer mode, explore and hunt as you please in the Free Hunt mode, or practice your aim at the shooting range. Then there's the interactive Lodge feature that allows you to check your own statistics and admire the trophies you've collected.
Lastly, there's an in-game "wiki" that contains encyclopedia-like articles about every animal you can find in this game.
Lastly, there's an in-game "wiki" that contains encyclopedia-like articles about every animal you can find in this game.
Customizable
Players can select their in-game avatar from a small roster of different hunters. Of course, you won't be seeing your own character when you're playing in first person mode, so there's also an option to switch to third person gameplay. When it comes to firearms and other tools, there's a large selection available, though it's usually best to carry more than one caliber and the night vision goggles (once they are unlocked).
You can also customize how much of a challenge the hunts are by toggling the game's overall difficulty. Just remember that the easy setting can really detract from the experience.
You can also customize how much of a challenge the hunts are by toggling the game's overall difficulty. Just remember that the easy setting can really detract from the experience.
Steam community features
There are 30 achievements waiting to be earn by eager hunters. These are mostly awards for completing every mission in a region or other progress-related milestones, but some are earned by showcasing your skills.
For players who might be interested, there is also a set of Steam trading cards available.
For players who might be interested, there is also a set of Steam trading cards available.
Gets routine after a while
It's remarkably easy to succumb to the grind of finding a track, checking the map, and shooting the target. There's little reward for taking your time or actually "hunting" the quarry. This can get wearisome on some difficulty settings, as the local animals just wander back to their assigned location a few moments after they were spooked.
The duck hunting missions are especially bad for this, as the ducks you're hunting fly directly at you in large groups and make no attempt to avoid your shots.
The duck hunting missions are especially bad for this, as the ducks you're hunting fly directly at you in large groups and make no attempt to avoid your shots.
Having to unlock everything feels restraining
With the exception of the starting equipment, everything needs to be unlocked by completing missions in the campaign mode. Each unlockable item is also tied to a specific mission - they aren't random. If you know which mission unlocks a certain item, you could just rush through the game to get the stuff you want. There's no in-game guide to help you with this, so if you can't unlock something, just keep trying new missions until you find the right one. Unfortunately, a mission's reward is unlocked regardless of how well you performed, making the entire scoring system feel pointless.
And just to rub it in, some of the more interesting items, like the different bows, can only be won from late-game missions.
And just to rub it in, some of the more interesting items, like the different bows, can only be won from late-game missions.
Concerns and Issues
Hunting in general
A lot of people have qualms with sport hunting, and since this is a hunting game, you won't enjoy it if you already find hunting upsetting. Yes, there is some blood - the bullets make a small splash when they hit their mark, and the bullet holes remain visible on the bodies. You'll also need to walk over and manually "claim" the bodies of any animals you shoot.