When you think of hunting games you think of two names, Buck Hunter and Cabela’s. The hunting genre has always been an interesting one. They don’t have blockbuster sales like first person shooter’s or RPG’s, but they have a very distinct fan base.Some of the most successful hunting games are the arcade Buck Hunter’s with full size gun controllers. Not to say that the Cabela’s games aren’t as good, it just seems to be that they are a step behind. Has Activision stepped up its game? Hit the break and check out our verdict.
If you have ever played a Cabela’s game you know they are geared towards a realistic hunt. You pick a hunting ground, and you explore it by looking for the big buck; using your animal calls and scents following foot tracks as if you were hunting in real life. While playing these games you are using your regular controller. With Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 Activision decided to go a new route with the franchise. They brought in the writer of Resistance Fall of Man to do the story for the single player and the biggest addition is the new controller. It’s a full size rifle with an adjustable scope and gun stock. It also has its own sensor for wireless shooting. The controls for the game are a combination of aiming the rifle and the analog stick on the handle controls your movement. The motion control can be sensitive at times, but when set up correctly there is minimal issues. If you were to decide you don’t want to use the gun, Dangerous Hunts 2011 has PlayStation Move support as well.
For multiplayer there are the hunting galleries. It is up to 4 players, with 3 different game modes. You can play co-op with two controllers or hot seat where 2-4 players can play using one gun. There are 42 different galleries between the three game modes. In the classic galleries you pick the animal you want to hunt and play through the areas trying to accumulate the highest score possible. In the Survival galleries you pick a dangerous animal and try to survive the level without dying as long as you can.
The longest time alive gets the highest score. Then there’s the Trek galleries where you pick an animal you would like to hunt and you travel through different areas. You unlock most of these galleries through earning experience points in the single-player and getting high enough scores in other galleries. The idea of all these galleries are similar; kill as many animals as possible for the highest score. You get more points for not missing shots, and they have power-ups attached to certain animals to give you an edge. These consist of bottomless clip, slow time, double points, beast mode, and health pack. The gameplay does change a bit for the galleries, instead of controlling your movement with the analog stick it switches your weapons.
Activision introduces a story to Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 instead of having the classic go out and hunt. They brought in a big writer who we know as the writer of Resistance Fall of Man to really give the franchise a decent story. They persona of this story is a survivor horror and it has many predators keeping you on your toes literally. If your health gets low you go into a last stand mode and you try to survive to get a little bit of health back and ultimately not die. You are Cole, the 18-year old older brother that is out hunting on your families private land with your dad and younger brother. You have grown somewhat apart from your Dad and he is bringing to your families land for the Rite to Passage. At 18 all the men of the family need to have a clean kill of a buck and eat its heart to show you are a true hunter. The day turns for the worse quickly when you follow a wounded cougar to a camp that was attacked by a bear. To make matters worse an avalanche separates you from your Dad and Brother. Wolves hunt you down and surround but to your surprise a mysterious whistle calls them off of you. As you play this story you have your rifle, shotgun, and revolver to protect you from all the predators lurking. Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 also has a beast mode that reveals hidden enemies, items of use and animal tracks. You use this feature by looking down your red-tinted scope on the rifle controller. As you go through the story you collect trophies, and journals to give you extra experience to unlock galleries.
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 is a fresh breath of air to the hunting genre. It has a motion rifle controller, arcade galleries, and a story to keep you on your toes. This is a game that really shows the potential of a hunting game on a console. It shows hunting games can be more then just killing a buck. It is a must try for anyone that likes Arcade shooters and gripping stories.
