The Hunter Preview

The Hunter is looking to be, by far, the most accurate hunting game ever made. I know, a pretty bold statement to be made for a game that isn't fully made yet, but I have to tell you, the preview game I have been playing is incredibly accurate. Now this may be off putting to some, specifically those gamers who want lots of things to happen and lots of different animals to hunt and kill. No, in The Hunter, you will need to learn the nuances of stalking prey once tracks have been found. Moving quietly through the forest and even setting up for looonnnggg periods of time just to get that one shot.

Now before I get all crazy about the things I found in this early version of the game, you should know that you actually select your hunter avatar and then begin the process of emailing Doc, the senior game specialist in charge of basically everything and the game begins with Doc issuing you some hunting style missions, which are more like tasks. Pretty soon you find yourself trying to track an animal, spot it, and then take it down. This is longer then you may expect. In fact, like real hunting, you can potentially walk around for hours without seeing a darn thing. And just like in real life, you have to be aware of your walking direction in tandem with the wind because your scent will scare animals off long before you ever see them.

 
 And here is where we're gonna clearcut these trees and start putting in apartment complexes!

So if that's your problem, then you can always set up in one of the hunting stands littered around the terrain. In fact, much like real hunting there are all sorts of equipment, ammo and weapons to use in order to help bring down your prey. At this point I have not yet run into anything that is hunting me as I hunt it, a la Cabella's Dangerous Hunts, but that doesn't really mean that much to me. Because the Hunter is for those players who want a truly accurate hunting experience.

Fortunately, part of your equipment is a GPS-looking thing that acts as a all-in-one tool. It helps key in on specific interests that help you get your shot, but again, other variables may affect that part of the game. I must have missed my first deer three separate times, not taking into account distance, wind and my own inability to get the job done. But back to the in game action, while tracking animals, there is a slight red hue that highlights areas of interest that really helps things out. 

The game is incredibly detailed and although there is still much more to explore, the environments are absolutely stunning at this point. Seriously, trees, forest floor, animals, all are phenomenal looking. The lighting effects and even the breeze all seem and look crisp and genuine; half the time you wonder if you are playing a game or looking through a Webcam somewhere in the mountains. I spent a lot of my gaming time actually just looking at the nature that has been created and marveling at the scenery. Deer were probably playing poker behind me as I stared up at trees and other nature.

At this point, the Hunter is not fully completed and I am anxiously awaiting the full version to drop so I can continue to enjoy nature as I sit on my PC. The in-game store is now open so go over there and get registered. The full review will be up shortly!