Are you the type of person who loves to hunt for wild game?  Do you thrive on the excitement of tracking, baiting, and calling for animals so you can tell the stories to your buddies while they drool at your trophies on the wall?  Well, if you’re that type of person chances are you're not playing computer games.  If you always wanted to be that person, then look no further the time has come.

The Trophy Hunter series has always been second fiddle when computer-hunting games are concerned.  Deer Hunter has always been the top seller and is always mentioned when discussing hunting on the computer.  The time has come to KO the champion and to move ahead of the pack. Trophy Hunter has come and it’s here with authority.  You do not get to hunt innocent buck or doe, but you get to shoot every other animal on Noah’s Ark. (Well, almost). 

The best thing about Trophy Hunter is that it is actually fun.  A lot of game magazines poke fun at hunting games for being so lame.  I admit the original engine that this genre used was dull and boring.  This new engine makes all the difference.  Trophy Hunter comes to life with the virtual hunting experience of go anywhere, shoot anything. 

The accessories you can take on your hunting trip are a good variety.  Tripod stand, tree stand, animal calls, GPS, and zoomable binoculars to name a few.  The guns also vary just as much as the accessories, with 16 to choose from.  There are 6 all-new locations to hunt from plus the hunting range, which always helps you with your aiming.  The options and accessories are great and allow you to customize the game to your liking.

The graphics are mostly the same as the new breed of hunting games released by Wizard Works.  The graphics are great for what they are trying to convey, but are lacking when compared to other games.  The brush and trees are grainy up close and the water is very bad when walking past.  Climate plays a part in this game with rain, sleet, snow, and heavy thunderstorms.  The atmosphere does make you feel like you're actually there and that is really what all graphic engines try to do.  The models of the animals are pretty accurate and they range from Bear, Elk, and Moose.  Also, included with this release is the ability to hunt from horseback and is also a good way of getting around the map. 

The sound is pretty standard for this type of game.  You can hear the wind blowing, the water running, and the birds in the distance.  A great feature is the sound changes when walking on wet leaves, dry leaves, or rock.  When running for periods at a time you begin to breathe heavy which also scares away any chance of a good shot at that wall trophy.  The animal noises are also accurate along with the calls that lure them into your sights.  Overall, the sound is right on the mark and adds to the fun of the game.

The addition of multiplayer on Game Spy also adds to this fun by allowing you to have virtual hunting trips with your friends or strangers.  You can hunt specific animals by selecting the appropriate calls and scents before the hunt, or you can select an assortment just to kill anything that moves.  There is also the option of allowing fierce animals be able to attack you if threatened.  The multiplayer was very easy to set up and get into a game.  The Game Spy will need updates along with updates for the game, but after the short downloads the online action begins.  You can also host a game, but this is not recommended unless you have a fast connection. 

Overall, the Trophy Hunter is the best of the new releases of hunting games.  The ability to hunt many types of animals, the fun in multiplayer play, and the vast countryside and wilderness to explore makes this game the hunting game of choice for the holiday season.

Install: Easy.  The game also installs Game Spy Arcade, which works with many other games.

Game play: 8 One of the funniest hunting games to date.

Graphics: 7 Not a fantastic graphic engine, but definitely the best hunting one thus far.

Sound: 7.5 The sound is good and really adds to the experience of being there.

Difficulty: 6 The animals are very hard to find and kill even on beginner levels.

Concept: 6.5 The concept is getting out-dated, the improvements just may keep it alive.

Overall: 7.4 The game is fun when playing multiplayer and the variety of animals makes it the best hunting game out.