The hunting genre is an interesting one in the world of gaming.  Even when the original Deer Hunter launched, casual folk who had never touched a game really got into it and had a lot of fun.  It attracted, obviously, the hunters; people who loved to hunt but could never get into gaming tended to really enjoy this romp.  It worked on other levels, too: people who had never hunted, but had always wanted to, finally got a chance to do so in a virtual world.  The "hardcore" gamers shrugged it away for some very valid reasons: the gameplay was certainly shallow, the game often relied on luck more than anything, and the slow pacing could be nerve-wracking.

In many ways, Hunting Unlimited 2 is just like Deer Hunter.  It's going to attract people who like to hunt and people who would like to hunt, but the majority of gamers certainly wouldn't consider it for their next purchase.

The game is in full 3D.  It plays much like a first-person-shooter, except you don't constantly have a gun in your hands, and you aren't always blasting enemy scum into the ground.  You can use the basic WASD key combination to move and strafe, the mouse will control your point of view, and (after the space button is pressed to raise your gun) the left mouse button fires.  You also have the option to go into standing, crouching, or prone positions, which can increase your accuracy and help you in the visibility factor, too.  There's also the option of playing in a third-person-view, but you always have to be in first-person mode for certain actions, like aiming your gun.

But before you even step out into the field, you need to set up your hunter.  You can choose from a variety of guns, from rifles to pistols to shotguns, equipped with scopes or silencers, or neither.  You can carry eight items: handy things like a map and binoculars are necessities, but you can also bring along animal calls and scents, tree-stands (which can be set up in-game), and a few other various things.  You can also pick your clothing; where a cool camouflage green might look great in the forest, it's not going to be the best attire for a snowy winter setting.

Now that your backpack is full of equipment and your shoes are all tied up, you're ready to jump into the huge worlds the game offers.  Yes, huge; enormous, gigantic, stunningly big.  It sounds great, but this - along with the fact that your hunter moves incredibly, ludicrously slow - makes for an annoying time.  The land rarely offers anything interesting to look at, and even when settings are properly adjusted so that animal population is high, you may not see one animal for what seems like hours.  There were instances where I literally wandered around the map for forty-five minutes or so, completely oblivious to any animals that may have been hiding somewhere on the map.

The game does offer a neat Challenge mode - so, if you dig the slow pace (which is, admittedly, realistic - though to the point of being mind-numbingly boring) there is a lot for you to enjoy.  There are about eight tiers, each with a number of different challenges with different objectives.  Some might teach you basic maneuvers, but as you progress you'll have to bag multiple deer, or track down animals with no help from equipment, and so on.  You earn points based on how well you completed the mission; how many bullets you had to use, if you killed any of the incorrect animals, or killed too many, and so on - all come into play here.

The graphics in the game are actually quite nice.  Animals all look great, with detailed 3D models, intricate textures, smooth, believable animations, and a lifelike AI to guide them along, too.  And while I think the environments are far too big, they don't look bad per se.  True, they can look a little bland sometimes, especially when you only see patches of grass and sand and bushes all of the time, but at least the grass and sand and bushes look pretty decent.

The sound in the game is pretty good.  There isn't much in the way of music, except for the occasional tune you'll hear on the menu screens.  You might find this annoying (and I did at times), but this was probably for a reason - to keep you alert for any sounds that nearby creatures might make.  It also allows you to hear something that I didn't notice at first - the detailed sounds of your footsteps.  It's definitely more of a subtle effect, but I noticed that each footstep doesn't just sound like the one before it.  And when you step on different types of terrain - ice, for instance - it sounds a heck of a lot different than stepping on dirt.  A nice touch!

So, Hunting Unlimited 2 is a hunting game.  It's not going to revolutionize the genre, but it does have many neat features.  It's slow, plodding pace will absolutely drive some people nuts.  But it's a solid package, with good visuals, nice sound, and good FPS-style controls.  If you're a hunting enthusiast, it's worth checking out.  If you're not - well, this probably isn't a game you should bother with. 

Gameplay: 6.5

The insanely slow pace can be bothersome, but if you have the patience to stick with it, you might have a fair bit of fun.

Graphics: 8.0

The graphics are very nice, with great looking animals and good environments.

Sound: 7.8

Sound is good overall - it's a bit empty at times, but subtle effects make turning up your speakers worthwhile.

Concept: 6.5

Admittedly, there's not a ton of new content that Hunting Unlimited 2 adds to the genre.  However, it's Challenge mode and solid FPS controls make for an interesting experience.

Difficulty: Medium

This all depends on your patience, really; if you can wander around a field at a slow pace and track animals with their simple tracks, you shouldn't have a tough time.  If you can't stand to go for a few minutes without action, you will probably be frustrated very quickly.

Overall: 7.0
Hunting Unlimited 2 is a great hunting game.  It isn't going to change your opinion about hunting games, but if you like them, this is definitely one to check out.