Developer: Nine Rocks Games
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC,
Tested on: PC
Way of the Hunter – Review
Over the past decade(s) we have seen a bunch of hunting simulations come and go. Maybe one of the most popular series from back in the day is Cabela’s. Nowadays with most hunting games you either have titles that are too realistic and are slow to play, while others might feel too “arcadey”. Way of the Hunter is a title that fits right in the middle, as it is realistic but also incorporates arcade-like mechanics to make the game more accessible.
Story
For a hunting game, this title really comes with a big background story. It all starts with our character River driving through the mountains. It seems that he wants to visit the hunting lodge of his grandfather and was asked to help him by hunting the local wildlife. It seems that your father doesn’t like grandpa and isn’t supportive of you hanging out with him. You get introduced to the area, and after a while, you get all kinds of comic book panels that show you what happened when you were a kid. The story flows nicely and many references are made to past events. This is perfect for those who want an emotional attachment to the story and it also motivates you to actually help gramps fulfill his dreams.
Graphics
Graphically the game isn’t perfect, but the visuals are still quite decent. You play in a huge world without loading screens, so transitioning between places goes rather smoothly. As the game demands many resources, the developers have decided to make some assets look a bit simpler, while still having the surroundings look colorful and true to their biomes. What the game does excel in is the attention to detail. When you shoot an animal and it survives, you can trace the blood back to its location. On the death screen, it visualizes how you hit the poor fellow and what damage you have done to it. This often tells you if it was a clean kill, or if the animal suffered for some time.
Sound
Sound in a hunting game is as important as it is in any hardcore shooter. Whilst you might have trouble distinguishing certain animals, your character can do so easily with their hunter vision. Now, after a while, you will know what a pheasant or a duck sounds like and you can try to track them by locating them or even by using special tools to lure them. Other sounds like gunshots feel powerful and shooting a high-powered rifle in an open location did make us giggle from time to time as it was so loud. Lastly, and more importantly, all of your character interactions are fully voiced and this makes the entire experience a lot more realistic and relatable.
Gameplay
Way of the Hunter is a hunting game that has found a fine balance between simulation and arcade. While it does a great job at being a simulator, the gameplay doesn’t feel slow nor too strict. The game begins with a short introduction that revolves around the hunting lodge. This encompasses how to start running the business, what it means to be an ethical hunter, how to handle weapons, and how to drive a car. The game holds your hand in the beginning, and when it is time to let you go, you will know it.
A game about hunting must have a good foundation to become interesting, and Way of the Hunter really delivers on all fronts. You have a bunch of different weapons, scopes, and items to use during your trips. Each gun has a different impact on the animals you are hunting. Shooting a badger with a high-powered rifle will tear up the body and makes your quarry unsellable. On other hand, shooting a bear with a .22 is a guaranteed way to send you to heaven early. In this game, you can die, which means you have health. Sometimes it’s less about bagging a nice trophy but rather about surviving a dangerous encounter with a beast of the mountain.
Once you have found your bearings, and know how the game works, you are pretty much left to your own devices. You are tasked to hunt for the local restaurants and bring them ethical food. This means respecting the local fauna and ensuring that you don’t overhunt the animals and try to kill them with a single bullet. Keep in mind that you aren’t playing Call of Duty here. Progression can feel slow; but tracking your prey, hunting it down, and searching where it died really makes for enjoyable gameplay.
Controlling the game is like any other shooter: you have only a few buttons to keep track of and you can easily scroll through your items. No need to remember a book full of buttons or commands. Most people can just enjoy the experience, ranging from veteran gamers to those who are new to shooting games. To traverse the large planes, you have a vehicle at your disposal, and while this does feel a bit arcade-like, the car handles decently and is not buggy like in some “simulation” games.
Conclusion
Way of the Hunter is a great hunting game if you’re looking for an entertaining hunting game. The mix between simulation and arcade feels great and makes the game accessible for many different types of gamers. The story kept us motivated to press on, but it never stood in the way of doing our own thing while roaming freely. Hunting animals is realistic and it does feel awesome pulling off a few perfect kills. While the graphics aren’t next-gen, the game does perform smoothly and there is still a lot of attention to detail. The game’s sound design makes the experience very realistic. If you’re looking for a fun hunting simulator, we suggest looking into this one.
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