|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deer Hunter WizardWorks/GT Interactive Finally there's a game for all you Tech Necks out there, courtesy of WizardWorks and GT Interactive. Someone did a survey to find out how many people owned both a gun rack and a computer, and I guess they were impressed, because Deer Hunter has hit number one in sales yet again. Deer Hunter is perhaps the most inexplicable entry in the best-selling software charts. Since its release, it has topped chart-busters like Quake II and Riven, holding steady in the top ten for months. It has been so popular that it has already spawned a slew of knock-offs, like Big Game Hunter and several hunting games from Valusoft, all in the twenty dollar, budget software range. There's even an expansion pack, called Extended Season, which is available only at Walmart. So what's all the fuss about this little game? This is no high-concept project. The objective - kill deer. You can use three different weapons and aids like a tree stand and deer calls. If you're into precision and have a steady hand, the bow is the weapon for you. The advantage is that you can get a couple of shots off before the deer notices and runs away. If you're a glutton for punishment, try the shotgun. You're only guide is the little metal tab at the end of the barrel, and you practically have to be standing inches from your target to bring it out easily. The average player can spend hours learning these weapons. For the novice, the best weapon is the rifle. It provides a handy-dandy little sight, which makes bagging Bambi a piece of cake. A practice range is also provided so you can get used to the different weapons and sharpen your aim before you head out. Unless your greatest joy in life is frustration, I suggest you use it, at least for the shotgun and the bow. Deer Hunter seems a realistic approximation of sitting and waiting, which is a big part of the game. You take position somewhere on the provided map and look for signs a deer has been around - droppings, tree rubbings, or matted grass where it might have slept. Then the excitement begins. You wait. You pick up your binoculars, take a look around, and then you wait. You use your deer call or the deer rattle to sound like antlers clashing. Then you wait. If you wait too long, though, the game will prompt you to move on. "No luck yet," the character will say, or subtly tell you that you don't have a shot at finding a deer where you are. Then, finally, you spot the deer ambling innocently around the trees, you raise your weapon, watch it get closer, then - BAM! The deer runs away and you start tracking it down again. If you do hit it, the head goes up on the trophy board, along with a description of the deer. Then you pick a different location and start again. There are three different sites you can hunt and the practice range. You can stroll through the Arkansas Autumn Woodlands, feel the breeze of a Colorado Alpine Meadows, or crunch through the snow of an Indiana Winter. The game isn't without strategy. Several deer are always moving about the map in real time, so there's always as much chance the deer will stumble upon you as you will stumble upon it. They're programmed with certain tendencies - to stay away from areas where shots have been fired and avoid wide-open fields. You even have to make sure you're always downwind or you'll never see a deer. In the final analysis, my initial skepticism gave way to an odd respect for Deer Hunter. It didn't make me want to hunt deer, virtual or otherwise, but it was fairly realistic and involved at times. I might consider the expansion pack, but then I'd have to go to Walmart. Besides, I still haven't finished Duck Hunter yet. -Nick |
||
|
|
|||
