Cabela's Big Game Hunter [PS2]

If an animal is successfully lured, but is able to escape, players have the option of tracking it down. The map screens are large, but not big enough to make tracking very interesting. Players will simply follow the footprints of an animal for a few minutes until they find the animal running in circles.

Graphics Like a mountain pass in Alaska, the graphics of Big Game Hunter have their ups and downs. Character models are decent; the animals look particularly nice upon close inspection. The environments are another story. My biggest complaint is that there is a noticeable lack of detail in most outdoor areas. The foliage should be denser and the terrain would benefit from being more varied. A broader range of plant life in general would add greatly to the feeling of being in the great outdoors. Many of the level boundaries have very plain textures that contribute to the settings feeling artificial and contrived.

When the camera is in third person mode, character's upper body remain fixed looking straight ahead while their legs make turns. This makes for some strange movements while running sideways, although it can be avoided by simply staying in first person mode.

The footprints animals leave are really graphic representations of a footprint and look nothing like an actual imprint on the ground. There are different weather effects, including glaring sunlight and light snow. The visual variety is welcome, but it has little to no effect on the hunt.

Sound Ah the sounds of hunting; the rustling of leaves in a cool breeze, the howl of the wind, and the dry crunch of brush underfoot. These are a few of the environmental sounds you will be treated to in the wilderness of Big Game Hunter. Actually, besides the blast from your selected firearm these are pretty much be the only sounds in the game, so get used to them. This is an intelligent choice for a simulator; the thrill of the hunt should be accentuated through environmental details, not pump up music. The ambient sounds of nature are present in the game, but more could have been done with it.

The menus feature a strange mix of heavy guitar riffs and gentle folk music. I suppose either one of these types of music could be a fitting choice for a hunting game, but to have both of them in the mix is sort of odd. Players will also hear voice clips when they break the hunting regulations for a given area. The animal calls were good enough to fool my cat into attacking a speaker.

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