Cabelas switches the series tired old formula with this new hunting game...
First off, there is a story mode in this game which has been missing from other past titles in the genre. The story mode is a bit shallow but it gets the point across and fills that need for something more substantial in the genre.
You start of with a guide (not spoiling the plot) and he takes u through everything from the grass lands of Kansas to the wilderness of Alaska and beyond hunting varieties of game, deer, mule deer, caribou, moose, beer, rabbit, etc. so you get the picture but the difference is a charactor to guide you through your journey instead of going at it all alone like in previous titles of this nature.
Though the levels are a bit cramped with invisible walls and set paths to follow they did open up in some levels like BC and Alaska. The guide tells you what you need to do in each area and how to track and find your prey even where animal signs are on normal mode. Though he can get a little anoying sometimes he's a huge help and even giving hints so you know exactly what to do.
The controls are made for a XBox 360 it seems as this is a port but are easy to get the hang of with a mouse for aiming and the key board for the rest. I prefer to play with a mouse cause the aiming is much more acurate than with a joy stick. The menu controls however leave little to be desired since you can only navigate by using the arrow keys
Graphics are decent, some areas look generic like Kansas I thought and detail is not the games high point but I did like the vibrant colors this game makes use of especially in Alaska.
Sound is decent as well. Nature and animals sound close to what they should sound like out there in the wilds. Guns sound more like guns and less like cap pistols from previous hunting games to numerous to mention.
Overall, Cabela's hunting game series has made a come back even though it does not change the way we hunt digitally, it's different for sure with a story mode that sets this game apart from the numerous other hunting title that have been released over the years on the PC. Cabela's seems to be switching thier formula up a bit and making a mark in the hunting games arena. Afterall, if you've alway's done what you alway's did then you'll alway's get what you alway's got. *Wink*