{tag [Review]} {tag [X360]}

This time out, I decided to review a game I had not seen reviewed anywhere - Cabela’s Alaskan Adventures for the Xbox 360. Since I’m not a hunter, I felt I was not entirely qualified to review the game on my own, so I went searching for a qualified collaborator. I found the perfect match: a hybrid real-world hunter and video game enthusiast – my brother-in-law.

We sat down and played this game together for hours, and really tried to give it our full attention…something difficult for this caliber of game.

Visuals – 65%
The visuals were a bit below average for next-gen games, but when compared to hunting games of the past, particularly the other Cabela’s offerings, this one fared a bit better. Graphics were crisp and clear in 1080i, but a bit sparse. The level of detail that should be present in a title this recent, were absent.

There were a number of other problems with the visuals. After bagging a musk ox, and going to claim our trophy, we noticed that the musk ox was actually hollow on the inside. Interesting…maybe one of those pesky wolverines that kept trying to gnaw off our legs disemboweled the beast during our 96 yard walk to the kill.

Audio - 35%
John Buckrum, your unseen narrator and guide throughout the game, contributes some of the most annoying and incongruent audio ever presented in a game. Complaining that you are driving too fast as you crawl up a hill at 3mph or yelling, “That thing you just missed was the ground” are just plain ridiculous. What does that even mean?
In addition, animal sounds are quite scarce, and equipment such as the snowmobile or your fishing reel emits such an irritating racket, you will be tempted to just press “Mute”.

One last thing, if I’m crouching and being “stealthy”, shouldn’t my footsteps be quieter than when I am in a full sprint? Just a thought.

Controls/Interface - 70%
The controls are mediocre - about average for hunting/fishing game. The controls while driving the snowmobile are atrocious, and the invisible obstacles that prevented passage were aggravating to say the least, but generally speaking the controls scheme was well implemented. We agreed the unsteady hands when aiming the rifle was a nice touch, as was the option to hold your breath to steady the aim.

Gameplay - 40%
I think my brother-in-law summed this up best: “Hunting just doesn’t translate well to a video game.” Although I’ve never hunted, I’d say he’s right. The long walks to nowhere with very little action while never actually experiencing the beauty of the Alaskan Wilderness is tiresome. In the game’s defense, they did put forth the effort to present a variety of activities. Ice fishing, hunting, dog sled racing, and fishing are all presented, but they all seem a bit recycled from other parts of the game. Fishing and ice fishing, outside of casting or setting a jig are nearly identical. Dog sled racing is infuriating, as the sled breaks much faster than the dog’s fatigue.

Summary - 53%
All in all, this is a typical hunting game with some extras that, as usual, is poorly implemented. Mediocre controls, typical graphics, poor audio and a host of problems all plague this game. Combine this with a typically boring sub-genre of video game, and you generally end up with a nice coaster you can add to your collection. Being a born and bred city boy, I thought I’d never say this, but I think I’d rather go hunting than play this game again.