Hunting games for the PC have let us stalk wild turkeys, shoot at countless deer, and even bag a few bears. Carnivores 2 takes things up a notch by letting players go on a dinosaur safari. That premise sounded terrible until we started playing the game, and we were immediately sucked in by Carnivore 2's atmosphere and play mechanics. You start out with the ability to buy a few items, like a simple pistol and perhaps some camouflage. The dinosaurs you choose to hunt vary in their ability to detect you. Some can smell you coming but have a hard time seeing you, while others can't smell anything but have hearing acute enough to detect a leaf hitting the ground 100 yards away. You must adapt your hunting methods and equipment to counter the abilities of your quarry or you won't see a dinosaur, let alone get to shoot at one.
After bagging a few herbivores that have less biting power than Bambi, you work your way up the food chain to bigger, smarter, and much more dangerous game that look at you as prey instead of the other way around. In fact, the sound of a pistol is like a dinner bell to the Tyrannosaurus rex, who knows the only creature capable of causing that noise makes for a tasty snack. The fact that we had to consider ourselves both the hunter and the hunted added a tension to the game that other hunting simulations completely lack.
Graphics are good, and the artists obviously paid special attention to the movement of the creatures that inhabit the various islands you'll visit. The sounds were also done well, and many times we found ourselves tracking prey using our ears instead of our eyes. The only things they left out are the smells, and for that we are grateful. We were surprised at how much fun we had with Carnivores 2, which is a unique take on hunting simulations, one that nearly anyone should enjoy. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
- Dinosaurs move smoothly
- You occasionally feel like that doomed hunter guy in Jurassic Park
- Nice ambient sound effects
Cons:- Can get a bit repetitive once you perfect your hunting skills
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