Way of the Hunter takes you to an authentic hunting experience that tests your patience to its max.
We all love a good old open-world game. It allows you to explore so many different areas of the map, or maps. Another idea of open-world games is that you feel as if the possibilities are endless, and the fun hardly ever stops. Just think about it for a minute. Think of all the open-world games you have played in your lifetime and how much fun you had with those games. Grand Theft Auto, The Witcher, Red Dead Redemption, and Fallout are some of the iconic open-world games that possessed a ton of excitement, and you would often leave wanting more.
It’s fair to say that open-world games are one of the most played genres in gaming history. Now, here is a question for you to have a quick think about. What do you think of an open-world game that is centred on hunting? Sounds interesting, right? Well, pay attention because it gets even better. Welcome to Way of the Hunter, where you get the opportunity of being an own a fabulous lodge and hunt animals in many large areas in the United States of America and Europe.
There is a story for you to undertake. It features the protagonist River, who inherits his grandfather’s hunting lodge business. Complete missions and reap the awards you receive as you progress through the campaign. Why hunt by yourself? If you’d like, you can play co-op with a friend, and you both can enjoy the stunning locations and hunt different animals and even compete for which of you is the better marksman.
Not to mention, you can neutralise targets with a number of ultra-realistic weapons for you to choose from. As a bonus, if you have ever thought about being a hunter, this is the perfect game for you to have practice.
The Way of the Hunter story is ok, but this is in the long list of storylines I will certainly forget. You can somewhat tell that the developer was not fixated on creating a stellar plot but rather one that would just about garner some interest. Well, I can honestly say, mission accomplished. The missions weren’t too simple, but they weren’t complicated either. It was like engaging in a to-do list because of the order and flow of some of the objectives.
It wasn’t a long story either, so if you had decided to grind out the game, you’d succeed in finishing all of the missions before the day ended, and you would receive many rewards for all your hard work. So, your efforts weren’t in vain. Plus, if you are an actual hunter, you’d probably relate to the protagonist, the tasks you had to complete, and some of the difficulties your character had to endure.
Even if you are not a hunter, you will soon understand the toughness of being a hunter and reaping all the benefits that come with the job. Especially when you are inheriting a hunting family business, you would have to take that business back to the top.
The Way of the Hunter gameplay is authentic. This is a game where you will get the ultimate experience of being a hunter in this open-world environment. You would have to think like a hunter to catch your prey. With this game, precision matters. The weapons are incredibly realistic. These weapons perform exactly like their real-life counterparts, and because of this mechanic, you would have to handle them with much more care. This means you will need to be more attentive when shooting.
Having said all of this, sometimes it would get dull because of the time you’d have to wait to eliminate certain animals, also because the maps are very large. What’s a hunter without his reliable binoculars? Which you can use to assist you while hunting. This tool helped me locate animals from far distances. And to travel these distances, you would need a vehicle, which the game has provided. You are given a jeep that also performs realistically.
As a hunter, you need a selection of items and tools; this is where your inventory comes in. It allows you to fill it for your travels adequately, and you can always change it whenever possible. Plus, you can change the look of your lodge by replacing it with items you unlock.
Way of the Hunter graphics is great. Playing the game on a current-gen console has its benefits, and one of them is the stunning and vibrant visuals. Very attractively coloured maps and areas that would make you want to glance at them, and the animals are also wonderfully designed. Speaking of animals, the one thing I like about them is their realistic animations. Their behaviour is life-like. In this game, these animals can sense your presence, and if you are close enough, they will possibly evade you. This is why I recommend you hunt with caution.
The Way of the Hunter audio is also authentic. It’s rather refreshing to hear the sounds of nature as you are exploring the maps. The birds chirping, as well as the sounds of other animals as you are hunting them. Remember when I spoke about the realism of the weapons? Well, including the sounds of them. They are identical to the ones you hear in real life. The same goes for your vehicle.
However, the voice acting could have been better. The cast members don’t really seem too enthusiastic when portraying the characters. They all sound robotic, and it’s like they just came in to do a job and then leave. I could not feel their emotions.
Ultimately, Way of the Hunter provides the authenticity you need to have the best virtual hunting experience. Still, it also comes with some baggage, such as a story, which the developer could have placed more emphasis on. When you think about these things, they make the game inconsistent overall. I would wait until this game is free to play, or at the very least, the price goes down significantly. Although this game is less than the retail price, it still isn’t worth purchasing right now.
Way of the Hunter is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows. Also, follow our website for the latest video game reviews.
