Hunting Unlimited 2

As a reviewer it's my responsibility to remain unbiased towards each game that goes under my proverbial microscope of inspection. However, I'm also human and I have to admit that I wasn't too excited about reviewing Hunting Unlimited 2. While I have nothing against it, hunting is down there on my list of favored sports (perhaps it has to do with my urban upbringing), but I have to admit that after several hours with Hunting Unlimited 2, I walked away pleasantly surprised.

As the title indicates, Hunting Unlimited 2 is a wildlife hunting simulation. Think Quake meets Bambi. You'll take down everything from deer to bears in over 75 missions. Missions are straightforward with simple objectives that always result in the death of some sort of animal. You're often placed right in the line of sight of your prey, which keeps the action pretty constant, and more importantly, guarantees that there are no long stakeouts. The AI seems consistent with real animals, as they'll usually be scared off by multiple gunshots or by close approaches. On the downside, some of the missions border on tedious. Many just aren't setup that well and the game's mechanics can get in the way for others, especially the walking speed. Imagine shooting a deer that's over 200 yards away and the satisfaction that results ' then imagine that long, long walk over to the deer to tag it. Not too fun.

That said, Hunting Unlimited 2 does a good job of keeping the game realistic while still making it accessible to just about anyone. I've never hunted before and don't have a desire to do so, but there's a definite sense of satisfaction that you get from playing Hunting Unlimited 2. After all, taking down a charging bear with a single arrow does provide some sort of rush. Additionally, with several different modes of play, one of which is a mission editor, Hunting Unlimited 2 can keep you busy for quite a while.

Hunting Unlimited 2 looks a bit outdated, but still gets the job done. Environments are convincing enough and the animal models look nice, but other models such as your hunting avatar borders on horrible. The audio portion is a bit sparse, but works all the same as it creates an immersive environment with it's environmental sound.

While technically solid as far as hunting games go, Hunting Unlimited 2 won't appeal to everyone. The slow paced gameplay and unthreatening opponents will turn off some, but if you're interested in hunting, then Hunting Unlimited 2 warrants a look.