Quantcast

Deer Hunter 2004


The thrill of the hunt

True confessions of a digital deer hunter

Words: Tim Stone, PC Gamer UK

The Bambi jokes and the barracking began back in 1998. That was the year Deer Hunter, a $20 title created in eleven hectic weeks by a trio of greenhorns from Sunstorm Interactive, bounded straight to the top of the charts.

Players chose equipment, selected a tract of American wilderness and then lost themselves in the patient locating, luring and liquidating of virtual venison. Compared to period FPS games it was all rather pedestrian and ugly. You had to step back a few paces to appreciate the originality. While everyone else was doing “frantic” and “fantastical,” Sunstorm had gone “stealthy,” “slow” and “realistic.”

Today, that genre is studiously ignored by game critics. But not by the public. Millions of sales later, hunt sims remain an enigma. To what do they owe their success? What can other genres learn from their approach? And why on Earth would you want to play them?


 
Related Games
Gearbox dev says "Borderlands 2? and... N4G
PC News from N4G
Nov 11, 2009
Global Agenda To Include Vivox Voice Features N4G
PC News from N4G
Nov 11, 2009
GTA IV Update Released N4G
PC News from N4G
Nov 11, 2009
Left 4 Dead 2 Demo Update Released N4G
PC News from N4G
Nov 11, 2009
Future Star Trek Online Features Detailed? N4G
PC News from N4G
Nov 11, 2009