Overall Feeling:
It may be a game about hunting that seemingly has a story mode slapped in out of nowhere, but Cabela’s Survival: Shadows of Katmai is a decent game that ultimately is fun if only because it’s a game that plays out like a B-movie. Far from matching or even being on the same plane of existence as a game like Uncharted or even the old Prince of Persia games in how the platforming is executed, Shadows of Katmai has some interesting elements that manage to elevate it above being yet another strange video game in which gamers kill animals for no real reason.
The Pros:
+ Platforming feels somewhat natural in how it’s integrated into the environment.
+ There may be lots of snow, but there is some nice level variety, more so towards the end.
+ Togo (the Huskie) is a boss; dude will kill any wolves that attack him.
+ Shooting Galleries mode provides some nice old-school arcade fun.
The Cons:
- Combat and platforming feel somewhat disjointed for a number of reasons.
- Graphics don’t feel settled as the quality is all over the place.
- Story mode isn’t that long so replayability is somewhat limited, even with the Shooting Galleries mode.
- The light gun accessory included in the special bundle is ok but has a few issues which results in the PlayStation Move being the better option for PS3 gamers.
Two years ago Activision released a very special game which I had the honor to play and ultimately review. The many members of the Shogun Gamer faithful out there may know what I’m talking about as it was one of those games which left a lasting impression that wouldn’t be forgotten. No, I’m not talking about the epic Hollywood inspired action of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 but instead am talking about Jurassic: The Hunted.
