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Carnivores 2 by Wizard Works invites you to "enter the realm of
prehistoric reality and take on the quest for survival." Prepare,
in other words, to meet the velociraptor.
Review
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It's too easy to go on about how terrible most hunting games
are. Suffice it to say that such games exist and thrive because
they reconstruct a sport whose uniquely violent rules are
appealing to a lot of people. These gamers do not specifically
want to kill deer; they simply want to experience the hunt.
Recognizing this, Russian developer Action Forms created
Carnivores, which gave you the hunter's tools of the trade, only
you'd hunt dinosaurs instead of deer. Suddenly the ethical
argument was no longer relevant - dinosaurs are already dead -
and what was left was a great-looking little first-person game
that cleverly simulated what it might be like to take on a
triceratops with a . One good idea made way for another,
and less than a year later, Carnivores 2 was published. It's
essentially identical to the original, but its streamlined
gameplay and expanded menagerie make it just as enjoyable.
True to its title, this sequel emphasizes dinosaurs of the more
voracious variety. Whereas only three dinosaurs in the first game
were meat eaters, Carnivores 2 adds the camel-like spinosaurus
and the horned ceratosaurus to the fray, which make for a fine
assortment of dangerous game alongside the velociraptor,
allosaurus, and tyrannosaurus. There are new eaters as
well, including the armored anklyosaurus. Some of these, such as
the towering brachiosaurus, are present to provide atmosphere
rather than sport. As in the first Carnivores, everything that
lives and breathes in Carnivores 2 looks terrific. All the
dinosaurs are carefully detailed and almost disturbingly lifelike
as they graze and go about their dinosaur business. They leave
trails of blood if you shoot and wound them, and if you take them
out with tranquilizers, you can see them heaving in slumber.
These are truly some of the best-looking dinosaurs ever rendered
onscreen. They also sound convincing, and while you can't know
what a dinosaur actually sounds like, Carnivores 2 poses a pretty
good hypothesis. The nine species you hunt all have their own
distinctive calls, and the larger ones sound downright y.
Fortunately, you've got a pretty y arsenal with which to take
these things down. From the conventional 9mm pistol on up to the
long-range sniper , these six s are all functionally
different and ly interesting. All the weapons from the
first game are back, and aside from the pistol, the only other
addition is a mean double-barreled that pays homage to
the superweapon of the sequel to Doom, id Software's classic. The
hunting tools from the first game are back, including camoue,
cover scent, and even a tracking device that shows dinosaurs on
your . Using these tools detracts from the points you earn
with each kill, while using tranquilizers boosts your totals but
won't put that tyrannosaurus in your trophy room.
You want to earn points because everything you take into the
field costs a certain a. It's like the dinosaur hunter's
credit rating; at first you'll only be able to go against
piddling eaters with a pistol, but soon you'll be able to
take on larger dinosaurs with more appropriate weaponry. The
first Carnivores forced you to hunt one type of dinosaur at a
time with one type of weapon at a time, but Carnivores 2 lifts
this restriction and lets you take on as many types of dinos with
as many types of weapons as you can afford. This adds a fresh
change of pace to gameplay that's otherwise identical to the
original, which involves locating, stealthily approaching, and
then dispatching the target with a well-ed to its weak
spot. As in the first game, dinosaurs respond to you in a fairly
realistic fashion and can hear, smell, or see you if you aren't
careful. The peaceful ones will then flee, while the carnivores
will swoop toward you and turn you into lunch.
Or breakfast or dinner if applicable; not only does Carnivores 2
present more and bigger environments than its predecessor, but it
lets you choose what time of day you want to hunt: dawn, day, or
night. Night missions are seen through the distinctive green tint
of vision-enhancement goggles, whereas fog and stark sunlight
permeate hunts that take place early in the morning. The effects
look great, and the terrain still looks realistic and beautiful.
This 3D engine continues to hold up with the best of them.
Carnivores 2 is a great diversion just like its ancestor. You can
play for a few minutes or, just as easily, a few hours, because
each hunt can last for as long as you like, and the game provides
an extensive and variable challenge. Your style of play will
change drastically depending on whether you're hunting a meat
eater or a eater, and the game is even more dynamic than
the first now that you can throw everything into the mix at once.
Those who played the original Carnivores ought to expect more of
the same (at the same low price), while those who didn't, but who
either like dinosaurs or the idea of shooting them, ought to take
this second chance without hesitation. --Greg Kasavin
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