Cabela's Alaskan Adventures Review

You’ll have to abide by a few basic hunting rules.  You must have tags for the animals you take.  You can’t take juvenile animals.  You are not permitted to fire your weapon within 50 yards of a building, even in self-defense.  On the easiest difficulty (greenhorn), you’ll get 3 warnings before the fines kick in.  You’ll have less leeway on the harder levels. 

You have decoys, scents and calls at your disposal, but none of these seem to be particularly effective.  Your best bet is usually to carefully and quietly sneak up on your prey until they are within range.  This can be accomplished by moving while crouching, but as previously mentioned, you’ll have to stop frequently to catch your breath.  Who’s idea was this?  When all else fails, and you’re hunting aggressive game, make a lot of noise and wait for the animal to charge you and then drop it before you get killed.  I’m not sure if the Alaska Department of Fish and Game recommends this technique, but it works in Xbox 360 land.  That’s how I took my first Kodiak.

I’m told that Alaska is an absolutely beautiful and pristine part of the world.  Someone should have told Fun Labs.  The flora and fauna look like they belong on the original Xbox, but instead this is marketed as a full price 360 game.  They really could have done a much better job with the trees, plants and animals, but instead the developers opted for blandness.  The ground textures and sky are completely boring and uninspired.  The frame rate is poor, and the game can bog down when you have an animal on your screen.  The only graphical feature that earns high marks on this game is the water.  The lakes and streams look great and your fishing boat leaves a realistic looking wake.  If only they had applied the same effort to terra firma.

The sound leaves much to be desired as well.  There is little ambient sound at all, which I find very strange for a game set in the rugged wilderness of Alaska.  You’ll occasionally hear a bird or wind, but that’s about it.  The sound a snowshoe hare makes when scampering by reminds me very much of the sound you hear in your head when you’re eating breakfast cereal.  In fact, the most common sound you’ll hear is your hunter running out breath (oops, I’ve been walking for 30 seconds, time to rest).  Visually and aurally, this game does not make you feel like you are in the remote wilds of Alaska, but it will make you feel like you’ve been robbed of some hard-earned cash. 

Cabela’s Alaskan Adventure is for fans of hunting games only.  The graphics and sound are not even close to what 360 gamers deserve.  The gameplay is less than inspiring, and there are some absolutely awful minigames you must complete to progress in your career.  Even if you are a fan of hunting games, buy it used.  Don’t pay full price!  If you have your heart set on spending $60, buy an old NES, Duck Hunt, and a product from one of Planet Xbox 360’s fine sponsors.  You’ll be much happier in the long run.  In the meantime, I’ll be waiting for Fun Labs to make a 360 hunting game, instead of a game that barely meets the original Xbox standards.