Carnivores

• Platform: IBM PC Compatible
• Release Date: 1998
• Genre: Sports
• Style: Hunting
• Similar Games: Deer Hunter II: The Hunt Continues! (IBM PC Compatible), Trespasser (IBM PC Compatible), African Safari Trophy Hunter 3D (IBM PC Compatible), Cabela's Big Game Hunter II (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

Carnivores is a hunting game with a twist. Instead of tracking down non-lethal animals such as deer, squirrel and rabbits that can't fight back, the player is thrust onto a newly found planet teeming with deadly dinosaurs. The ramifications of missing a shot take on a whole new meaning when an eight ton target like Tyrannosaurus Rex or an agility-laden killer like a Velociraptor turn on you in rage because you missed the beast's target-zone.

In Carnivores, the prey consists of seven prehistoric dinosaurs, each exhibiting intellectual, behavioral and reactionary (sight, hearing and smell) traits endemic to its species, spanning six unique environments. As the hunter, you have access to three weapons and eight hunting accessories, including an option to use tranquilizers instead of lethal bullets or arrows. Two of the weapons, the sniper rifle and shotgun, carry six shots each while the X-Bow can fire eight times.

The game supports 3Dfx accelerators and features gameplay techniques similar to those found in Deer Hunter such as stalking prey, zeroing in on the target with binoculars or sniper sights, getting upwind of the target or utilizing other hunting tools. Included in the accessories arsenal is radar equipment, maps, a camouflage suit, tranquilizer ammunition, wind indicator and compass, a cover scent and a dinosaur call. Use of some of these items affect scoring either negatively (map -30%, cover scent -20%, camouflage -15%) or positively (tranquilizers +25%).

The six environments in Carnivores are geared toward difficulty levels. Three at the novice level include self-explanatory titles of The Woods of Turan Choks (named after the science vessel captain who discovered the planet), Basmachee Rocks (an island), and The Jungles of Gravitsappa. The two hunting areas provided for the advanced hunter are The Pyramids of Shmu-Hadron (ruins from a long-vanished race) and The Ancient Temple, a location that provides a very limited safe area. Finally, experts can tackle The Great Lake area that contains the most difficult terrain on the planet, a barren and desolate meteor-made lake surrounded by insurmountable mountains.

Each level of difficulty requires the player to earn points in order to open up new territories and gain advanced weaponry. Points are gained by bringing down a type of dinosaur the user pre-selects before going on the hunt. Novices must amass 100 points to gain access to the advanced territories and the sniper rifle. Once at that level, reaching 300 points is the only way to gain the expert level and a chance at the big lizard T-Rex.

The real stars of Carnivores include four types of herbivorous (plant eating) dinosaurs and three types of carnivorous (meat eating) dinosaurs. In the former group are the Parasaurolophus (duckbilled), the thick-headed Pachycephalosaurus, the elephant-sized Triceratops and the heavy, plate-laden Stegosaurus. The meat-eaters that will hunt the hunter if given the slightest chance include the Allosaurus, the quick and deadly Velociraptor and the fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex, the only dinosaur rated as "excellent" in all three reactionary traits.

Roots & Influences

Carnivores, while a unique simulation of hunting dinosaurs, certainly has similarities to previous games released by the publishers. Included are such titles as African Safari Trophy Hunter and Rocky Mountain Trophy Hunter II.

Review: Overall

With the vast proliferation of hunting games to hit store shelves in the latter part of the 1990s, it was inevitable that somewhere down the line one of them would break free of the clone-mold and offer an interesting and realistic approach. The release of Carnivores into the field nicely meets that criteria. The heavy irony is that the hunt is for creatures that no longer exist and, in fact, features encounters of the dinosaur kind. I find it amazing that this game, with its prehistoric prey, is quite possibly the best of the genre and I don't say that lightly, considering I've played most of the "normal" hunting games based here on Earth.

Make no mistake, though, Carnivores is pure simulation and doesn't pretend to be an action title. Even so, the designers set the stage for the hunting action by creating a plausible and interesting back story to allow you to suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy the hunt. Suffice it to say, the science fiction-based story isn't a big factor in the game but it does revolve around the discovery of a new Earth-like planet with atmospheric conditions suitable for human habitat. Unfortunately, the planet is going through its prehistoric phase and hunters going there are transported to a world rife with dinosaurs -- a fact that is exploited by the DinoHunt Corp.

For the environmentalists out there who despise even the thought of killing wildlife of any sort, Carnivores addresses the concern by allowing hunters to bring down their trophies with tranquilizer bullets and arrows -- in fact, use of the non-lethal ammunition actually increases the score. The only downside of using these weapons is the realistic loss of a trophy head to hang in the trophy room at the virtual lodge. Anyone who does enjoy the game, however, owes it to themselves to use the deadly ammo at least once to see the animated scene of the craft that swoops down to gather the trophy-head.

Gameplay in Carnivores is extremely smooth with the 3Dfx-driven graphics and has an astonishing amount of options complemented by a well-thought out approach to expanding hunting opportunities based on successful completion of "rites of passage." It works like this: the hunter earns points for bagging specific prey each time he or she goes into the field (in this case, one of the many islands on planet FMM UV-32). Once the pre-defined total is reached the hunter advances to the next skill level that brings with it new and better weapons as well as additional dinosaur types to hunt.

In a fascinating design concept, the hunter isn't limited to any particular prey while hunting, however, stalking and dropping just any dinosaur won't earn points, only the specific one chosen before the hunt. Likewise, an extremely realistic take on the amount of ammunition available for any one hunt is one of the features that, in my mind, make the simulation much more grounded in fact -- it just doesn't offer a chance for the undisciplined trigger-happy hunter to blast away at anything that moves without ever running out of ammunition.

Through this cleverly designed checks and balances system, the virtual hunter is forced to learn dinosaur-hunting etiquette and virtually assures a controlled hunt, with all the best elements coming into play such as patience, cunning, tracking, stealth and discipline. Without mastering those traits, the player will be destined to restart the game repeatedly until the lesson is learned. With just two small requirements, limited ammunition and selective hunting, Carnivores races ahead of the pack.

There are many other features awaiting the intrepid dinosaur slayer, all of which add to gameplay in significant ways. In addition to the hunter's option of breath or death for the prey, various items and hunting paraphernalia are available that can reduce or increase the points earned depending on how much the equipment increases or decreases the difficulty of the hunt. For example, using radar, a cover scent or camouflage reduces points while using non-lethal weapons (tranquilizers) adds points. Use of binoculars, map, dinosaur call or compass has no impact at all.

Rounding out this surprisingly complete package is the varied terrain and landscapes of the planet's islands (hunting zones) as well as the individual characteristics of each dinosaur, including sight, smell and hearing capabilities. The use of flashing graphics prior to the hunt depicts the "target zone" of each dinosaur -- hitting areas outside the range of these zones will normally cause the creature to either attack or simply run away. Needless to say, the mighty tyrannosaurus rex, which becomes an available target in the latter skill levels, is the only dinosaur ranked "excellent" in all three categories and has the smallest "target zone" -- the eyes.

The six areas on the planet include three at the novice level, two at the advanced level and the final one for experts only. A hundred points opens up the advanced level while 300 opens the Pandora Box of dinosaur hunting and unleashes the terrifying t-rex. As previously stated, the 3Dfx are outstanding -- from surrealistic mist (you haven't lived until you've been patiently staking out a secluded mist-shrouded spot only to have a velociraptor suddenly emerge right before you) to blazing sunlight. Creature movement and animation seems very realistic with the only slight drawback being the lack of distance you can normally see.

Although all hunting locations are islands (which guarantees a certain amount of beach front stalking), a full range of terrain ensures the need to learn specific techniques when hunting in each specific area. Whether you like swamps, mountains, hills, volcanic terrain, flat plains or stifling jungles, you'll find it in this game. If you enjoy virtual hunting and are tired of the meek prey offered in many of the current hunting simulations, sink your teeth into Carnivores and come face-to-face with the plant-eating stegosaurus, parasaurolophus, pachycephalosaurus and triceratops. Or, fight on equal ground with the meat-eating allosaurus, velociraptor or tyrannosaurus rex -- now, if only I could get that elusive pterodactyl in my sights!

Review: Enjoyment

It is so nice to finally play a hunting simulation where the hunter is affected by his or her own actions. Limited ammunition on each hunt, non-effectiveness of indiscriminate animal slaughter and the importance of learning proper techniques required to stalk the dinosaurs make for a realistic experience in a fantasy world. Easy controls.

Review: Graphics

Clear, concise, smooth, atmospheric. Animation is superb.

Review: Sound

No music -- but who plays music on a dinosaur hunt anyway? Ambient sounds definitely let you feel as if you've arrived in a prehistoric landscape.

Review: Replay Value

Any long term replay value after bagging the t-rex can only be assessed by the player using {*Carnivores}. There are enough options and methodologies included to give the game significant hard drive staying power.

Review: Documentation

Small CD-size manual covers the basics with short bios of the various dinosaurs.

Production Credits

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carnivores