Video Game Review – Cabelas Legendary Adventures
Before I start telling ya’ll what I think about this game, let me tell you a little about how I review these things.
First and foremost, I’m not a hard-core gamer. I enjoy a few of them, and spend a lot of time on the ones I like, but I couldn’t begin to get into some of the discussions I’ve heard and read on gamer websites. If that’s the kind of detailed info you’re looking for, you might wanna check someplace else.
No, I’m the kind of gamer who wants to load up the game, jump in, and start playing. I don’t want to read a lot of instructions. If it’s that complicated, I’m probably not going to like it. Likewise, I can’t deal with complicated controls. I know there are some issues with today’s kids spending all their time in front of the game consoles, but man, if they can figure out those controls they’ve got something going for them. For me, I need to be able to move easily, access functions (like guns, optics, etc.), and complete the game’s objectives. If I can’t figure that out the first time I play the game, I’m outta there.
So with all that in mind, here’s what I thought of Legendary Adventures.
When the PR folks contacted me about doing a review, I’d requested the PC version, but somehow ended up with the edition created for the Wii. Fortunately, Kat has a Wii at her house, so I loaded it up and got down to it. It’s also cool, because we picked up one of the Wii “Zapper” units, which gives your controls the feel of holding a gun… well, sort of.
So I fired it up and, true to form, I jumped right in. There’s a great backstory to the game, but I jumped through that. I wanted to whack some virtual critters!
The first thing I noticed was that the graphics, at least on the 32″ flat-screen TV, left a lot to be desired. The effect was cool, but it was danged near impossible to see the animals until I was right on top of them. I don’t know if this is a problem with the PC or PS2 versions, but it really put me off.
Gameplay, though, was pretty cool. I’ve been playing the “Legends” option, which is a “campaign” mode where you play through the various scenarios in a set order, following the storyline through several generations of hunters. Again, I didn’t give much time to the storytelling, but what I heard was actually kinda fun to listen to. In each scenario, you play the role of a hunter out in search of these legendary, huge specimens of different animals. Examples include Goliath, the giant Pennsylvania buck taken back in the 1930s and Aries, the giant bighorn sheep.
In each scenario, there are hidden “Challenges”, which give you the opportunity to do things like bowhunt a local species, or shoot so many birds in a set amount of time. If you complete the challenge successfully, you get extra points. You also receive points for following animal trails, shooting small game and birds (you can shoot all the small game and birds you want during the scenario) as well as a couple of other things. You use points after completing each scenario to upgrade your equipment. You also need to collect a certain amount of credit before you can shoot the “Legendary” animal.
As far as the points, I wasn’t completely blown away. The tracking points are pretty much a gimme. As long as you’re moving you’re probably following a trail and steadily racking up points. The constant notifications were a little distracting, especially when they popped up while you were sighting in on a critter.
As far as I can tell, there are six Challenges in each scenario. The challenges were tough to find, but I’m not sure if that was by design, or if it was because the graphics made it so hard to see… particularly in the first scenarios. Completing the challenges help you advance more quickly, but they’re not required.
I played for a few hours, and found that it didn’t take long before I was doing pretty well. It wasn’t hard to get started, but there are few things you just have to figure out as you go. For example, if you get a challenge to hunt a specific animal (like a moose), then start looking right away… the moose will be there. I also found that the animals don’t go far from where you find them.
One thing I’m not sure I did like, was that when the Legendary animal appeared, he was always practically right on top of me. The game does a little intro to tell you the animal is close, and then all you have to do is freeze and start looking around. That made it kind of anti-climactic. I was playing at the beginner level, though, so maybe it’s a little tougher at the higher levels.
The only other “kind-of” negative thing was that it’s a one-player game. That’s cool for solitary gamers, but I like the idea of games that you can share with someone else sometimes too.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed the game. The pacing was fast enough that it seldom got boring (although sometimes looking for the Challenges got a little frustrating), and the level of difficulty was high enough to keep me interested. It was easy to play, and I really only used the instructions a couple of times… mostly because I’m not too familiar with the Wii interface. If it weren’t for my issues with the graphics on our TV, this might become one of my favorite games. Even with the graphics trouble, I found myself playing when I should have been doing other things… and that’s generally a mark of approval for me.
At about $15 at most places I’ve seen it (Best Buy, Game Crazy, Target, etc.) it’s a pretty economical gift, and would make a great stocking stuffer for the plugged in hunter on your list. I’d definitely recommend it.
Gotta go now. There’s a giant pronghorn running around the New Mexico desert somewhere with my name on it!
Sounds like a great game, and at a very reasonable price. I’m going to have to check this one out.
December 13th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
I dunno’ Phillip,
I never was really much of a gamer but you have brought to surface some old memories of mine which are related to the video gaming world.
I used to like playing the first laser disk game: “Dragons Lair” and I fooled around a bit with my cousins game where “Dinosaurs” were the quarry and that was pretty fun!
I would like to try the Cabella’s Legendary Adventures and my wife and I have been thinking about getting our kids a play station, so there ya’ go!
I will give it a whirl after Christmas!
December 14th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Great review, I’m going to have to get this game for my son. He will love it.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Good review.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:54 pm