Cabela’s Survival: Shadows of Katmai is a different kind of hunting game. Instead of bagging animals for points, the only thing you have to do is survive! Play as Logan James, a pilot who has agreed to take Dr. West to a remote location in Alaska. But when a storm crashes their plane, they must survive the harsh frigid wilderness and fend off ravenous predatory animals. And they must hurry, too, as the lady doctor is carrying a vaccine for a new strain of flu virus that is the only cure for a potential widespread outbreak (360 version reviewed here).

Cabela’s Survival definitely puts more ‘game’ into your average hunting experience. It’s one part hunting game, one part Tomb Raider, with a smidgen of a Resident Evil style storyline. Most of the time, you’ll climb around the frozen mountains of Alaska. This part of the game is similar to Tomb Raider. Every now and then, you’ll need to pull out your weapons to fend off predatory wolves, wildcats, and bears. Other times you’ll need to hunt moose for food or fur for warmth. Even while climbing, you may have to shoot attacking birds before they make you lose your grip.

Sometimes the game will shake things up with a new activity, like avoiding mountains in your damaged plane, or dogsledding. Speaking of which, early on in the game you’ll obtain Togo, a sled dog who can help you hunt and sense danger. Luckily you can’t shoot him. You’ll need all the help you can get because sometimes you’ll even have to fight animal spirits from Native American folklore!

The best part of the game is that it comes with the Top Shot Elite, a gun peripheral that works very well in this and other Cabela hunting titles. Play control does take a bit of getting used to, though, as you use the gun for both shooting and movement. Other parts of the game can be a little frustrating, like the airplane sequence, and sometimes it’s hard to tell where you can climb. Plus the game is a bit glitchy in places, too.

But other than that, Cabela’s Survival is better than what I thought it would be. There is even a selection of shooting gallery style mini-games where your goal is to not only net the most points, but to survive till the end! If you like hunting games but want more story and adventure to them, and enjoy titles like Tomb Raider or Resident Evil (or TV shows like Man vs. Wild), then you might want to check this one out.

Kid Factor:

Cabela’s Survival: Shadows of Katmai is rated T for Teen with ESRB descriptors of Blood and Violence. Parents may have problems with their kids using a gun to shoot animals in the game, but I’d be OK with older kids and preteens playing this, in my opinion. Some of the story scenes like finding dead bodies might be too scary for younger gamers, though. Reading skill is helpful for some of the text instructions, and even though there are three difficulty selections, less experienced gamers might get frustrated at a few tough sections here and there.

Tags: Game Reviews