What
do you get when you combine a hunting game with an
economic sim? Something that lets you get your hands
on a couple of bucks.
Sorry
about that one.
Outdoor
Life Magazine has inspired Outdoor Life: Sportsman's
Challenge. In the tradition of Tycoon series games,
Sportsman's Challenge has more to do with testing
your business mettle than your hunting skills. Your
hunting skills will be called upon to determine what
you think is best for your customers. This game is
all about making money by keeping your customers'
happy - and their wallets open.
As
the owner of a wilderness resort, you will be responsible
for constructing cabins, stores, trails, camping areas
and keeping your park stocked with a variety of animals
and fish. Customers vary to include hunters, anglers
and campers of all ages. Maintaining a balance is
the key to playing this game successfully. It's not
easy, because everything requires balance. One action
causes another reaction and so on.
You
can choose to play around with elements of the game
before you accept the challenges of the objectives.
A tutorial and manual will help you get started, and
while things may seem a little too easy at first,
that will all change later in the game. There are
things you'll have to learn for yourself, but that's
all part of the challenge. You'll do better next time.
Don't look for any walkthroughs unless you're really
stuck because once you learn everything, it's impossible
to fail at this game unless you're taking some pretty
extreme chances.
Money
and time are limited. You only have one week with
a group of people before a new group moves in. There
are lots of things to do including looking after employees,
adjusting the rates on the rooms and merchandise and
keeping an eye out for maintenance and emergency situations
which do arise on occasion. There are some 25 animals
that you can stock in your park including sheep, bears,
deer and bobcat. Once again you must attain balance.
You can't let certain animals get hunted into extinction.
It cost a fortune to replace them. Instead, limit
the season or increase the money for the tag. Let
the animals restock themselves the natural way.
The
customer is always right, at least that's what you
make them think. I like the realistic situations which
take place when things don't always please your guests.
It's a fascinating program to watch as it unfolds
because of your interference - or in spite of it.
Even though you would think that all outdoor enthusiasts
are cut from the same mold, there are pronounced differences
among the various groups. Big game hunters have more
dough to spend than the average family of anglers,
but they are higher maintenance. Of course everyone
loves to eat, shop and have a little something to
drink at the end of an adventurous day. The customers
you cater to will dictate the structures that you
favor to build.
Like
most Tycoon games, the graphics won't knock you out.
They are functional at best. Some things may seem
a little blurry but they will clear up nicely when
you zoom in on them. One thing that bugs me is that
it's all played in real time. You can't pause the
game to look for things or take care of business.
You'll be all over the map trying to keep track of
things. Even though the interface is good, it could
have been a lot more useful showing
you where things are. If this were real life you would
have employees using two-way communication for emergencies.
They would be able to tell you where the problem is
without you having to search all over Hell's half
acre.
You
don't have to be a hunter or an angler to appreciate
Outdoor Life. You don't even have to like the great
outdoors. If you're looking for a challenge that doesn't
involve elves, aliens or Nazis, your hunt is over.
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