Way of the Hunter
- April 19, 2022
- Nine Rocks Games
- 19h median play time
Way of the Hunter may not have broad appeal, but it succeeds in creating an immersive, realistic experience so that criticism seems misplaced.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store
Get on Epic Games Store"Way of the Hunter" is a realistic hunting simulation game set in open world environments. Players can hunt a variety of animals using authentic weapons and equipment, while considering factors like wind direction and animal behavior. The game also features a career mode, where players can manage their hunting business and reputation. Success depends on the player's hunting skills, knowledge of the animals, and ability to make ethical hunting decisions.
iPad
iPhone
PC
Phone
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox Series X|S
Android
Cloud
Mobile Platform
NVIDIA GeForce NOW
PlayStation
Tablet
Xbox
Reviews
- Stunning graphics and immersive environments that enhance the hunting experience.
- Realistic animal behavior and tracking mechanics that require patience and strategy.
- Engaging herd management system that rewards ethical hunting practices.
- Frequent bugs and performance issues, especially in multiplayer mode.
- Limited weapon variety and customization options compared to competitors.
- Tracking can be frustrating, with blood trails disappearing and animals spooking easily.
- graphics1,055 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Way of the Hunter" receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals, realistic animal models, and immersive environments. However, several players report issues such as blurriness, poor optimization, and graphical glitches that detract from the experience. Overall, while the game showcases impressive graphical fidelity, it also suffers from inconsistencies that can impact gameplay enjoyment.
“By far the best hunting game out there, aside from the excellent graphics, it has a lot of variety, a lot of landscapes and animals to hunt.”
“The graphics are absolutely beautiful.”
“The graphics are stunning and the world I am in is so beautiful.”
“The graphics are too blurry and the colors are too saturated.”
“Extremely bad graphics.”
“The graphics are blurry, performance is bad and I also encountered several really annoying bugs in a short time (fell through the map 3 times, once my car vanished while driving..., stutter for several seconds without any high load on CPU or GPU).”
- story926 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in "Way of the Hunter" has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-presented, while others criticize it for being cheesy and poorly executed. Many appreciate the ethical hunting themes and the variety of missions, but note that the dialogue and voice acting can be subpar, detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, players have reported numerous bugs affecting story progression, leading to frustration despite the game's potential for immersive gameplay.
“The story is engaging.”
“This game has a beautiful story.”
“The storyline is well built and engaging.”
“The 'story' has some of the worst dialogue and voice-acting I've ever seen in a game.”
“The story/missions are trash in terms of characters, objectives, and actual storyline.”
“The storyline is absolutely, embarrassingly stupid!”
- gameplay668 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Way of the Hunter" is characterized by its emphasis on realism, featuring detailed mechanics for tracking, shooting, and animal behavior, which many players find immersive and rewarding. However, the game suffers from various bugs, graphical issues, and a lack of polish, leading to frustrations with tracking and animal detection. While some players appreciate the slower, more strategic approach to hunting, others feel it can become tedious and less engaging compared to alternatives like "The Hunter: Call of the Wild."
“Very fun, in-depth mechanics, terminal ballistics of such detail that shooting animals becomes a science.”
“Immersive graphics, realistic gameplay, and diverse challenges make it a must-play for hunting enthusiasts.”
“The gameplay is very well balanced and very engaging.”
“The game needs a lot of polish when it comes to gameplay, including improving tracking animals, how fast the animals grow and how long they stay alive for.”
“Extremely bad graphics even on ultra and really poor gameplay.”
“There are deep and infuriating flaws and bugs with essential hunting game mechanics including vanishing blood trails, vanishing animals, insane spooking sensitivity even on low difficulty, implausible damage responses (especially boar), vanishing equipment, no rustling when the player brushes vegetation, stuttering and performance issues, occasional crashes, etc.”
- optimization275 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting frequent performance issues, including stuttering, frame rate drops, and various bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some users have noted that the game can run well on high-end rigs, the inconsistent performance and demanding graphics requirements suggest that it is poorly optimized, particularly for AMD GPU users. Overall, players express hope for future updates to address these optimization concerns, but many recommend approaching the game with tempered expectations regarding performance.
“Despite all of this, performance is also pretty great but does have some drops at times; with how huge these maps are, I guess this can be forgiven.”
“The graphics are amazing and relatively well optimized for what you get.”
“The game is well optimized; with a mid-high spec PC from 4 years ago, I can play on 1440p maxed settings while still maintaining ~50-60 fps. The graphics are also impressive with huge draw distances.”
“Every time I've attempted to hunt, I am met with bugs and performance issues.”
“The devs unfortunately haven't been able to configure the game in a way that when there is a lot of data and memory floating around, the game doesn't get stuttering, and it impacts the experience massively.”
“Performance is very poor and desperately needs optimization.”
- stability274 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer mode, which can hinder gameplay. While some users have experienced smooth performance and minimal issues, others have encountered frequent crashes, freezing, and graphical problems. Overall, the game appears to need further optimization and bug fixes to enhance the player experience.
“This game is remarkably stable, fun, and relatively bug free for a day one release, and has no smaller a selection of guns than cotw did when it first released.”
“32 hours of play time and no glitches seen so far.”
“Game plays great, runs great, and has a lovely map.”
“I'm done... it's no joy playing this game and I honestly don't know how the devs can sell a product that has such a buggy and unpolished quest that is one of the starting quests.”
“Currently, this game is a buggy disaster.”
“Many bugs and glitches that make it hard to play and unsatisfying.”
- grinding92 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 72 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game has a mixed approach to grinding; while some players find it excessively grindy and tedious, particularly in terms of unlocking new locations and tracking animals, others appreciate that it is less grindy than similar titles like "Call of the Wild." Many players suggest that the grinding can be mitigated by adjusting difficulty settings or through engaging gameplay mechanics, making it more enjoyable for those who prefer a challenge without excessive farming. Overall, opinions vary widely, with some players feeling the grind is necessary for progression, while others find it detracts from the experience.
“Amazing game highly recommendable and did I mention it is not grindy at all?!!”
“Depends on how much you like grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“This game is way too grindy.”
“Cons: a good bit of grinding but necessary to open the map.”
“No option to rebind keys, very grindy to unlock new hunting locations and very little explanations on how things work.”
- atmosphere67 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its relaxing and immersive qualities, featuring stunning graphics, diverse landscapes, and realistic animal behavior. Players appreciate the dynamic weather and atmospheric sounds that enhance the feeling of being in nature, making it a captivating experience. Overall, the game's environment is described as beautiful and tranquil, contributing significantly to its appeal as a hunting simulation.
“Its realistic graphics showcase diverse landscapes and dynamic weather, creating a captivating atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere alone is enough to get lost in; the realistic audio that isn't super repetitive and annoyingly loud, combined with amazing lighting, creates a mesmerizing experience.”
“Running water, streams and waterfalls, creaking trees, etc. create an atmosphere that is pleasant.”
“It is more realistic than COTW, but the atmosphere and graphics style in COTW just feels better for some reason.”
“The accurate sounds from the animals and the eerie atmosphere in forests and such.”
“Its maps are filled with enchanting scenery, and pumped full of serene atmosphere.”
- humor44 mentions
- 91 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its numerous bugs and glitches, which players find amusing rather than detrimental to their experience. Many reviewers highlight the hilarity of vehicle physics, character animations, and animal behavior, often turning frustrating moments into comedic ones. However, the overwhelming presence of these issues has led some to question the game's overall quality and recommend waiting for improvements before purchasing.
“Great game, have been playing multiplayer with a friend and the bugs that do happen just make it funny; could be better but honestly it works for what it is (if you get it on sale).”
“Tracking is hilarious; you can chase them around in a car and be 1000% more effective than trying to sneak up on animals.”
“I find it funny that going to work every day I see more wildlife in real life than in a hunting game, and I live in an urban area lol.”
“Please get it right, this is not funny anymore.”
“- There is so much fine-tuning that needs to be done to this game it's not funny. (Really should have an early access warning. I don't know if they consider it to be or not, but it is at least as bad.)”
- monetization34 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the absence of microtransactions, while others criticize the developers for releasing numerous DLCs that feel more like cash grabs than meaningful content. Concerns have been raised about the potential for future monetization to devolve into exploitative practices, particularly regarding the inclusion of gun packs that should be part of a season pass. Overall, while the base game is considered worth purchasing, the current DLC approach is viewed as needing significant improvement.
“Pay close attention to the monetization plans of this game.”
“- no microtransactions(!)”
“The developers need to choose a monetization strategy.”
“I would still say the base game is worth the buy, but the developers seem to be farming dollars with meaningless DLCs that are more product advertisements for their sponsors than any sort of improvement to the game.”
“The gun pack is a bit of a cash grab and feels a bit dirty considering it should be part of the season pass system if they are going to continue that monetization system.”
“It could quickly spiral into repeated cash grabs via DLC abuse.”
- music34 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the atmospheric soundtrack and the quality of the electric guitar parts, which enhance the overall experience. While some players enjoy the fun music selection in vehicles and the engaging menu music, others find the in-game audio tracking confusing and the radio functionality lacking. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's environment and gameplay.
“The menu music alone is a good enough reason to purchase this game; seriously, whoever recorded the electric guitar parts did an amazing job.”
“A great environment, lovely soundtrack, and atmospheric noise along with enjoyable gameplay.”
“As soon as you enter Way of the Hunter, you're greeted with classic western rock music and are given a free vehicle and hunting lodge that actually exists in each map where you can display all of your trophies hunted there.”
“Turned off the overly loud music.”
“You might as well be playing music on your phone through a Bluetooth speaker, as loud as it can get, or bombing through the trees at high speed in a 1995 Chevy Silverado with a loud exhaust.”
“Oh, and the radio in the car doesn't work, and apparently it's frowned upon to ask for it to work and play the game's soundtrack, which is being listened to in the beginning on the radio.”
- emotional24 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching narrative and realistic animal interactions, which enhance immersion and engagement. However, some players find character conversations lack authenticity, detracting from the emotional experience. Overall, while the game has potential for emotional depth, it requires some refinement to fully realize this aspect.
“It's a touching story, without being cheesy or a sobfest, and still focuses on the core gameplay.”
“This question alone makes the hunt much more emotional; you're not just shooting the first or best thing you see because these factors are in play.”
“Animal hit marking is pretty good and doesn't feel 'game-y' at all, being visually and emotionally engaging... it is quite realistic in its portrayal.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Players express mixed feelings about the game's replayability. While the tracking bullet trajectory feature is appreciated, its limited scope detracts from the overall experience, and the lack of co-op multiplayer options is seen as a drawback. However, improvements in multiplayer functionality and the potential for new maps could enhance replayability in the future.
“🔲 infinitely replayable”
“They fixed the issue with claiming animals in multiplayer, so now it is way more playable.”
“This kills the replayability of the game; and I’m not even talking about starting a new game.”
“Multiplayer is broken and doesn't have co-op; you can only hunt with your friends, which is in a significantly more playable state.”
“If they keep the maps coming, I can see the replayability being very high.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The character development in the game has been criticized for its poor design, which stands in stark contrast to the high-quality visuals elsewhere in the game, leading to a disjointed experience for players.
“Character design is pretty trash compared to the visuals you get in this game, kinda weird.”
Critic Reviews
Way of the Hunter review - Rushing the shot
Way of the Hunter gets some things right but falls short in too many places to be considered a trophy game.
60%Way Of The Hunter Review - Accessible Hunting Sim Almost Shoots Itself in the Foot
Technical issues and an overbearingly bland story sour Way of the Hunter’s finer points. Its maps are filled with enchanting scenery, and pumped full of serene atmosphere. The hunting options are surprisingly flexible for newcomers and pros alike. Overall, it’s a decent hunting sim if you can push past its messy start.
65%Way of the Hunter Review (PS5) – The Mild Hunt
Related
60%
