Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011 Review (X360)

Using a normal controller made me a bit more comfortable, but I think the core problem of the game moving too fast and throwing too many enemies at you is still a bit of an issue even with a controller. The controls are a touch slow and unresponsive, which makes targeting fast moving animals difficult. Even more so when they are attacking from all sides and throwing your aim off. You do eventually get used to it, just like you can eventually get used to using the Top Shot Elite, and the game is definitely fun. But dang if it wouldn't have greatly benefited from a little difficulty rebalancing before release.

The story offers great horror elements and nifty gameplay once you get used to the controls and pace and rhythm of everything, but there are other gameplay modes as well. These modes are more typical light gun shooting gallery-style levels, and the Top Shot Elite works fantastically well here. These are on-rails levels where you automatically move and your only responsibility is to just shoot stuff. There is a set of classic levels where you shoot prey animals and can pick up powerups by shooting marked targets, and occasionally you have to shoot predators that charge you. There are also survival levels where you ignore prey animals and only shoot predators. These modes are pretty simple high score chasing affairs, but are absolutely fun and use the light gun well. They really round out the feature set and give you plenty of stuff to do.

Graphically, Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011 is easily the best looking hunting game on Xbox 360. The lighting is very well done, and really adds to the horror elements. The animals look good, with appropriately fuzzy fur, and good animation. The environments are nicely detailed and look great overall.

The sound is also fairly good overall. Sound effects are vitally important in horror games, and Dangerous Hunts 2011 get them just right. Little sounds like branches cracking, birds chirping and taking flight, and predators howling and growling in the distance are well done. The voice acting isn't stellar, but everything else sounds great.

All in all, Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011 is a remarkably good game that will catch gamers expecting just another hunting game by surprise. It isn't just a hunting game. It is a horror game. And it really is genuinely scary. The graphics and sound are much better than we have come to expect from hunting games, and there are plenty of modes to keep you busy. There are some gameplay quirks you have to get used to, but once you figure out the pacing of the story mode you are in for a heck of a good, scary time. You can buy the game by itself for $40, or with the Top Shot Elite light gun for $80. The Top Shot Elite is pretty impressive, and works fairly well in the game, so we recommend you pick up the bundle. We expect it to be used in future hunting games (and maybe other Activision games, who knows?), so it should be something you can get long term use out of. If you like hunting games. If you like horror games. Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011 is worth picking up.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.