Carnivores is a classic dinosaur hunting game that has left its mark on a dedicated group of fans. I can still remember the rush of adrenaline from trying to bring down a charging t-rex by shooting it in the eye. I was not an overly experienced hunter and more often than not ended up on the ground under the raging t-rex.  It was fun and my friends and I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of bagging these prehistoric giants.

Carnivores (Original) Overview

Carnivores was developed by Action Forms and published by WizardWorks software. The original game was made for PC and first hit the market in 1998.

Carnivores has many of the qualities that one would expect to find in a well-developed hunting game. Game play uses a first-person shooter perspective on a prehistoric island. The player has access to a map of the island with a position tracker and wind detection on it. The environment includes different types of terrain with some steep unnavigable mountains and rocks. The terrain includes varying degrees of vegetation for a more realistic feel.

The player has several decisions to make before beginning the hunt. This includes choosing one of six maps as well as an intended dinosaur species. Next, one of three weapons can be chosen, including a shotgun, crossbow, or sniper rifle. Finally the game gives you several optional accessories that positively or negatively affect your score.  Camouflage, scent shield, and a radar for on your map affect your score negatively. By using a tranquilizer instead of live ammo the score will be increased.

Most of the game choices are dependent on the “skill level” or points that have been earned.  Points are earned by making successful kills. The amount of points per kill is a predetermined amount based on the difficulty and danger level of hunting a particular type of dinosaur. There is also a percentage of increase or decrease to the score based on the accessories that have been chosen. Once enough points are accumulated the hunter will move from a basic hunter to an expert and then finally they become an advanced hunter. Each consecutive level opens more maps and new kinds of dinosaurs. The sniper rifle is only unlocked after a player reaches the rank of expert hunter.

The player makes his decisions and then moves into the hunt. The length of the hunt is determined by the player and is usually a result of running out of ammo or successfully bagging a dinosaur or being eaten by a dinosaur. Any dinosaur on a map can be shot but there are several gag species that will not give points when killed. Typical hunting procedure involves running, walking, or waiting until a dinosaur is found and then attempting to get a good shot. A spotting scope can be used to see further and find out prey species and size.  Crouching, jumping, and even calling dinosaurs are all built in functions in the game that can be utilized. If the radar is chosen as an accessory the map will show the location of whichever specific dinosaur species is being hunted. This is a very convenient feature that keeps the game moving.

A trophy room has been added to the game for dinosaurs that have been successfully killed. It also includes important hunting statistics such as distance of shot and weight of the dinosaur. If the hunter used the tranquilizer to make a kill the dinosaur will not be added to the trophy room.

Carnivores Dinosaur Hunter Reborn

Carnivores Dinosaur Hunter Reborn is a remake of the original Carnivores and follows a very similar design. It was developed by Tatem Games for PC and released in May of 2015. Game play is similar with many features noticeably reminiscent of the original game, however, the scoring is different and there are quite a few new and exciting features with upgrades.

Much like the Carnivores (Original) game, successfully killing dinosaurs is what progresses the game forward. In Carnivores Dinosaur Hunter Reborn (Reborn) there are two types of rewards, points and diamonds. There are no levels of expertise in Reborn but rather a continual opening of new maps with new dinosaurs based on the players score. The score as well as number of diamonds earned is computed by an ambiguous method of tallying number of shots, distance of shots, size of the dinosaur, and discounts based on using certain accessories. The score essentially relates to the hunter’s skill level and progress in the game, however, there is no clear “end goal” other than to unlock the highest level map.

Diamonds can be used to purchase a hunting license so the hunter can display his successful kills in the trophy room. Hunting licenses start at a low price for easy dinosaurs and increase in price as the species become move difficult and more valuable. A hunting license is not needed to kill any type of dinosaur, however, they have some advantages.  The licenses are species specific and allow the hunter to claim a dinosaur as a trophy. They also give the player the ability distinguish that particular species from other species on the navigation map. This is particularly advantageous because it allows the hunter to discern if a dinosaur is an especially threatening species.

There are 10 different accessories that are purchasable using diamonds. They include the accessories from the original game, as well as new ones, such as a pistol as a second weapon, extra bullets, a dinosaur decoy and others.

The weapon choice is similar to the Original with an open sites rifle, a crossbow, and sniper rifle.  The open sites rifle is given at the beginning and additional weapons must be purchased with diamonds. These weapons, as well as some accessories, can also be upgraded and can unleash better accuracy or more killing power. Each upgrade is costly and uses up diamonds.

Game play is very similar to the Original, with the player making initial decisions on which dinosaurs to buy licenses for, which map to hunt, and which weapon and accessories to take. The hunter then gets dropped on the island and can toggle between their weapon and navigation system. Terrain and vegetation varies by the map but a new feature in Reborn is tracks left by passing dinosaurs. If a dinosaur is hit and wounded it will also leave a blood trail that a hunter can follow. Again, the length of a particular hunt is determined by the hunter and is typically determined by the number of rounds ammunition remaining or the bagging of a dinosaur. A hunt is also terminated if the hunter is killed by an aggressive species of dinosaur.

Graphics, Sounds, and Animation

When playing Reborn after the Original there is a very impressive jump in the quality of the graphics of everything from the terrain and vegetation, to the features of the dinosaurs. The Original has decent terrain features, however the vegetation is a little more of a stretch from reality. The mountains in the distance also fade and appear very incrementally in a rather unrealistic way as shown in Figure 1. When playing Reborn, there is a very different feel. Figure 2 shows how the vegetation is much more realistic with greater variety and the horizon is limited by natural terrain instead of mystically appearing when approached.

Figure 1: Visibility Extent Appears Incrementally

     
Figure 2: Horrizon Limited by Natural Terrain

Sounds also became much more effective in Reborn. In the Original there were ambient noises such as walking noises, crickets, and wind that changed according to the terrain. These were done fairly well in both the Original and Reborn. The Original also had random dinosaur roars that were hard to decipher. They did not appear to have any bearing on how close a dinosaur was or on the species of dinosaurs.  In Reborn there is a direct correlation for individual dinosaur species sounds as well as a relative volume for how far away the dinosaur might be.

The dinosaurs have a much more realistic appearance and movements in Reborn. In the Original the whole body of the dinosaur determined the direction it was looking and posture never really changed. In Reborn the dinosaurs can turn their heads and lay down. Reborn also shows a very realistic movement, down to the breathing of a resting dinosaur. While the Original tried to capture some of these convincing movements, they are a far cry from the smoothness and grace of the newer Reborn.

The cumulative result of the higher quality graphics, sounds, and movements all adds up to a more realistic essence of the hunt and allows the player to become part of the world they are dropped into. Having terrain and vegetation being your limiting sight factor in Reborn dramatically increases the natural feel to looking for and stalking dinosaurs. The sounds and movement play a large part in the player’s feedback and allow for a smoother hunting experience than with the Original.

Game Play Observations

There are quite a few improvements to general game play in Reborn that the Original was a little rough in. This includes realistic animal patterns, engagement, and player options.

In the Original, a dinosaur that is undisturbed has movement that is almost completely unpredictable and at any time they might turn in any direction. This makes two major elements of hunting, stalking and ambushing, hard to accomplish. Also when a dinosaur is wounded, it immediately runs directly away from you in a straight line (unless it eats you) for a certain length of time, regardless of terrain. This quirk can easily be taken advantage of by pursuing the fleeing dinosaur long enough to over-take it. Unfortunately that often leads to ineffective and drawn out chases.

The Reborn version has made dinosaur movement more realistic; an undisturbed dinosaur’s movement reflects patterns that would be similar to a traveling animal. A surprised or wounded dinosaur will sometimes run right by or around the hunter in its attempt to get away, especially if it was not sure of the hunter’s exact location. This movement is much more realistic and gives the player a chance to stalk or ambush the dinosaurs. The realism is also tricky because the meat-eaters will sometimes circle the hunter before attacking, often reversing the ambush.

Hunter walking noise and wind direction seem to influence the dinosaur’s ability to detect the hunter much more in Reborn than in the Original.   The Original claimed to be influenced by these factors, but it was difficult to identify the exact cause of a dinosaur detecting the hunter. An optional feature was added in Reborn that shows the level of detection/awareness a dinosaur has about the hunter’s presence. It has two gauges, one for smelling and one for sight and hearing. This feature gives the player the ability to know and learn the best way to approach a dinosaur without alerting it, a much more effective method than repeatedly guessing as to why the dinosaur ran.

Another interesting aspect is the hunter’s run mode. In the Original the hunter can run indefinitely. Reborn changed this to only allow the hunter to run for a limited time until he becomes tired and starts huffing, puffing and slowing to a walk.

The terrain in Reborn is also slightly more conducive to stalking dinosaurs. There is more boulders and vegetation which aid in stalking a dinosaur after it has been spotted. The game recognizes the lack of a direct line of sight allowing the hunter to quietly move into position. This seems different from the Original, where occasionally a dinosaur runs off while on the other side of a mountain.

Reborn has also expanded the player’s ability to select and upgrade hunting gear. Usually, a new player will have limited diamonds in which to purchase these options and so careful consideration must be made of what is most valuable. As the player, advanced, diamonds become more readily available and thus the hunter’s ability to have top notch equipment. There is a continual improvement of the hunter and a continual introduction of new elements into the game.  This is in stark contrast to the Original, where all of the options are available to a beginning hunter with the exception of the weapon.  The only trade-off is the reduction of the score of a successful hunt. This caused bigger jumps in advancement that are spaced much further apart. The long spaces with no improvements can have a grinding effect on the game.

Summary

Over all the designers of both games did a fabulous job of making a fun hunting game. 2015 Carnivores Dinosaur Hunter Reborn was a little more engaging and fun to play than the original 1998 Carnivores. The ability to stalk your prey and have realistic encounters made Reborn appealing and exciting. Also the ability to evaluate and improve gameplay technique based on feedback made the game feel challenging yet controllable when compared to the Original. The added accessories and upgrades were major improvements that keep the game advancement steady as well as adding to increased engagement in the game.