The experts
keep telling us that we’re all too rushed and stressed, and that we need to
find ways to alleviate this stress and just relax. Well, here’s a cool way to
sit back and chill, by using your mouse to take a photo assignment in Africa.
A computer
game whose sole premise is to roam around and take snaps on assignment may not
sound all that great, but in actuality, Wild Earth is a pretty cool game. The
missions are varied and interesting, and many of them have some photo
requirements that will need some skill and thought for a successful
completion. For instance, it’s often necessary to use stealth to get up close
to animals without annoying them. Many missions require users to apply facts
about the animals’ behavior or habitat to find certain items to photograph.
There are 11
missions in all. There are several parts to each mission, of which most will
have to be completed before success, although not all will have to be. The
point of all these pictures is to include them in an article, which will be
put together at the end of the game. The pictures can be edited before
publishing, and the finished article will feature much of the information
gathered from the two safari leaders. Your name will appear alongside the
author’s.
The missions
mostly center around finding certain animals, but each is presented somewhat
differently. One requires traveling at night to find a pride of lions, one
mission involves riding in a helicopter while taking pictures on the fly, so
to speak, and another requires users to find hyenas during a thunderstorm. In
all these missions, there are many items besides the animals themselves that
will need to be found and photographed, such as termite mounds and dung heaps.
The
interface is simplicity itself, and offers the keyboard for movement, and the
mouse for direction and taking pictures. The camera viewpoint can be zoomed in
and out with the mouse.
The graphics
are very good, and the animals and other objects are animated very well. The
animals are realistic and move fluidly, and the plants, rivers and other items
are animated to move in a realistic manner. The shrubs and trees bend in the
breezes, and the water flows down the hills. The sounds are also nicely done
and the music is fitting for an African theme.
This is a game that is different
from most retail offerings, and one that offers a nice amount of things to
do. However, once played, there’s not a whole lot of incentive to repeat if
you’re an adult. Kids will likely play it again a few times, though. The
educational content is quite high, too, which coupled with the animal theme
and non-violent nature, make this a natural for kids at home or school. Adults
will also appreciate the laid-back atmosphere and high quality of the
missions.
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Gameplay: 7.5
Wild Earth is fun
and interesting with well-designed missions. However, there’s not enough
content or variety available to be considered a top-notch game. While the
assignments are sometimes challenging and mix it up a little, it’s still just
mainly wandering around taking pictures. They’re good pictures, though!
Graphics: 8.0
The look of the
game fits very well into the natural theme of the game. The animals look
realistic, and the backgrounds appear much as you would expect to see on the
plains and rivers of Africa.
Sound: 7.5
The sound effects
and music are integrated nicely into the game, and are never intrusive.
Difficulty: Medium
Fairly easy to
play.
Concept: 8.0
This is a
different type of game from the usual!
Overall: 7.8
While this game
may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it is an excellent choice for families and
for kids, and especially for kids in a school setting. This is the type of
game that kids will learn quite a few factoids from, without realizing it.
