theHunter: Call of the Wild is a PC and console game that lets you experience the thrill of hunting in a manner as realistic as possible. Currently it contains 2 possible hunting grounds, Layton Lake District, a map modeled on the North American Pacific Northwest, and the Hirschfelden Hunting Reserve, an area recreated based on German farmlands. And now Medved-Taiga National Park, based on Siberian taiga. Contrary to its Predecessor, the famous theHunter Classic, CotW is a one-time purchase which may be extended by future DLCs.

Multiplayer

In the current version of the game, there are 14 (18 with the Medved-Taiga National Park) animals available to hunt, including different kind of deer such as Whitetail Deer, Roosevelt Elk and Fallow Deer but also predators such as the Black Bear or the Coyote. A wide variety of weapons can be used for the hunt including different caliber rifles, shotguns, pistols and bows. Thereby, the hunter has to choose his/her weapon carefully according to the hunted animal to get the highest score! But shooting is not the only possibility: The willed hunter can also take pictures of the majestic creatures using the provided camera.

Each of the available areas to hunt has their own individual regions, distinct landmarks, and points of interest. These vast ranges of land can be explored and hunted equally, either by yourself or as part of a team with up to 8 player multiplayer. In a multiplayer session session-wide competitions can be started to further increase the thrill of hunt.

The game is focused around tracking, stalking, and harvesting animals with the weapons the player starts off with or has earned. The multiplayer mode adds a social aspect to the game by adding a in-game chat to communicate and coordinate with other hunters. Animals can be tracked using the GPS device in game, which also displays current missions and time. Animals can be tracked by footprints, droppings, vocal calls, and eating or other “need zones” such as drinking and bedding areas. Night hunting is also available in game and is sometimes essential to hunting some species effective

Players can use natural vegetation as visual cover when stalking an animal, but be warned, moving through the brush also produces more noise than if the player were to walk through the grass in open areas. Also, hunters must be aware of the wind direction and speed. Many of the species have a keen sense of smell. This may make getting close to these animals quite difficult even to an experienced hunter. Players can get around this by purchasing Scent Eliminator.