Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter

Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter is a first-person shooter video game and the fifth installment in the Carnivores series. The game was initially developed by Tatem Games and released for iOS in 2010, as an updated port of the original 1998 Carnivores game. Later that year, Tatem Games' version was ported by Beatshapers to the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and PlayStation Portable (PSP), as a PlayStation Minis. Tatem Games later ported its iOS version to Android in 2012. In 2017, a version for Microsoft Windows was announced for Steam.

Not to be confused with the 2013 video game Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter HD.
Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter
Developer(s)Tatem Games (iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows)
Beatshapers (PSP, PS3)
SeriesCarnivores series
Platform(s)iOS
Android
Microsoft Windows
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation 3
ReleaseiOS:
June 12, 2010
PS3, PSP:
EU: August 11, 2010
NA: August 17, 2010
Android:
June 2012
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter is an updated port of the original Carnivores (1998),[1][2] and follows the same format as the original games in the series: the player chooses a location to hunt in, one or more animals to hunt, and one or more weapons to hunt with; time of day can also be changed and one or more accessories can be used to aid in the hunt. The game includes a mixed roster of dinosaurs. Several additional creatures appear in the game to fill out the maps. While these animals can be killed (with the exception of the Brachiosaurus), they do not award the player any points for doing so.

Players start out hunting herbivorous dinosaurs, which flee upon spotting the player. Carnivorous dinosaurs such as Allosaurus and Velociraptor immediately attack the player. The game's Tyrannosaurus rex requires a direct hit to the eye area from the player's weapon before it can be killed. The game includes a Survival mode, in which the player is given a shotgun and unlimited ammunition to perfect aiming and to kill any dinosaurs encountered,[1][2] while Hunt mode has the player select a specific dinosaur to hunt.[1] The game includes five environments and 15 dinosaurs to hunt. Each dinosaur species has varying levels of sight, smell, and hearing to detect when the player is nearby. The player's weapons include a pistol, a shotgun, a sniper, and a crossbow. The player can also use radar and a dinosaur call during hunts. Unlike the original Carnivores, the iOS port includes a leader board and support for social networking.[1]

In the PlayStation Portable/PlayStation 3 version, the player can only choose to hunt one dinosaur at a time in each environment, while other dinosaurs appear for atmospheric purposes.[3]

Development and release

Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter was initially developed by Tatem Games for iOS,[4][5] as a port of the original Carnivores game.[1][2] The game was released for iOS on June 12, 2010.[5] Beatshapers created a version of the game for PlayStation Minis, the name used for PlayStation Portable games that are downloadable through the PlayStation Store. Beatshapers' version is a port of Tatem Games' iOS version, and is compatible with the PlayStation 3.[3]

Beatshapers founder and chief executive officer Alexey Menshikov – an audio designer and sound programmer for the original Carnivores – stated that porting the game from iOS to PlayStation Portable was "pretty easy" overall, despite some issues: "The hardest issue was how to fit all of the data, including huge terrains, foliage, and dinosaurs with animations into the PSP's memory size." This issue delayed development for a month and a half while the team overcame the obstacle. Because of the PSP's memory limitations, the player is only able to select one dinosaur to hunt in each environment. Beatshapers increased the rate of speed at which the player can swim through water, as Menshikov stated, "we found it too boring when a player slowly swims during his exploration." Development of the Beatshapers version lasted four and a half months.[3]

In Europe, Beatshapers' version was released on August 11, 2010, via the PlayStation Store,[6][4][7] marking the first time a Carnivores game was released for a Sony PlayStation console. Previous plans to release a Carnivores game for the PlayStation 2 in 2000 were shelved because of difficulty in getting approval from Sony.[3] In North America, the PlayStation Minis version was released through the PlayStation Store on August 17, 2010.[4] At the time of the PlayStation Minis release, Tatem Games was working on a high-resolution version of the game for iPad, while Menshikov stated that Beatshapers was considering releasing the game for Nintendo 3DS and Android. The possibility of a WiiWare release had also been discussed between Beatshapers and Nintendo, but it was not expected to occur in the near future.[3]

Tatem Games ported its iOS version to Android and released it in the United States and Europe in June 2012.[8][9] The Android release included a basic version that was free to download, as well as bundles that could be purchased to add new dinosaurs, locations, and weapons.[9]

In January 2017, a Microsoft Windows version of the game by Tatem Games was posted to Steam Greenlight.[10] Mod support through Steam Workshop was confirmed to be part of the Windows version.[11]

Reception
iOS reviews
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic79/100[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
App Spy4/5[12]
The A.V. ClubB[13]
Macworld3/5[1]
Pocket Gamer8/10[2]

According to Metacritic, the iOS version of Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter received "Generally favorable reviews."[5] Within two years of its launch, the iOS version had been downloaded six million times.[8] Within eight days of its release, the Android version had 80,000 downloads via Google Play.[9]

Slide to Play reviewed the iOS version and was critical of the difficulty and the "blocky" environments.[14] Andrew Nesvadba of App Spy noted that the iOS version could have a limited audience appeal because of its realism, although he praised the controls and stated that for hunting fans, the game was an "amazingly detailed title that's a true must-have, but casual gamers should take more care in considering this title."[12] The A.V. Club, reviewing the iPhone version, noted that the game "lets you safely carry out" the fantasy of hunting dinosaurs in the modern era.[13]

Folahan Olowoyeye, writing for Macworld, criticized the iPhone version for its "ludicrous" story and its "tedious" Hunt mode, and stated that the graphics and renderings "fail to make use of the capabilities" of the iPhone. Olowoyeye also believed that the game should have included more new features that were not in the original 1998 game, but stated that the game had "some moments of anachronistic fun."[1]

Damien McFerran of Pocket Gamer stated that the iPhone version "plays like a dream, with responsive controls, smooth visuals, and an immersive hunting experience." However, he noted that impatient players might be disappointed with the game, and complained of little replay value upon the game's completion. McFerran called the game "Methodical and hugely satisfying" and one of the most "intriguing" action games available for the iPhone, stating that "the only real complaint is a lack of variety."[2]

Sammy Barker of Push Square reviewed the PlayStation Minis version and rated it 5 out of 10 stars, criticizing it for tedious gameplay but concluding that fans of "slower paced shooters may get some enjoyment" out of the game.[7]

Sequels

Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter HD, a sequel in the Carnivores series and a modern remake of the original Carnivores (1998), was released in 2013.[15][16]

Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Reborn, a sequel to Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter, was released on May 27, 2015.[17][18][19] The game was developed and published by Digital Dreams Entertainment, and was released for personal computers via Steam.[17][18] The company had initially tried launching the game with a 2014 Kickstarter campaign, but was unsuccessful.[17] Key members of the development team for the original Carnivores game reunited to create Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Reborn.[20]

References
  1. Olowoyeye, Folahan (2010-06-26). "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter for iPhone". Macworld. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  2. McFerran, Damien (2010-06-24). "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter (iPhone)". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  3. Jordan, Jon (2010-08-02). "Beatshapers on the challenge of bringing Carnivores to PSP Minis, and the possibility of a 3DS version; Tracking down Sony for a decade". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2019-06-23.
  4. "Beatshapers Announces Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Now Available in Europe". IGN. 2010-08-11. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  5. "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter (IOS)". Metacritic. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  6. Yoon, Andrew (2010-07-24). "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter clawing its way to PSP/PS3 Minis in August". Engadget. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  7. Barker, Sammy (2010-08-20). "Review: Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter (PlayStation Minis)". Push Square. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  8. "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Now on Android: iOS Version Turns Two Years, Android Version Launched". Marketwired. 2012-06-13. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  9. Diener, Matthew (2012-06-19). "Android gets a Jurassic shooter with the release of Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  10. "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter". steamcommunity.com. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  11. "Carnivores Workshop". steamcommunity.com. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  12. Nesvadba, Andrew (2010-06-16). "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Pro Review". App Spy. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  13. "Reviews". The A.V. Club. 2010-06-28. Archived from the original on 2010-07-07.
  14. "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Review". Slide to Play. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  15. "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter HD announced for PlayStation 3". Carnivores HD website. 2013-09-03. Archived from the original on 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2019-06-23.
  16. Kuryavchenko, Artem (2013-12-18). "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter HD arrives on PS3 today". PlayStation Blog. Europe. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  17. O'Connor, Alice (2015-05-28). "Roar! Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Reborn Stomps Out". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  18. "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Reborn". Steam. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  19. "Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter Reborn - Overview". carnivoresreborn.com. Retrieved 2016-12-26.
  20. Abadsidis, Savas (2014-09-30). "Carnivore!". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
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