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Tatiana Moses 's review of Cabela's Big Hunter Game 2012
Date last edited: 12-07-2024 at 03:47PM
Rating: Teen
Review: Title: Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2012 Developer: Sand Grain Studios/Fun Labs/Magic Wand Productions Genre: Hunting/Sports/First Person Shooter ESRB Rating: Teen My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Primary Audience: Teen and above Year of Release: 2012 Platform: Wii, Playstation, and Xbox
Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2012 - Gameplay Trailer (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2012’s main premise as a video game is hunting wildlife. Before the game starts, the user watches an introduction that animates the danger of hunting. There is a man who tries to shoot an animal, but the animal fights back, and then the screen turns into the first level. Big Game Hunter has very realistic graphics that sets the tone of natural, peaceful mountain regions. The game has the user keeping themselves on high alert for possible wildlife. The user can practice shooting so that they can move up on levels. Big Game Hunter checks all the boxes for putting the user into the quiet and swift life of a hunter.
The Seven Media Keys
First Media Key: Balance In order to understand the first media key, Infinite Bandwidth says that we must “pray for the cardinal virtue of temperance” (Gan, pg. 31). It is not healthy to take in all media in one take. Media should not be our world, God should be our world. Prayer is superior to the media that people consume. Dr. Gan cites the Catechism of the Catholic Church for the definition of temperance. “Temperance … moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods” (CCC 1809). The virtue is there so that we can stabilize ourselves in a world of addictive overconsumption.
This game is balanced with a lot to explore under the hunting concept. There is not just an overload on hunting itself, but explains the history via short animated stories in the beginning screen. This is pretty smart of the creators because usually the loading screen is black. There is something to enjoy and think about while waiting. Also, before the hunting portion, the user can do some target practice. The user gets to explore the different features of Big Game Hunter. The game lets users purchase and a variety of hunting rifles, which they can personally customize as well. When a user starts hunting, there is a vast wildlife, so they are not just shooting one animal. Also, during the hunt, different levels provide different Montana backgrounds. Since Montana in real life has a lot to explore, the creators did not hesitate to add it to their game.
Second Media Key: Attitude Awareness Infinite Bandwidth says that prudence is what users and media creators must pray for. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “[p]rudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance…” (CCC 1806). In order to practice this second media key, we must have good judgment of what the creators’ thoughts are. Also, this goes vice versa too, because the media creators need to discern what should be put out there. They should not mislead their users, but make it clear what their attitude behind their creations are.
The developers’ goals are clear and inherently good: hunting is a sport enjoyed by many. The retailer Cabela’s is who the game is named after. This store produces items and clothing for outdoor activities. Big Game Hunter does not have a deep and meaningful concept. It is really just about hunting and inviting users that enjoy the sport to partake. The developers succeed at the second media key because Big Game Hunter has a clear, concise goal, and that goal is not inherently evil. The point of the attitude awareness is to be cognizant. It is pretty obvious the intention behind Big Game Hunter. The developers wanted to create a game, for people that enjoy hunting and the outdoors, while also sponsoring Cabela’s in the process.
Third Media Key: Dignity of the Human Person In order to practice the third media key, Infinite Bandwidth tells audiences to “pray for the cardinal virtue of justice” (Gan, pg. 62). Everyone deserves respect and justice, but it seems that the secular media seems to forget that. They disrespect the dignity of the human person by violence, sex, or what people put their value in, such as money. What the media puts out is not what God desires us to be. We should rise above our earthly desires and lust. Dr. Gan writes an excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good” (CCC 1807). Justice unites people and helps them see others more than what they have.
Big Game Hunter’s entertainment software rating is teen. This means there is a little blood and violence, mostly in the introduction story. Also, this is mainly because there is blood and violence toward the animal. However, it does not go overboard, and shows violence for education. When a person shoots an animal, it is obviously going to be blood. The game does not show it for shock value or glorifying shooting. This kind of shooting is not seen as a moral wrong. The game shows violence because hunting is violent. Obviously, it is violent for the animal who gets killed but this media key is about the person. In terms of showing the dignity of the human person, Big Game Hunter does not disrespect that. It is not disrespectful because the characters can get injured but that can realistically happen. An animal can attack the hunter in real life. This has nothing to do with the dignity of the human person. It is just showing a natural attack of an animal.
Fourth Media Key: Truth-filled In Infinite Bandwidth, Dr. Gan tells audiences to pray for fortitude. Media is a very addictive thing that rewires a person’s brain in a harmful way. Instead of what it is made for, the media can alter the truth. People believe in what they see could possibly be true. Especially, if the creators are trying to push out a message, it can be very easy to believe it. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states fortitude “strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life” (CCC 79). It is easier to avoid false truths with fortitude in one’s heart. Also, the obstacles can be put by secular media, which is something users need to be aware of.
Big Game Hunter does a stellar job on showing the fourth media key. It does not lead users astray but shows them what is hunting. Everything in the game matches real life. Montana is a very popular spot for hunting, being vast and rural. A hunter usually starts with target practice, including moving targets, before going out to shoot real animals. The hunting rifles used in the game are accurate in real life. It is also true in that the animals show a variety of reactions. A bear or mountain lion , that also shows the truth. A deer is most likely to run away from one shot. Whereas a bear might attack the hunter as soon as they hear a loud pop. If a user goes out to hunt, it will be the same thing as the game. The realistic graphics add to the truth of Big Game Hunter. The animation and style bring the outdoor adventure aesthetic to life.
Fifth Media Key: Inspiring In order to practice the fifth media key, Dr. Gan says that we should “pray for the theological virtue of hope” (Gan, pg. 95). Everyone should hope that their creations engage others. Inspiration is what brings users to the creation. If there is nothing to inspire, users will not engage with it as much. Dr. Gan writes what John Paul II says about good inspiration: “Communication in any form must always be inspired by the ethical criterion of respect for the truth and for the dignity of the human person” (MF 2). God’s plan for the media was to inspire and draw us to the good, hopefully diminishing sinful actions.
The user is inspired to enjoy the outdoors after playing Big Game Hunter. This is not just a game to rot your brain too. However, you need to be up and alert for possible animals. Big Game Hunter stretches the brain because the user must be very skilled. This hunting game requires learning in order to advance through levels. It is not a game to just waste time. The user’s brain is at work whether they are doing target practice or out on hunting ground. The user needs sharp eyes, as in real life, for possible animals. The game requires a high reaction rate in order to do well. This video game is educational because it teaches necessary hunting skills. After the game, the user might visit Cabela’s to purchase something. So, that is a great marketing strategy and it works. Big Game Hunter can be so engaging due to the realism, that the user will want to actually hunt. The game is very appealing to the target audience which is good.
Sixth Media Key: Skillfully Developed Infinite Bandwidth states that users should “pray for the theological virtue of faith” (Gan, pg. 110). The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that God is put first so we can learn how to put others before us. “Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself” (CCC 1814). Since everything starts with God, everything must come back to God and pleasing Him and others. When good media is made, it pleases God because it is inherently good to show audiences. Media creators need the faith from God so that they can hold it in their hearts. They want to believe that their messages will have a positive engagement.
For 2012, there should be props given to Big Game Hunter. The animation style is so advanced for the early 2000s. The game’s style is something to be remembered. The animals, humans, and setting looked so similar to their real life counterparts. The sound quality of characters talking or music is not something to be upset at. For 2012, this game notably succeeds in its style. It draws users into a realistic hunting atmosphere. The skill is what attracts and engages users. Someone can play this game and think that time was dedicated to this. It is also neat that when playing on the Wii, the user can put their Wii remote in a toy rifle, which adds to the realism. I have never seen another game do that, without the arcade exceptions. For 2012, again, that was so advanced, and it was so well thought out. Big Game Hunter definitely succeeded in this media key by showing how futuristic and advanced their skills were.
Seventh Media Key: Motivated or Relevant to Experience In order to practice the seventh media key, we should “pray for the theological virtue of charity” (Gan, pg. 128). Charity is loving God first and sharing His love with others. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, says that when we have charity it elevates our human love to God’s love. Media creators should be charitable to their users so they have the ability to relate. When one does not love, one has difficulty relating or motivating others to the good. There should be love and passion put into a project, so it is engaging and inspires audiences. Dr. Gan writes a quote from John Paul II: “The Incarnate Word has left us an example of how to communicate with the Father and with humanity, whether in moments of silence and recollection, or in preaching in every place and in every way” (RD 5). Jesus is a perfect example of how to relate to audiences, and media creators would benefit off of knowing that. We should follow the divine examples so that we can show divine love to others.
Hunting is a very beloved sport and the developers knew that. Big Game Hunter is such an impactful game because it shows what many enjoy. The developers created a game that was relevant to this age, even if it is not all technological. In hunting, a person does not use a phone, obviously. They center themselves in nature, instead. So, from a marketing standpoint, what the developers did was genius. They took a enjoyed sport and transformed that to a screen. They did not just capture the relevance aspect, but they took a step further. The developers created beautiful and realistic animation, capturing a hunter's passion. When a user that hunts in real life plays this game, they will be content. The fact they are content is because Big Game Hunter does justice to the real sport. They make the sport feel so real on screen. So, people that enjoy hunting can enjoy this game. It is important to get the real life sport correct on the screen.
Conclusion Big Game Hunter succeeds at the media keys. It stays realistic to the real life sport, so real life hunters can enjoy this on screen. It does not deviate from showing the truth of hunting, whether good or bad. Big Game Hunter can be played for more than just pure entertainment. There is an educational factor from this. The user is kept on their toes not laying down on the couch. Big Game Hunter does a wonderful job opening the doors to the outside world. Users can engage in this game, and then engage in real life. Like Infinite Bandwidth kept stating, media is meant to connect each other not isolate. Big Game Hunter users can connect with the outside world and develop a love for this sport. This video game can connect many people. That is its inherent purpose as a form of media.