Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter HD
A 2013 remake of the original dinosaur-hunting game.
Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter HD (also called Carnivores HD: Dinosaur Hunter) is a first-person shooter released in 2013. Developed and published by Vogster Entertainment, it is the sixth installment in the Carnivores series, acting as both a sequel and a modern remake of the 1998 original. The game launched on the PlayStation 3 through the PlayStation Network.
The story is not presented in the game itself. According to the PlayStation Network website, players control a wealthy space traveler from the future who hunts dinosaurs for sport on an Earth-like planet. There are three environments—mesas and forests, for example—each with daytime, dusk, and fog options. After a hunt, players earn gems and money based on their performance. Gems buy new weapons, and points unlock new environments. A multi-purpose device called the Gadget provides a map and alerts the player if a dinosaur is watching or if they are making too much noise. It can be upgraded with features like radar using earned gems. The game has no music, only dinosaur roars and the sounds of unseen birds, frogs, and insects.
Dinosaurs include Ankylosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, and Tyrannosaurus rex. Players can evacuate a hunt at any time. When killed by a dinosaur, the screen fades to black instead of showing a death scene. Initially, only herbivorous dinosaurs are available, though a Ceratosaurus may rarely appear on any map and time. Killed dinosaurs are beamed up by the player's spaceship, and trophy versions are displayed in a trophy room. Observer Mode lets players explore an environment and watch dinosaurs without hunting. Players can also tranquilize dinosaurs instead of killing them.
Vogster Entertainment developed and published the game. It is a modern remake of the 1998 original and a sequel in the series. In the US, it was released on the PlayStation Network on September 10, 2013. After that, Vogster used user feedback to make improvements before the European release on December 18, 2013, also via the PlayStation Network.
According to Metacritic, the game received mixed reviews. Critics especially criticized its grinding gameplay. David Meikleham of PlayStation Official Magazine – UK called the premise "pretty out-there" and criticized the high cost of gems and points needed for weapons and levels, but noted that the game had "charming depth" for patie
- Developer
- Vogster Entertainment
- Publisher
- Vogster Entertainment
- Release Date (US)
- September 10, 2013
- Release Date (Europe)
- December 18, 2013
- Platform
- PlayStation 3 (PlayStation Network)
- Genre
- First-person shooter
- Series
- Carnivores
Lore & Background
The game's premise is not told within the game itself; according to the PlayStation Network website, the player takes the role of a wealthy space-traveller in the future who hunts dinosaurs for sport on a distant planet similar to Earth. Gameplay features three environments—mesas and forests—each with daytime, dusk, and fog settings. The player uses a multi-purpose hunting device called Gadget, which includes a map and alerts the player to being watched or making too much noise; it can be upgraded with radar using gems earned from hunts. The game has no music, only dinosaur roars and ambient sounds of birds, frogs, and insects.
Reader's Guide
Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter HD received mixed reviews according to Metacritic, with critics particularly criticizing its grinding gameplay. Reviewers noted the high amount of gems and points needed to purchase weapons and unlock environments. David Meikleham of PlayStation Official Magazine – UK acknowledged the game's 'pretty out-there premise' and wrote that it 'nevertheless has a charming depth if you've got the patience to unearth it.' Kallie Plagge of IGN called the game 'slow, aimless, bland' and criticized the lack of player death scenes and the ability to evacuate a hunt, which removed danger. Lee Cooper of Hardcore Gamer praised the controls but stated the game 'is simply not fun,' though he concluded it was the 'best arcade-style dinosaur hunting game' available for the PS3. The game's significance lies in being a modern remake of the original Carnivores, updating it for the PlayStation 3 while retaining the core hunting mechanics.
Did You Know?
- The game includes an Observer Mode that lets players explore environments and observe dinosaurs without hunting them.
- Killed dinosaurs are beamed up by the player's personal spaceship, and trophy versions are displayed in a trophy room.
- The game does not feature any music, only dinosaur roars and ambient sounds.
- A Ceratosaurus can rarely spawn on every map and time, even when the player starts hunting only herbivores.
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