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| Reviewer | Platform | Publisher | Developer | Players | Screenshots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Bailey | PC | Xplosiv | Super X Studios | 1 | Here |
| Requirements | Buy from Amazon.co.uk | ||||
| 1GHz Processor, 256MB RAM, Windows 98/2000/ME/XP/Vista, 32MB Video Card, 1GB HDD Space, DirectX 9.0c | Click here to buy Wild Earth: Africa. | ||||
It's easy to dismiss Wild Earth: Africa. A safari game developed in conjunction with Discovery and the BBC's Animal Planet television network and ultimately aimed at children. This isn't the sort of genre we're used to covering, and, indeed, is not likely to be the sort of game that many of our readers would be familiar with. However, if you actually give Wild Earth a try, what you'll find is actually a rather good game that manages to both educate and entertain.
In Wild Earth you play the part of a photojournalist so, as you might have guessed, the game revolves around taking photos of African wildlife. There's no deep storyline here, no heavy action sequences, no weapons, no attempt to take over the world using lions, etc. It's a straight-up adventure involving you, the wildlife, and a camera. Well, and voice-overs from your resident expert, and your seemingly clueless editor. They're here both to explain the animals and their habitat (and thus provide the game's education element), as well as guiding you on your tasks. For each assignment the game sets you a minimum number of photographs that need to be taken, and while you can take photos of anything, it's only the specifically requested animals and certain actions of theirs which will count. One main objective in each section of an assignment drives forward your progress, while there are plenty more things to snap while moving between these.
Movement is done through the simple use of WASD in combination with the mouse, where left-click will take a snap. Scrolling with a mouse wheel allows you to take advantage of the zoom; particularly important as you need to not get too close to the wildlife. Upset the habitat of certain creatures and a bar displaying your interference with the locals goes red. Continue to do this and your assignment is over. This presents pretty much the only element that makes it feel like more of a game, although the actual taking of photographs at the right time does present a challenge in itself. Its inclusion works beyond a game feature, however, and is useful in educating players to respect the animals in their natural surroundings; a particularly important point when taking on the job represented in the game.
The game's publishing history began with the now-defunct UK publisher Digital Jesters, and issues with that company have eventually led to a publishing deal with Xplosiv at a date later than planned. The delay has had a knock-on effect on the game's graphics. While they were originally somewhat impressive (although not mind-blowing), they now seem a bit below-par for this generation. The animal models do make them seem a bit robotic, although texture detail is impressive, and ultimately they manage to convey the African landscape reasonably well. The animals are fairly well-animated (although they do occasionally glitch through objects), and add character to the landscape. This, in combination with the swaying of the trees, and flapping of birds above, help to give life to this artificial world, even if the water effects (which are commonplace) are unfortunately somewhat lacking.
At the end of the day, however, it is an educational title, and a somewhat enjoyable one at that. While it lacks the excitement to tear me away from Halo 3, when playing I didn't feel I wanted it to be over as soon as it began. It can get a bit tedious when played non-stop, but played in bursts you find yourself drawn in, wanting to know more, and hoping to get the perfect pictures. When the end result is an informative web article that displays in your browser and is filled with your pictures upon completing an assignment (see the screenshots for an example), it feels all the more satisfying.
| Graphics | The textures are detailed, but the models look a little robotic, and the overall look has dated quite a bit since the game was announced. | 6/10 |
|---|---|---|
| Gameplay | While lacking excitement, it does offer an interesting and enjoyable experience. | 7/10 |
| Value | It retails for just under £20, making it a good educational package, with the added bonus of entertainment. | 8/10 |
| Lifespan | There are a good number of assignments to go on, but they don't take too long to complete, with most of the time taken up by the game's slower pace. There's also the issue that there isn't much to go back to, unless you miss a lot of photos first time around. | 6/10 |
| Audio | There is no in-game music to add to the realism, and instead you are treated to well-sampled sounds of the creatures you are investigating. | 7/10 |
| Overall | Wild Earth: Africa, with it's slow pace, and clear aim towards children, is an easy title to dismiss, but in doing so, the younger generation miss out on the chance to learn about the creatures of that continent in an enjoyable and informative manner. While adults may still not latch on, it's a game that serves its target audience well. | 7/10 |
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