African Photo Safari Playstation Game

[Ripley]

I'm not into computer games and I don't play them at all, but I do want this one. I probably won't be able to afford to go back there to photograph the real wildlife, so why not try this out on the computer? The graphics look amazing. Here's the (long) spool. It's not released here yet.

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You may believe this is some kind of namby-pamby plush job, and one that wouldn’t be entertaining for the player sitting at home on his couch, think again. No, you may not be battling the animals you spot, but all you would-be “photogs” out there can try your steady hand at snapping pictures of some of the world’s most alluring (and dangerous) creatures.

The Safari Game, which will actually consist of accepting “missions” and stalking your prey, so-to-speak. As we heard from previous eyes-on and hands-on sessions – you will simply pick a male or female character and head out into the African wilderness. A main tent will act as your base camp, where you can fiddle around with your camera settings and accept e-mails that will give you a set of photography targets. Once you’ve accepted a quest, you’ve got to not only locate the animal(s) in question, but you must also take the best possible picture if you want big rewards. Perhaps you don’t realize that magazines like National Geographic pay good money for beautiful photography…

And it isn’t easy. Nothing about it is easy.

And beyond the actual taking of the picture, you will indeed control your character. At first, it was believed that the entire experience would be “on-rails” and the player would only control a camera, but you will have a standard control setting; left analog for character movement, for instance. If you press the Square button, you will enter the camera mode, where the sheer number of options may surprise those of you who aren’t familiar with the art of photography. Want to take a portrait shot rather than a landscaped shot? You can do that with the simple tilt of the controller. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg: there’s zooming, centering, filtering, and any other number of factors that one must consider, and let’s not forget that one must find the ideal position before one can even enter the camera view. You’re pursuing living, breathing animals, many of which are likely camera-shy, so you have to be stealthy and patient to arrive at the perfect spot. You can crouch to minimize sound and visibility on the part of the animals, and if your quarry takes off, you can try to chase it down in a jeep. But that sounds more like Plan B.

Really, the primary appeal of the game centers on the science of photography, which we’re hoping will be extremely realistic and authentic. We want all sorts of cameras that we can unlock and buy. The IGN hands-on hinted at special technology “like trap cameras for snapping a shot of nocturnal creatures and cameras mounted on small remote-control rovers.” So not only will you have to be patient and steady, but you’ll also have to examine the situation ahead of time and determine the best course of action. Of course, the goal is to nab as many great shots of as many exotic animals as you can, and this will result in both cash and “extended information and media” about those creatures, which you’ll be able to find in the GEO Afrika sections. Not surprisingly, the National Geographic Library boasts real photos and video clips – done by professionals – so you can get an idea of how you should perform when in the field. You will also want to check with the Afrika Field Guide every now and then, too, just because it may include some helpful details that could give you the edge in your hunt. It pays to be proactive in your research.

Lastly, players will want to pay close attention to the Big Game Trophy mode, which speeds things up and adds a healthy dose of exhilaration to a game that relies on tense yet mostly quiet interaction. In the aforementioned mode, you will have a certain amount of time to snap a photo of something specific, like a fight scene or a chase-down of some kind. You will be graded on the result, so when a lion has his paw raised and is in the midst of an immense roar, which will be the money shot. If you’re wondering about some intimidating meat-eaters making a dash for you…well, evidently, this is possible. We’re not entirely sure yet how Rhino Studios is going to deal with this (we get the feeling we won’t be armed out there), but it may be a definite concern at certain points in the Safari Game. Beyond this, the game won’t really deal with much else besides the photography angle, but provided it’s done correctly, this won’t bother us in the least. We just love the creativity and originality of Afrika and we can’t wait to give it a try. Artistic games can and do survive; just look at titles like Flower and echochrome.

Afrika is slated to launch some time later this year in the US; we’ll let you know when Natsume issues a concrete release date.

Award winning nature photographer Ross Hoddinott says, "It's a really impressive game and is actually a great learning tool. I found myself staking out a herd of wildebeest, sat in a bush for hours. It's really addictive, especially once you start building up your lens collection."

Here is the Trailer for it

oh dear.

Edited May 27, 2009 by Ripley

[Ripley]

This is a much better link with you choosing your wildlife photography character

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/preview-afrika/39971

If you suffer a wildlife attack, you are sent back to base camp for treatment.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Ripley

[Kirislin]

This is a much better link with you choosing your wildlife photography character

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/preview-afrika/39971

If you suffer a wildlife attack, you are sent back to base camp for treatment.

I hope you dont get a tropical ulcer.