Mac Gaming

Pretty much unlike any game I’ve ever played (other than the first-person perspective), theHunter is a slow, meditative, and yet heart-pounding experience. It’s a hunting sim, yes, but so well done that you get lost in it — completely and utterly taken in by the atmosphere and the actual hunting (tracking, spotting, luring) itself. Did I mention it’s free? Well, it is. As long as you don’t mind hunting only Mule Deer, you don’t have to pay a cent — simply go to the website and sign up for the “Guest Pass,” which gets you a rifle, unlimited ammo, and all the Mule Deer you can bag.

Don’t judge the game before seeing it in action, though. Even though it’s free, it looks great. Running on the Emote engine, the game (to my eyes) looks as good as many FPS games currently on the market (see the gallery below). Moreover, the iMac can run it pretty well. Below are my settings.

My Settings

The Verdict

At 1440×900, the game runs very well. The frame rate fluctuates from about 17-25 fps, which is on the low end, but the game doesn’t rely on twitch reflexes. Rather, you stalk your prey and try to line up the perfect shot. This is a game of patience.

Certainly, theHunter is not for everyone, but I’m finding it quite enjoyable — and addictive. Give it a shot (har har); you might like what you see.