Although plagued by slow loading and a multitude of splash screens (typical of most Wii games), it can be fun. But lack of response to user input when you really need to reload is a pain, and when it claims I missed or made a poor hit when I know I was on that deer, I get unhappy.
For $20, it might be worth it. But not for $30.
- Lots of action, unlike many other deer hunting games.
- Multiplayer modes allow up to 4 players.
- Easy to play.
- Two levels of difficulty make it challenging.
- Doesn't represent deer hunting. Instead, it's deer shooting.
- On-screen text (scores, alerts) sometimes blocks your view when you need it most.
- Slow response from controls, especially reloading, can be infuriating.
- Waiting your turn in Hunting Party mode can be a drag.
- Not worth the $29.99 MSRP, in my opinion.
- Deer "hunting" game for Nintendo Wii game system. Single-player gameplay in Beginner or Normal mode.
- Multiplayer modes supports 2 simultaneous players (Versus Mode), or 2-4 players taking turns (Hunting Party Mode).
- You'll see whitetail deer, moose, grizzly bear, rabbits, squirrels, ducks, and more. Shoot everything but the whitetail does.
- Single-player gameplay is done in stages. In each stage, you must kill a quota of legal animals before time runs out.
- To ID a buck, look for antlers, or the items that float above some bucks' rear ends (not their heads, as the game claims).
- Shooting a doe will reduce your score, and doesn't count towards your quota.
- Beginner skill level has 30 Stages, and according to the publishers there are 33 stages in all.
- Making good hits provides you with "Breath Control," which inexplicably slows down the passage of time.
- If you don't have a large-screen TV, forget it. You really need a big screen for this game.
- Reticle selection doesn't change your aiming reticle (crosshair). Instead, it changes the way the screen moves. Duh?
In this strange take on a deer hunting game - which is all about deer shooting rather than hunting - players strive to kill, kill, kill. See a bunny or squirrel? Blast it! Bear or moose passing by? Nail it, too. And watch out for moose and bear that head your way - always accompanied by a warning from a voice that sounds like a frantic Joseph Gribble, Bobby Hill's hormone-crazed neighbor. If a bear or moose reaches you, you're dead.
This game has potential, but my experience with it was not great. I often grew frustrated by the lack of response to commands, especially reloading and engaging "Breath Control." It's a real bummer to hit the reload button and nothing happens - usually when a bear is about to have me for lunch. I have to tap the A button continuously to reload, and eventually the game will respond.
When playing the Beginner skill level, hit a critter and it dies. But you'll often swear you hit that sucker, even though Joseph berates you for "another miss?!" Move on to Normal gameplay, and shot placement becomes more important. Okay... but when you shoot a buck in the neck and hear "Not a vital hit," and it keeps on running, you might get frustrated. I did.
Other variations of this scathing monologue include "Just a Scratch," "Just grazed it," and "That won't put it down," even though you just broke the sucker's pelvis or shot it in the neck.
So anyhow, shoot everything but the does. Everything. And do it fast. And, make sure you strap the Wii controller to your wrist before you play... that way you can't easily throw it at the TV the hundredth time Joseph Gribble claims that a broadside shoulder shot is "just a scratch."
But Deer Drive can still be fun, if you accept its shortcomings and learn to live with them.
- Russ Chastain
