Finally, more arcade and simulation hunting games are starting to show up on PS4 and Xbox One. This updated article ranks the worst and best hunting games released for both PS4 and Xbox One, along with games that have some hunting in them.
Note: This article was updated on February 24th, 2018
5. Deer Hunter Reloaded (The Worst)
See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
In Deer Hunter Reloaded you can hunt Whitetail, Mule, Sitka Deer, Big Horn, Dall Sheep, Caribou, Elk and more. It’s set in locations across the United States and Canada. I really did have high hopes for Deer Hunter Reloaded. Thinking it would be as good or better than most of the classic Deer Hunter games on PC. I was dead wrong, this game is full of bugs, bad AI, small areas and Horrible graphics. The graphics really do look like a PS2 game slapped with a cheap HD layer. The missions feel very repetitive because of how simple the gameplay is. This is not an open world hunting experience. Being pushed into smaller locations called Zones, will set you on a linear path to find and shoot your target animal. Not having freedom in a hunting game becomes incredibly boring fast and is a bad development choice in my opinion. When shooting at animals from far distances, the hit detection bullet cam can be buggy at times and the animal AI seems broken in certain areas. Overall I wouldn’t recommend picking this one up under any circumstances. It was obviously rushed, there are better titles available for both platforms.
4. Big Buck Hunter Arcade
See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Big Buck Hunter Arcade is a below average hunting rail shooter. The game features 3 short adventure campaigns hunting Whitetail Deer, Moose and Elk with bonus bear bosses to take down. Other than trying to gain the highest scores, Big Buck Hunter lacks depth. One huge problem is the controls. Sadly Big Buck Hunter does not support any kind of light gun, so you’re stuck using the normal PS4 or Xbox One controllers, which distracts from the arcade experience the game is aiming for. The simplicity and fast action of Big Buck Hunter will appeal more to younger kids or non-serious couch Co-Op players. I wouldn’t recommend Big Buck Hunter to anyone looking for a serious hunting game.
3. Hunting Simulator
See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Hunting Simulator wants to be a great 3rd person hunting simulation game so bad but fails in so many ways. Let’s start with what’s good about Hunting Simulator. There are 37 species of animals that you can hunt, along with 12 large hunting areas located around Europe and North America. The graphics are also pretty decent with nice realistic lighting, textures, and animations. Everything else in the game is repetitive, simple, unrealistic. They could have added more depth to the gameplay, kill this Deer that has brain-dead AI, then go kill that sheep that has brain-dead AI. That kind of gameplay becomes boring fast and that’s what Hunting simulator is mostly about. Hunting license and regulations could have been added for a more simulated experience also. Overall the game gets a lot of things right but fails hard in other areas. It might be worth playing for people that love both hunting and video games a lot, but my #1 ranked game theHunter: Call Of The Wild is very similar to this and is a much better game in every way.
2. Cabela’s African Adventure
See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Cabela’s African Adventure should have been called Cabela’s man vs wild animals. It’s a hunting game with a lot of over the top unregulated animal killing action. PETA really would hate this game, lol. The African Safari is pretty huge. The ability to use a jeep to get to each hunting destination missions faster is a nice touch. The ability to stray off and do whatever you want like a sandbox game is a welcomed feature. Cabela’s African Adventure is not realistic at all though. The graphics look like a PS3 game upped to 1080P HD, they are not bad, but not anything special. The cutscenes between missions are fun to watch and can pump you up a bit before hunting. Battling against herds of raging wild animals close-range looks out of place at times, but it’s still surprisingly fun. If you are looking for some fast unrealistic arcade hunting action, Cabela’s might be worth picking up. Like Big Buck Hunter Arcade, I believe younger kids would enjoy Cabela’s African Adventure more than older gamers.
1. theHunter: Call Of The Wild (The Best)
See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
theHunter: Call Of The Wild is the best simulation hunting game available on PS4 or Xbox One so far. The realistic graphics are absolutely amazing. Everything in this game looks and reacts realistically. I personally love the first person view used, foliage, animal AI and dynamic weather effects. The main missions and side quests are varied greatly, so the campaign experience is very engaging most of the time compared to other hunting games. If you feel like taking a break from the main missions or side quests, you can always explore this giant landscape on your own and hunt the way you want to. The animal AI is good for the most part, besides some rare AI glitches. If an animal sees you it will usually run off. This sort of realistic gameplay forces you to hunt more stealthy and moving slowly. There is also a great progression system here. Buy or upgrade new gear or perks with money or experience points you earn from missions or areas you have explored. Since the two hunting regions are so large, an ATV’s are available to use to travel around faster. Another stand out feature is the ability to play with 8 other friends online. Hunting together is always even more fun :). Overall if you had to pick one simulation hunting game to buy, theHunter: Call Of The Wild is by far the best choice.
* Other Games That Have Hunting In Them *
The following games are not labeled as traditional arcade or simulation hunting games, but they still have plenty of animal hunting in them.
– Monster Hunter: World (Highly Recommended)
See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Monster Hunter: World is by far the best Monster Hunter game in the series so far. Go on a quest to hunt down some of the most dangerous monsters to ever terrorize this land. The hunter’s weapons and abilities can be upgraded. Monster Hunter has a great story, cool characters, and breathtaking monsters to hunt and environments to explore.
– Far Cry 4 & Far Cry Primal (Highly Recommended)
See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Both Far Cry 4 and Far Cry Primal have fantastic hunting side quests, where you can hunt legendary animals. I prefer Far Cry Primal for hunting a little more than Far Cry 4 because after you successfully hunt or defeat an animal it will be tamed. Tamed animals are your friends, so you can use them to attack enemies or even ride on some. Nothing like riding on a saber-toothed tiger, tearing up enemy tribal villages.
– Horizon Zero Dawn (Highly Recommended)
See It On Amazon: PS4 |
Horizon Zero Dawn is an awesome PS4 exclusive open world action game. It has a lot of hunting in it. Set traps and stalk cybernetic animals that you wish to take down.
– Duck Dynasty (Duck & Beaver Hunting)
See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Duck Dynasty features duck & beaver Hunting, boat racing and fishing. The hunting areas are simple and arcade style. Fun for younger kids or family play. I doubt any hunting game enthusiast would enjoy this too much.
– GTA 5 (Hunting Elk)
See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
Grand Theft Auto 5 is known as one of the most popular action sandbox games of all time. You can participate in a side quest where you hunt Elk. You can also hike in the forest and hunt animals on your own. The hunting in GTA 5 is pretty basic, but it’s another option!
Do you agree or disagree with this top list? Or maybe you know of another worthy hunting game I missed? Please let me know in the comments below!
