GRAPHICS

In 3Dfx    9 out of 10
In DirectX 6.1    9 out of 10
    The Carnivores II's visual effects are very much like the original game with a few touch ups and an enlarged, expanded environment.  The world engine for this game works best with a 3Dfx card and a fast Pentium II processor (above a 350 MHz).  The enlarged and expanded world is brought to life with more complex textures, more realistic trees, and further seeing distance.  In the first Carnivores game, there was a fog that limited the seeing distance to about 300 meters.  Now that fog is much thinner, but forewarned however, that now the predators can see YOU much better now.    I am happy to report that the larger environment did not reduce the frame rates on any newer system with a 3Dfx graphics card installed.  If you do not have one of these 3Dfx cards, don't be disheartened for the average cost of a Banshee 3Dfx card with 16 megs of RAM has fallen to around $70 (U.S.).   My Creative 3Dfx Labs Banshee played the graphics very smoothly, showing all of the fine details in the environment and did an excellent job at showing the fog effects.  Weeds, bushes, and trees, all showed some improvement over the first game and are now composed of more complex patterns.  Valleys, hills, and mountains have a smoother, rounder shape now, due to the more complex environment.  As in the first game, when walking up to a downed or tranquilized dinosaur, the skins remain crystal clear and do not become pixilated.  These skins look real enough to make the hunter feel as if he/she was really on a hunt.  The environment is comprehensive enough to have many, different kinds of trees, plants, and shrubs.  Rocks, hills, and mountains share the scene with riverbeds, deserts, sand dunes, and shorelines.  Each of these elements are as complex as the dinosaurs you are hunting.   The sky is an ever-moving sea of clouds, which casts shadows upon the terrain.  Without 3Dfx, the graphics are not as swift, and the detail level in lowered by a degree or two.  Overall, the graphics are top notch and worth the $$ for the game.
 
 


ACTORS
9.5 out of 10
    The dinosaurs in this newer version have been given something I wish we all had, a larger brain.  The artificial intelligence of these dinos is good enough to outsmart many of my old hunting habits.  Their movements and actions are directed by their sight, sound, and smell.  Each dinosaur shows distinct behaviors and possess different habits.  For example, the Triceratops “look for” fibrous plants to eat and when they find them stop and chew these plants.  The restless Allosaurus and Velociraptors are always searching for a meal and use their sight, smell, and hearing to guide them to their next feast.  The Tyrannosaurus stop and sniff the air to spot your presence. All in all, these movements are quite realistic.  More dinosaurs have been added to ecosystem of this gaming world, which gives this game a boost. There are nine dinosaurs to hunt for points and trophies with many others to hunt without points.
 
 

SOUNDS AND MUSIC
9 out of 10
    The sound effects in this newer version are just as impresive as in the first version or even more so. The environmental stereo sound makes it very easy to detect which direction the dinosaurs are traveling.  There are a number of voices for each dinosaur and each species is very different from the others.  The hunter can even gage the size of the beast by the deepness of the footfalls.  Background noises include distant dinosaur calls, insects, wind, and running water, just as in the first game.
 
 

GAMEPLAY
10 out of 10
    Just as in Carnivores I, you are limited to the ammunition and weapons you have on hand.  There are no free weapons lying about.  This trains the hunter to use this ammunition very wisely, which is a good thing.   Movement around the environment is always by foot and easy.  The controls are not difficult to manage as in “TRESPASSER,” which allows the hunter to concentrate on the tasks at hand. All in all, this game will stay on my computer.  There are now even hiding spots such as tunnels and buildings scattered throughout the map where hunters can protect themselves from their prey.
 
 


SYSTEMS USED TO TEST THE GAME
SYSTEM ONE
PIII - 600
Creative Labs 3Dfx Graphics Card (16 meg version)
256 Megs of PC100 Ram

SYSTEM TWO
PII - 400
Creative Labs 3Dfx Graphics Card (16 meg version)
128 Megs of PC100 Ram
 

Recommended System
Any Pentium II class CPU above 233MHz
with a 3Dfx Graphics Card
and a DirectX sound card with EAX, A3D, and DS3D
32 Megs or more of Ram
 

CARNIVORES' MENU

July 1999
Daniel Berry