$19.99Hunting Simulator 2 Quiet wilderness, one careful shot
Stalk animals through open country at your own pace, with a loyal dog to help you follow the trail.
Is Hunting Simulator 2 worth it?
Hunting Simulator 2 is worth it if…
- you want a slow, patient hunt where reading tracks and wind matters more than reflexes
- you would rather wander quiet wilderness at your own pace than fight timers or fail states
- you like the idea of working a trail with a dog instead of spotting animals from a distance
- you enjoy picking the right rifle, caliber and scope for each animal before you set out
- you are new to hunting games and want one that is friendlier to start with than the hardcore sims
Screenshots
A dog that does the hard part
Finding an animal in six square miles of forest is the whole problem, and that is what your dog is for. Let it sniff a track, and it works the trail while you follow: a Labrador Retriever, a German Shorthaired Pointer or a Beagle, each with its own strengths for the kind of hunt you are on. Praise it after a good find and it grows more reliable, holding a trail longer as it gains experience. The dog changes how the game feels, too. Instead of scanning the treeline for a shape that may not be there, you walk behind a nose that knows where it is going, through country where the only sounds are wind, water and birds somewhere off in the distance.
Gear, licenses and fair-chase rules
Before a hunt you build your kit from over 160 official weapons, accessories and clothing items from brands like Browning, Winchester, Bushnell and Kryptek. Rifles and calibers are chosen separately, and scope reticles and magnification are yours to pick as well. Then there are licenses: like real hunting tags, each one lets you take a set number of a species, and the rules expect clean, ethical shots with the right caliber. Wound an animal and fail to recover it, or take a second shot at a downed one, and you pay a fine. It sounds strict, but it is what makes a successful stalk feel earned. One thing to know: there are no weather changes or day and night cycle, so conditions stay steady while you hunt.
Questions before you head out?
Can you play it solo?
Yes, it is a singleplayer game from start to finish. Every hunt is you, your dog and the open world, with no timers or other players to answer to. That also means the pace is entirely yours: an evening session can be one careful stalk, or a longer trip across a whole region.
Do you need to be a hunting expert to enjoy it?
No. A tutorial walks you through the basics and even gives you a Beagle to start with, and the game is generally considered friendlier to newcomers than other hunting sims. The licenses and caliber rules teach you real hunting ethics as you go, so you learn the right way to take an animal without needing prior knowledge.
What is there besides shooting?
A lot of the game is everything before the shot. You explore large open worlds on foot, find and follow tracks, decide which animal to pursue and which caliber is legal for it, and get close without being noticed. After a successful hunt you bring the animal back to claim it, keep it as a trophy or sell it, and rare, higher-valued animals are out there for hunters who put in the hours.
How big are the maps and how many animals are there?
There are three regions, the plains of Colorado, the Texan desert and the forests of Eastern Europe, each with open worlds of over six square miles. Across them you can hunt 33 animal species in their natural environments, from birds and small game up to large deer, bears and bison, each requiring its own license, weapon and approach.
