Afrika

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I have to admit, I was a little worried that this game would be somewhat like, well, what many people write it off as being, without giving it a second look, and that is boring and pointless. After playing it, I am relieved that it is such a good experience for anyone interested in wildlife cinematography and photography.

For those of you interested in photography, here's a little insight into the level of sophistication the game has to offer. The game allows you to accumulate and upgrade cameras and purchase lenses. It does a great job of creating depth of field changes with aperture settings, and you have shutter speed settings that affect exposure and motion blur as in real world cameras, and there are priority modes or even full manual settings that can be played around with, with realistic results in your photographs. There is enough devotion to real life photgraphy put into the development of Afrika to make it a gem on that premise alone.

Here's a tip to keep in mind -patience is rewarded, as you will realize that the new cameras and lenses you unlock and purchase are dramatically improving the quality of your photos. The beginning camera takes lousy pictures and it would be sad if people didn't realize that the game intends the quality to start out poor, just like in the real world starting out with cheap cameras.

As the game begins, you choose your character and start out at base camp with a laptop, camera, binoculars and GPS. You get emailed requests to take specific types of pictures and you are on your way, driving here and there with a guide. Gameplay is more like an animal watching sim than anything else. While there is no hardcore gaming action going on here, there are grand moments in the game such as photographing a mother elephant with her calf in a herd, driving alongside a cheetah, getting attacked by an African Bufffalo ... damn those African Buffalos .... they attacked me over and over again. Unfortunately, when you are attacked, the animal charges at you (many different animals can attack you) but before any kind of contact is made, the screen fades, and you are sent back to Base Camp to start your daily safari all over again. So there is no real violence, just the implication of it.

After a few missions, you eventually lose the guide and drive yourself to wherever you want to go. You can buy a tent and camp out in other areas, away from your base camp, if you decide to not return to base camp when the sun sets.

The graphics are superb and do justice to the 720p display but can be a little overly sharpened on the trees and foliage at times, giving it a less real look and more "video game" look. Distant vistas and mountains look great, the animals look great also and are animated well enough that you feel like you are around real wild animals. The animals look fantastic through the binoculars and it is pleasing that the camera work progresses toward that quality you see through the binoculars as you upgrade your gear.

The sounds of the animals are authentic and very well done. Just playing the game brings the sounds of the outdoors into your home.

The music is mostly grand orchestral and for the most part is very cinematic and movie-like large, but at times is African light melody.

Sunsets and sunrises are cool looking but kind of foggy at times.

There are a few activities to choose from within the main menu. You can start or continue your "Safari", which is the main game mode, allowing you to progress through the game. There is also a "big game trophy" mode that allows you to replay the more exciting photo shoots you unlock. Having this mode is really nice. There is a built in National Geographic library of real life photographs and information that unlocks and expands as you encounter each animal. There is also an environment "viewer" that allows you to play customized video clips that showcase each area and the animals that inhabit it.

You also have your photo library on your in-game laptop. This is where all of your pictures get stored and you can sort through them, delete them, play a slide show ... etc.

If you can picture yourself enjoying wildlife photography, then I would imagine you would like Afrika quite a bit. If the idea of that sounds boring, then I would bet you would find the game lacking.

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I've never written a review on Amazon before for any item. I feel incredibly compelled to do so for this game, "Afrika". A lot of reviews from "gaming" websites and magazines have given this experience a less than favorable score for it's gameplay. Folk's, let me make this short and sweet. There is a wealth of information on the animals you will encounter during this game that is presented in an easy to use an entertaining fashion within the software. The graphics on each animal are top notch and the sound makes you feel as if you were indeed in Africa. If you enjoy exploring the world's creatures from within your living room, (with a beverage of your choice, for relaxing...hint...is this thing on?) then purchase this title and help to ensure another one will follow. I've been a gamer since the days of Pong, (ok, so I'm not in my 20's, jeeze!) so please trust in my opinion that if you want the experience that you hope this is, you will get it in spades. Do not believe these websites that seem to have one type of gamer review every type of game. Rant over!! Thanks for reading!

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Hello all, well ill get a few things out of the way, i like action adventure games with or without the blood is fine by me, i also like shooters and survival horror (just read all my reviews). When i first heard about afrika back when the ps3 was just launching i thought "wow that sounds dumber than all hell" and it kinda slipt my mind for along time. One day while trying to get demons souls imported i came upon a deal of buy 3 get free shipping (seeing as how the were coming from asia couldnt pass up) so i got demons souls (fantastic) ratchet and clank quest for booty (on a disc and in english) and Hakuna Matata (afrika). At the time i picked these up the only one definetly coming to the u.s. was ratchet so i figured what the heck if i didnt like afrika id sell it. well this game is not leaving my collection.

the pros are

+graphics are really good

+gameplay is rewarding

+its a relaxing break from violence

the cons are

-no voice whatsoever

-none violent (a monkey ran infront of my jeep and brought me to a dead stop)

-if you dont like animals or photography its not for you.

those are the majors for me but i look at it like this,

sometimes i can only play while kids are sleeping and you dont need the sound for this.

my daughter like to watch me play and she is learning from the info in this game as am i.

again no violence means i can play while they watch.

overall i think its a fantastic experience and while it isnt my most favorite game atm i do put it in regularly to relax and unwind. Usually i go on a safari a day at least.

p.s. patience is a virtue in this game, youll see.

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This is such a classy and well done title. Playing this game is almost like watching a National Geographic documentary. You accept jobs via email from magazines on your handy laptop. (Take a picture of a hippo with it's mouth open, take a picture of a zebra head on, etc...) You are then paid based on how good the picture is. Closeness, focus, centered all figure into the judging. You have to be careful, many animals will charge and trample you!!!

It is both beautiful and fun, even if you're watching someone else play. Highly recommended.

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Everyone is different... I have "Endless Ocean" for the Wii. I loved the game and highly recommended it to friends... Funny, they all hated it. "You can't kill anything! All you do is swim around and take pictures", was the reply. I laughed and shrugged my shoulders.

...Got the same response with this game. I don't care, what people say... I enjoy it!!!

It's easy to get caught up in the scenery, and suddenly remember, "Oh, right I'm supposed to be taking pictures". If you love the feeling of exploration (what's around the next corner), taking pictures and enjoying a game at a more relaxed pace? Then, look no further!