Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2006 Trophy Season


Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2006 Trophy Season is the ninth sequel to the original Cabela's Big Game Hunter. It was developed by Magic Wand Productions and released on October 25, 2005. The game was published by Activision in conjunction with hunting supply company Cabela's.

Gameplay

Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2006 Trophy Season is a story-driven, linear hunting game. The player must trek through various North American landscapes and claim every trophy in the region. The player starts at the first lodge, where they must buy their initial equipment, weapons, and clothing, sight their firearm, and obtain tags. The player must visit the warden of each lodge in order to obtain tags for the region. Throughout the game, the player will encounter random events, side quests, and hunting tournaments. Primary objectives must be completed before exiting a location, while secondary objectives are optional. Objectives can be failed but the career's completion is not contingent on them.
Game mammals are represented by red markers, similar to its predecessor Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2005 Adventures. Red markers indicate live game, blue markers indicate dead game, and purple markers indicate wounded or special game. Non-game mammals and some female species - elk, moose, and deer - are unmarked. Tags cannot be obtained for these animals and the player cannot hunt them. Non-game mammals include foxes and rabbits. The player can only hunt mammals for which they have tags, and in their respective quantities. All tags are provided by the warden for each location and cannot be changed, removed, or sold. The objectives for each location mandate that the player obtain at least one of each animal, while the player will often be provided two tags for many species.
When the player zooms in on a mammal with a scope, text will appear at the bottom of the scope, showing the animal's species, sex, scoring, and immediate distance from the player. This is helpful in hunting tournaments, as many require the player to claim an animal within a certain distance or by best score. The animal statistics provided by the scope will change as the player mouses over different targets. Non-game animals can also provide statistics if the player mouses over them while scoped over them.
The player cannot hunt animals for which they do not have tags, including non-game mammals. The player cannot hunt animals with their vehicle. The player cannot drive into an NPC. The player cannot fire their weapon between 6:00pm and 8:00am. The player cannot fire their weapon within 50 yards of an inhabited building. Violating these results in warnings. The player has a maximum of three warnings before they are asked to leave the area, from which they can either restart the location or abort to the main menu.

Story

Upon starting a career hunt, a text box will appear describing the player as the grandson of a hunting legend named Pete. The player accompanied Pete on the hunting trails when he was younger. Pete aspired to bag all species across the trails - 65 in all - hoping to earn a spot in the Hunter's Hall of Fame. However, on one of the last hunts, he slipped on an icy slope and hurt his leg, preventing him from finishing the hunt. The player's incentive to crossing the regions and finishing the hunts is to win his grandfather the plaque. The story is largely absent from the game, but NPCs across the regions will recognize the player as Pete's grandson, or hint that they have not seen the player in a long time. The NPCs have no long-term impact on the story and remain largely irrelevant in the overall gameplay.

Locations

Each hunting area is dedicated to specific game. Occasionally, an area will have more than one type of game existing in the area. An area's boundaries, borders, topography, and features are different each time. There are usually three or four areas between lodges. When the player fills their objectives, there is no longer a reason for them to stay in that area.
Each map has a camp area, marked by a purple tent icon on the map. The player can rest here and talk to game wardens about hunting tournaments happening in the area. The player may only set up their tents in designated camping areas, a major departure from the previous two installments.
Some areas will have special events. Hunting tournaments, wounded or sick game in the field, lost or injured NPCs, or harsh weather that will require the player to take shelter. Some maps have points that are only accessible by climbing, in which the player will have to abandon their vehicle. Some maps will feature NCPs that inform the player of good-scoring trophies and are listed as secondary objectives. Most side quests and notifications will come to the player in the form of an email. An alert noise will play and text will appear, prompting the player to press a hotkey to listen to the email. The text will be narrated and the player's objectives will be updated.
A few locations have separate areas that are privately-owned lands. They are marked with yellow arrows on the map. The player is often invited to those lands, on which vehicles are often prohibited. The owners of the land will offer the player money to hunt varmints - usually coyotes or wolves - on their property.
At the end of every region, the player will enter a new area for which they were not given tags at the lodge. They will talk to the region warden about possibly entering the hunting tournament. Whether they play the tournament or not, the player's main primary objective is to continue to the next region.

Maps

The maps are more difficult to read in this game than in the previous two installments. Trails and paths are present in some locations but are never displayed on the player's map. Maps show topography of the entire location, but it can still be difficult to figure out the correct path to the next location. Some locations require the player to pass through canyons, gorges, rivers, and caves.
Green arrows represent the next location the player must enter. The red arrow indicates the location the player just left. Yellow arrows appear on some locations, denoting private land onto which the player is invited after triggering the special event. Designated camping areas are represented by purple tents. Bridges are represented by light-blue bridge icons. The player's vehicle is presented by a crude light-blue image of a car. It will only appear if the player has disembarked the vehicle. The player's boat is represented by a green, crude sailboat icon. Climbing points are represented by a yellow staircase. Any injured or stranded hunters, shelters, or special event sites are marked with a red X. Any cabins on the map are represented by an orange house icon.

Hunting Tournaments

Hunting tournaments are regular events that take place throughout the maps. The player will usually be briefed about the tournament before entering the area. Wardens can be found at the designated camp site for each area. Tournament registration is from 8:00am-12:00pm, so the player must sleep to those times if they wish to register. The player will always compete against an NPC, who can be seen running through the field and hunting his or her game. Each tournament must be played using the firearm and equipment given. Some tournaments have additional rules and stipulations.
Most tournaments require that the game must be claimed with a clean shot. If the player wounds the animal, they will have to restart the tournament if they wish to win. Some tournaments have distance requirements, usually within 100 yards or above 50 yards. Some trophies are simply a matter of best scoring.
The player is not required to win or even compete in hunting tournaments to progress through the game. There is no achievement for 100% game completion. The only tournaments that impose a force on the player are tournaments held at the end of each region, in which the player must only talk to the warden about competing. The player will always have a choice to decline to participate or decline to restart if they fail or lose the hunt.
A few tournaments are held at lodges. They are usually skeet shooting contests. The player can also win the firearm with which they won the contest in question.
Upon winning a tournament, the player will be rewarded with the firearm with which they won said tournament. They will not have to purchase the gun, but only equip it at the next lodge.

Lodges

Unlike the previous two games, the player has no freedom of their advancement in the game. There is a set chain of locations that the player must complete in order to progress in the game. In each major region, there are small locations and landscapes the player must trek through and hunt. The player will begin in a region at a log cabin. At the cabin, the player will be given a set amount of tags for different species in the successive areas. The player can view hunting regulations and information about the region. At the cabin, weapons, clothing, tents, food, water, medical bags, decoys, calls, and lures can be purchased. Unlike the previous two Cabela's Big Game Hunter installments, the backpack capacity is on a weight basis. In the previous two games, the player had ten slots for ten different items, excluding clothing. In this game, the player has a weight limit that they can periodically increase throughout the hunt. Each items takes a different amount of weight. All items are equipped in the player's room. The player can also rest in their room at the lodge for however they long wish to advance time instantly and heal any wounds. At each cabin, the player can rent an ATV for $200. Later in the game, pickup trucks and SUVs are available for rental of $200. Boats make periodic appearances and do not have to be rented.
The player will progress through each area, fulfilling their tags. The player manually enters each region by pressing a hotkey. When the player reaches a new lodge, they will not be able to go back through the previous maps. Each lodge features benches and picnic tables around the common area. Each lodge area has trails that allow the player to find the shooting range and the next hunting location..
The player is required to sight their firearms upon purchase. As they use the firearm, the weapon will gradually become less-properly sighted, especially if the player is consistently inaccurate. The player may only sight weapons at a target range at a lodge area. They must enter the sighting booth, where the scope of the firearm is removed and the player is fixed in a stance facing a target. The player uses the arrow keys to change the windage and elevation of the firearm until it is firing properly. Throughout the hunt, text will appear on the screen prompting the player to sight their gun or suggest that the gun might not be sighted properly.

Quests and Side Missions

Quests and side missions are events that always triggered at the same points of each location. They will often appear as secondary objectives, meaning the player does not have to complete them to progress to the next location. Since there is no achievement for 100% game completion, there is no further need to complete each objective.
This is another massive departure from the previous two titles, wherein the player was the only person in each hunting field and they progressed at their own pace with no additional quests.
The warden may notify the player via e-mail that there is a sick or wounded animal in the field and that they must be taken down. The animal in question will spawn on the map marked by a purple marker. The player will receive the bonus cash and clean shot bonus for bagging the trophy.
The player may also be invited onto private land bordering certain maps by the game warden. These private lands are marked by yellow arrows and will have their own map when the player enters the land. Here, the player is usually required to hunt varmints - coyotes or wolves depending on the location - for a commission price - usually $1000. These targets are marked as game usually is. When the player has finished taking care of the trespassing animals, they will be sent back to the location through which they entered the land.
Some hunters in the area might be injured or lost. In the forest location Hemlock Path, the player witnesses another hunter being mauled by a brown bear. They must notify the warden to save the hunter. On other maps, the player will be notified via e-mail that a hunter has injured themselves and must be rescued. There are no rewards for these missions. Stranded or injured hunters are marked by red X's on the map.
Some locations are accessible by unconventional means. In the mountains locations Seven's Divide, the player is informed to go the cave in the east, as the normal trail to the next map is blocked. The player will enter the next region through that cave via waterfall.

Game Mammals

The player must progress through six regions: Forest, marsh, desert, grasslands, mountains, and tundra. The player can hunt almost 40 game mammals. They are: wolverine, Columbia black-tailed deer, bobcat, Roosevelt elk, cougar, brown bear, American black bear, timber wolf, whitetail, woodland caribou, grizzly, Eastern timber wolf, Northwestern moose, Tule elk, desert bighorn sheep, desert mule deer, pronghorn antelope, coyote, javelina, Rocky Mountain elk, grey wolf, bison, Rocky Mountain bighorn, mountain caribou, Rocky Mountain mule deer, lynx, Shiras moose, mountain goat, stone sheep, musk ox, Dall sheep, polar bear, Yukon moose, Arctic wolf, barren-ground caribou, Kodiak brown bear, and Northern timber wolf
The wolverine, lynx, Roosevelt elk, desert bighorn, javelina, bison, grey wolf, Rocky Mountain bighorn, Rocky Mountain mule deer, Shiras Moose, mountain goat, stone sheep, polar bear, Arctic wolf, timber wolf, Northern timber wolf, Yukon moose, and Kodiak brown bear all appear only once each in the game. All other mammals appear more than once throughout the series.
The wolverine, Roosevelt Elk, bison, grey wolf, Rocky Mountain Bighorn, Rocky Mountain mule deer, Arctic wolf, timber wolf, northern timber wolf, eastern timber wolf, Yukon Moose, Kodiak brown bear, mountain caribou, Columbia black-tailed deer, bobcat, Northwestern moose, Tule elk, desert mule deer, and Rocky Mountain elk are species that appear in this game that did not appear in the previous two titles. The desert bighorn appeared in the 2004 Season, while not appearing any different than the standard version of the bighorn. The desert bighorn variant did not appear in the 2005 Adventures. The lynx appeared the previous two games but only as a non-game, unmarked animal.
The wild boar, the Alaskan moose, the Canadian moose, the Sitka black-tailed deer, the Labrador caribou, and the Coues deer are the only species that appear in the previous two titles that do not appear in this one.

Non-Game Animals

Each level will contain several types of small, non-game mammals. The player cannot obtain tags for these animals. The player will receive warnings for shooting these animals. The non-game species changes based on region. The player will find rabbit, jackrabbit, porcupine, fox, and Arctic hare across their hunt. Deer does and elk and moose cows are unmarked and the player is not allowed to hunt them. Despite these animals not being legal game, the player's scope will still provide trophy information if the player mouses over them while scoped.

HUD

The Heads Up Display is must simpler than that of the previous two games.
In the bottom-left corner of the screen there is a silhouette of a hunter outlined in green. The green outline will turn from green to red as more damage is dealt. The player takes damage from animal attacks, drowning, taking fall damage, and crashing their vehicle. The green colouring inside will lower as the player takes damage, but will gradually recharge. The health will recharge faster if the player drinks water or eats food. The player can heal by using a medical bag or sleeping. Next to the health bar is the energy bar, this time presented horizontally rather than vertically. The bar is blue and gradually decreases as the player expends energy. The bar will change colour from blue, to yellow, to white, to orange until it is depleted. The player must stop moving to replenish it. Above the energy bar is the stealth bar. This is a series of red ticks that rise and diminish based on the player's visibility and sound. When the player crouches, is still, or camouflages with the environment, the bar will rise
In the top-left corner of the screen is the compass with a much simpler design than the previous two games.
In the top-right corner of the screen is a red flag that indicates direction and intensity of the wind.
In the bottom-right corner of the screen is the ammunition. Rifles, shotguns, handguns, and bows have different ammunition appearances. When the player expends rounds, they will disappear from the corner of the screen until there are none left. The player will automatically reload when they are out of ammunition. The player can reload at any time using the hotkey. Ammunition is unlimited and does not need to be purchased from a lodge.

Controls

  • W - Accelerate/Walk Forward
  • S - Decelerate/Walk Backward
  • A - Strafe/Turn Left
  • D - Strafe/Turn Right
  • E - Mount Vehicle/Analyze Tracks /Enter Area, Lodge, Sighting Booth/Read Email/Notify Warden/Talk to NPC
  • R - Reload Weapon
  • T - Dismount Vehicle
  • X - Tracking Camera
  • Mouse 1 - Fire/Select
  • Mouse 2 - Scope/Aim Down Sights
  • C - Cycle Camera
  • F - Map, Objectives, Logbook, and Status
  • I - Inventory
  • Left Control - Crouch
  • Left Shift - Run
  • Scroll - Zoom
  • Up/Down Arrows - Zoom
  • Up/Down Arrows - Sight Weapon Elevation
  • Left/Right Arrows - Sight Weapon Windage
  • Esc - Pause/Menu
  • ~ - Console

    Graphics and Animation

The game features similar graphics to its forerunners, although many movements, shading, textures, assets, and terrain generation are much different. Some of the graphics in this game are much smoother than its predecessors, but are slightly less realistic in terms of the overall design and appeal. The animal movement is also very machine-like and not as smooth as the animals from the previous titles.

Voice Acting

The only voice-overs in the previous two titles came in the form a warden when the player violated hunting area rules. No NPCs were actually visible. In this game, however, multiple NPCs can be seen throughout all regions, some of whom do not speak. The same voices are recycled between several characters, and only basic gesturing animations accompany the mediocre voice acting. NPCs do not interact with the environment other than when prompted. The only time an NPC is seen interacting is when they are participating in a hunting tournament. NPCs stay in the same spot, usually cycling between sitting and standing. At camping areas when a player sleep, NPCs will not go in their tents. They will stand outside all night while the player sleeps.

Major Differences From Past Two Installments

The previous two installments were and Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2005 Adventures on PC. Both games operated very similarly, with some minor cosmetic and difficulty changes separating those two games.
  • In the 2006 Trophy Season, the player must physically progress through each location to unlock the next. Whereas in the previous two titles, the player equips for each season, bags the trophies for each season, and then chooses which location to unlock next until all are completed. The player must progress through each location and lodge linearly in order to complete the career. The player cannot backtrack to choose a different point from which to continue their career.
  • 2006 Trophy Season features special events and tournaments, whereas the previous games did not. NPCs and voice-overs are also present in the game, whereas in the previous games, the player was the only visible character. The only narration in those games were those of the wardens reprimanding the player upon breaking hunting regulations.
  • This game requires the player to sight their weapons at designated sighting booths. The previous two games did not require the player to sight their weapons but sighting was possible in the target range.
  • This game features more species and subspecies compared to the other two titles. All mammals from the previous games appear in this game.
  • The maps in the previous two games show trails, while this game's maps show no trails or paths.
  • In this game, the player must sleep at designated hunting areas. In the previous two titles, the player can pitch a tent wherever they want, as long as it is an area of flat, open ground.
  • In this game, the player must rent vehicles at each lodge for $200. The player did not rent vehicles in the previous two titles, rather than spawned within immediate distance of them.
  • In this game, moose and musk ox are hostile. In the other games, they would not attack the player.
  • The player cannot swim in this game. In the other games, swimming was frequently necessary.
  • There are no weapons restrictions to this game by location, but rather by tournament, which are optional. The 2004 Season featured no weapons restrictions based on season. The 2005 featured firearm restrictions for each season and location.
  • The three stealth bars from the previous titles are compiled into one bar in this game.
  • Screaming and moaning can be heard when the player takes damage. Panting can heard when the player depletes their energy bar.
  • There was no fall damage in the previous title. Fall damage is a constant presence in this game.
  • In the previous titles, if the player drove their vehicle into water, it could not be retrieved. In this game, the player can pay $200 for their vehicle to be retrieved from the water.
  • Animals did not make noise upon being shot and killed in the last two games. Animals make noise every time they are killed in this game. The animals also spasm with a rag doll effect upon death, whereas in the last game they did not.
  • A separate window appeared in the last two games when tracking an animal. In this game, text appears on the bottom of the screen with the tracking information.
  • Players are rewarded with a $100 clean shot bonus in the last two games, while in this game they are rewarded with a $200 clean shot bonus.
  • In the last two games, the player can choose a specific location to hunt, either a US State, Canadian province, Canadian territory, or Mexican state. In this game, the regions are incredibly vague. However, some locations and lodge names are based off real life region, territory, and county names relative to location.
  • Players could not enter lodges in the last two games. Entering lodges is the focal point of completing this game.
  • In the last two games, players could carry up to four instances each of food packets, hydration bladders, scent covers, and medical kits. In this game, only two water bags and food packs each may be carried, as well as only one medical kit at a time. The player can also carry only one firearm, where the limit in the last two games was two weapons per hunt. In this game, the player can only carry either the tripod or tree stand at once. In the last game, they could be carried together.
  • In the last two games, red and blue dots indicated game location and life status. In this game, they are represented by blue, red, and purple triangle markers. Purple markers indicate wounded or special game. In the last two games, if a player wounded an animal, the dot would stay red and the player would have to track it.
  • In the last two games, the player's available tags would be indicated in the top-right corner of the screen. A tag would blink if the corresponding mammal is wounded or dead and must be claimed. Tags are not on display in this game, but rather in a separate page of the player's inventory.
  • In the previous two titles, the inventory could be accessed while the player was in a tent or vehicle. In this game, the inventory can only be accessed while standing on the ground.
  • In the last two games, when the player pitched a tent, there would be no other text on the screen, other than that in the lower-right corner, prompting the player can use a set hotkey to wake up. In this game, the clock is shown above the tent as the player sleeps.
  • In the last two games, the only interfaces were the inventory and the main menu. In this game, the player can press the designated hotkey - default "F" - to show the map. Different tabs at the top of the interface allow the player to view their objectives and the completion of said objectives, the logbook - showing the advances the player has made and the times at which they were made - and the player's stats and cash status.

    Notable Features

  • This is the first Cabela's game to feature wolverine, bison, bobcat, and several other species, as well as subspecies of previous game mammals, such as Rocky Mountain Elk, Rocky Mountain Mule Deer, Desert Mule Deer, Kodiak Bear, Tule Elk, and others.
  • The game recycles several sounds and visuals from the previous game. The sound when the player draws a weapon is the same from the previous two games. Certain animals calls and sounds, the sounds of the boat and pickup truck, as well some ambient environment sounds are from the previous two games. The crosshair is the same from the previous two titles.
  • The player must rent ATVs, trucks, cars, and snowmobiles for $200 at the start of each region. Not renting the vehicle, losing or damaging it during a hunt, or abandoning it during a hunt will force the player to progress to the next level without it. The previous titles did not require the player to rent the vehicles for their location. Rather, the player spawned next to it and could only loose it if they drove it into deep water.
  • Unlike the previous games, the player can go into buildings in the areas, most of which are cabins they are required to enter in order to purchase tags and equipment to progress.
  • The player cannot swim in this game.
  • The player can only sleep in cabins and designated camping spots on the map.
  • Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2005 Adventures for consoles is exactly the same game as the 2006 Trophy Season for PC. The PC version of the 2005 Adventures is not available on consoles.