First look: Primal Prey

ARUSH Entertainment stopped by our office to show off some of its upcoming games. Primal Prey is a prehistoric hunting game that is in development at Sunstorm Interactive, the creator of the Deer Hunter series. Players hunt different species of dinosaur, including triceratops, iguanadons, tyrannosaurus rex, utah raptors, and more. The 3D environments in the game have a distinctly prehistoric feel, and the graphic quality is comparable to the value-priced games Primal Prey is positioned to compete against. The game will feature a variety of weapons, like a traditional shotgun and sniper rifle, and more exotic sci-fi weapons like the sonic blaster and the electron gun. Once a creature is felled, a handy teleporter retrieves the creature for display in the trophy area, a large zoolike arena with sections for each type of dinosaur. A number of missions are included in the game, which specify various requirements such as the number and type of dinosaur needed, as well as a minimum total weight. In order to successfully complete a mission, all the requirements must be fulfilled.

The game will be distributed through ARUSH's Web-based episodic format, so players can download the first of four episodes for free and then pay around $5 for each subsequent episode, which will include additional weapons, dinosaur species, and missions. According to the developer, the Web-based episodic format has several advantages over the traditional CD-ROM format, including faster development cycles, lower costs, and increased convenience for the consumer. We'll have more information about Primal Prey closer to its release in March. For more information about Primal Prey and ARUSH Entertainment, visit the official ARUSH Web site.