Afrika journeys to PS3 this fall

By Tom Magrino, GameSpotPosted May 27, 2009 2:11 pm PT

Harvest Moon publisher Natsume signs on to publish Rhino's photosafari sim on Sony's console later this year.

The PlayStation 3 is becoming known for its range of quirky, nontraditional games, such as Flow, Flower, and Noby Noby Boy. Now, one of the first announced titles to fit into this alternative category has been given a due date. Natsume said today that Rhino Software's Afrika would arrive on North American retail shelves for the PlayStation 3 during "early fall" 2009.

If only Toto had been tapped for the soundtrack...

Afrika's gameplay involves players venturing forth into a virtual wildlife preserve, with the aim of photographing wildlife in their natural habitat on an open African plain. The family-oriented title was produced in conjunction with National Geographic and features a knowledge bank offering encyclopedic data on the various animals in the game.

As told by Natsume, animals and environments have been rendered in photo-realistic detail, and players will be charged with capturing images of these beasts at rest or in conflict with other wildlife. Players will then be judged on the quality of their photos, earning money to purchase upgraded cameras and safari equipment.

Initially revealed during Sony Computer Entertainment's 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference, Afrika resembled more of a tech demo than a game, thanks to the immensely detailed animals and environments shown during a brief demonstration. The title was subsequently kept largely under wraps until May 2008, when Sony launched a Japanese-language teaser site for the game. Sony went on to release the game for the PS3 in Japan last August.

102 Comments

  • yummyjibblybits

    Posted May 30, 2009 3:01 am PT

    I played Harvest moon and i loved it but i this game just seems kinda pointless....looks awesome but still kinda looks boring!

  • Depresso

    Posted May 29, 2009 9:57 pm PT

    I owe every system but the PS3 but I will definately buy into it for this game. I think Afrika and Heavy Rain look fantastic games.

  • Rhen_Var

    Posted May 29, 2009 9:24 pm PT

    I hope this is one of those frustration free games.
    Online has had me worked up lately =/

  • ErkiB

    Posted May 29, 2009 2:48 pm PT

    I need this game

  • neonfrax2

    Posted May 28, 2009 10:45 pm PT

    Ack! They're already playing this in Japan (since August) and we don't get it US 'til the end of the year?

  • noheartsniper

    Posted May 28, 2009 3:19 pm PT

    this game will be sick. i just hope its not over $15... id probably buy it anyways

  • TheIndianChild

    Posted May 28, 2009 2:53 pm PT

    I'm definately not buying this , but wow , it looks beautiful .

  • assassinX01

    Posted May 28, 2009 2:46 pm PT

    yawn.

  • plm3d_basic

    Posted May 28, 2009 12:18 pm PT

    I love reading the negative comments. So much more interesting than the typical generic politically correct garbage like "cool", "looks good", "can't wait", "interesting", etc.

  • kytomasi

    Posted May 28, 2009 11:46 am PT

    looks good

  • steven141

    Posted May 28, 2009 11:25 am PT

    Looks interesting, i would play it. It's also nice to see that not every game has to be all about killing, although it can be fun in some games. Everyone that is criticising this game because theres no killing - wow, just go to someplace we can't find you.

  • Tehjohn

    Posted May 28, 2009 10:54 am PT

    rockfan_man: The game has actually been out in Asia for quite some time (Afrika in Japan, Hakuna Matata in mainland Asia). No one had yet picked it up for US release. We can thank Natsume for that now.

  • yixingtpot

    Posted May 28, 2009 10:44 am PT

    I hope the Nat Geo videos you unlock are HD and in-depth with accurate information. I don't like pets but i do like watching shows that feature wildlife. So i am probably going to buy this.

  • rockfan_man

    Posted May 28, 2009 10:17 am PT

    This game has been taking almost as long as FF13 to come out. Man I have been hearing about this game since I got my playstation 3. What I really don't understand is how come some games are announced way way way in advance and then it takes years for them to actually release.

  • DFBTG

    Posted May 28, 2009 9:44 am PT

    Although I have no interest in this, it does sound pretty cool. I would say 'unique', but I believe that there was a pokemon version of this back on the 64. Still, pretty interesting. Another 'odd man out' game can't hurt in my opinion. Variations in games is always a good thing.

  • VexedLucifer

    Posted May 28, 2009 8:58 am PT

    Interesting twist. Can't wait to try it out.

  • Shunjinko

    Posted May 28, 2009 8:46 am PT

    Hope they make a new Harvest Moon

  • ImYour13thStep

    Posted May 28, 2009 6:40 am PT

    So you dont kill anything?? I would buy it if i could mount a lions head on my wall in my crib that would be tight. If I wanna take pictures of animals I would just go to the zoo. They must not have zoos in Japan

  • stanleyCG1_2

    Posted May 28, 2009 6:20 am PT

    Are there any bad guys to shoot?

  • Mr_Noddy

    Posted May 28, 2009 5:41 am PT

    This looks like it could be quite a good game. Getting assignments at least offers a challenge. I wonder if they'll recreate that great Youtube video with the lions, crocodile and the wildebeest. That'd be worth snapping.

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