An unprecedented, in-depth photography sim + an amazing virtual world + Metal Gear Solid-style stealthing. Amazing.
Throw in some of the most spacious and beautifully rendered game environments I've ever seen, add a musical a score that resembles the works of John Williams, and then tell me that I'm going to be using virtual versions of real Sony cameras--and learning real photography techniques and camera features--and suddenly I'm thinking about spending $50. Well, I did spend it, and I was not disappointed!
Having loved all four Metal Gear Solid games, I found myself right at home playing Afrika. Much of what you'll be trying to accomplish is getting a good, close shot of the 60+ animals in the game--and keep in mind that there are male, female, baby and adult versions of these animals to find. And like real wild animals, you can't get very close to them without scaring them away or, in many cases, getting mauled by the mean ones. If you're in danger, your controller will start pounding with your character's heartbeat and the screen will pulse red on the edges, meaning you need to get away fast. There's a better option, however. Like Solid Snake, you can drop your character into a crouched walk and sneak into cover, like bushes, where you can peer out with your camera and get shots of the animals while they aren't aware of your presence. At one point, I was even able to climb into a tree and hide up in the branches.
Surround sound--if you have it, you'll be even more immersed in this game. Leaves and foliage around you rustle in the wind, breezes drift across the plains, animals make unusual and entertaining sounds (real sounds, thanks to National Geographic) and as daytime becomes evening, you'll hear the insects and small creatures of the night begin to chitter and whirp (and whatever other sounds they make).
Serious photography--the starter camera sucks, and its photo quality can make you wonder if the rest of the game's photos are going to look so lackluster. Thankfully, you'll be able to work your way up to your first licensed Sony camera within a few missions, and the photos start to really look sharp. This is where the game becomes even more impressive. For those not trained in photography, the game's simple on screen instructions explain the extensive camera features (that I'd never understood too well myself). The first Sony camera allows you to control aperture and shutter speed, as well as several other options, but also has an Auto setting that doesn't require tampering. I was able to quickly get artistic with my photography, lowering the aperture to capture a zebra in crisp frontal focus while the other zebras were slightly blurred in the background. If the sun was setting, I'd raise the exposure a little--and actually, I experimented for quite a while, changing settings and comparing shots. Need to turn your camera sideways for a vertical shot? Just tilt the controller sideways. The SixAxis function works perfectly here.
There really is a lot to say about this game, and I know this is getting lengthy. It should be noted that the female character in the game is gorgeous, but not in a ridiculous anime way; if you're a male player, she'll provide you with some company on your safari as an NPC. Also, for every animal that you take a photo of, National Geographic has provided a "Geo Afrika" section (accessible from the main menu) that includes incredible, high-definition, full screen photos of the unlocked animals taken by real National Geographic photographers. I have never had the pleasure of seeing photos of this quality displayed in full on my HDMI widescreen monitor... this is something you can share with your friends, a significant other, or siblings/kids. The game itself is rated for age 10 and over, and even when I was photographing a cheetah taking down a gazelle, there wasn't any blood.
So, the bottom line is that if you love exploring--if you love actually escaping from reality and taking a vacation in your own room, and if you also enjoy photography (or would like to learn more about it), then you can't go wrong with Afrika. I know the line "it isn't for everyone" has been used frequently with games, but this may be one of them... however, Afrika has had a much wider appeal than other unusual games, like Flower, judging from the reviews here at Gamespot.
Oh--and Afrika has 45 trophies, including platinum.