It Means No Worries

The PS3 exclusive title "Afrika" has received little attention in the months leading up to its Japanese release this past Thursday, which makes sense considering there have been no announcements promising either European or North American versions. But if you look a little closer you may just realize it's a rare game that deserves a second look and a worldwide release.

Hilariously retitled "Hakuna Matata" for it's Asian release, Afrika lets you step into the shoes of a wildlife photographer working in - you guessed it - Africa! Rhino Studios has meticulously recreated the African biomes as well as their respective fauna. You'll see stampeding water buffalo and cheetahs on the hunt. No word on lion cubs being held up to holy light by baboons though.



Although the environments are expansive you are relegated to the passenger seat while in the Jeep. Upon arriving at your destination you take control of the photographer from a 3rd-person perspective, allowing you to approach and position yourself for that perfect shot. Once you are satisfied, returning to base camp lets you to submit your shots via laptop where they are scored based on their angle, target, distance, and technique. The better your score the bigger your reward. Spending that reward nets you upgrades and new cameras, which are real Sony SLRs with all the features you'd expect, or goes towards completing your National Geographic animal library. The library contains stats, photographs, and real-life videos of all the animals featured in the game. From the looks of it, the library seems vast enough to keep even the most obsessive collector entertained for a long time. As if that wasn't enough the game features a fully orchestrated soundtrack from composer Wataru Hokoyama.

I have fond memories of Pokemon Snap! for the N64 and I am very excited for Afrika. It holds promise of a game world you can get lost in. It would be great if the game let you use your own brain to figure out and predict different animals' behavior and movement patterns throughout the day, instead of holding your hand. Rather than memorizing the quirks of a completely isolated game world, you could take pride in having learned about a real world ecosystem. Above all, Afrika looks like something different; and when your looking at a release calendar of gritty, in-your-face, adrenaline-addled games - different is good.