So, first thing's first. I have heard tons of people criticize the title for its spelling. Therefore, I'd like to address it. Most vernacular or traditional languages on the continent spell Afrika with a "K". There ya go.
So..there you have it. Afrika is Rhino Studio's first attempt at creating a game on the PS3. Unfortunately, reviews have been mostly unfavorable as it just doesn't appeal to most audiences. Most people I talk to about it just assume it's insanely boring. Actually, I'd be willing to bet that most gamers of today who would even turn it on, wouldn't even last 15 minutes before switching it out for some more Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto. The reason, I believe, is that gamers of today need that constant stimulation of every sense, However, I have always been a huge supporter of new ideas because the thought of another damn shooter makes me want to kill myself. I will admit that my first impressions of Afrika were...
...well, a bit off. Don't get me wrong, I was really excited to play this title regardless, but I was a bit skeptical. I mean, back in the day, Pokemon Snap kicked ass!...but Afrika? Eventually, when I finally did get to playing the game, I was actually pleasantly surprised. The first couple parts of the game are spent riding around with a chauffeur as he shows you a couple of the landscapes. He lets you out of the jeep every now and then so you can get used to the free roam mechanics. (If you get the chance, take a photo of the driver, it's worth it.) I was instantly both amazed and disappointed by the graphics. The animals are beautifully animated with realistic motions and impressive interactions with the environment around them. Also, the camera and camera equipment, at least in the upgrade shop, are quite exquisitely detailed. Even when you are snapping photos and adjusting the camera settings, such as the Aperture or Shutter Speed, it's pretty realistic as to how is affects your photos. Unfortunately however, the environment details is where the graphics fell kinda flat (pun intended.) The ground is mostly nondescript mixtures of greens and browns, and some lazily rendered bushes among the wasteland. There really isn't much to look in the Afrika for quite a while, except some scattered trees and bushes. Speaking of which, the damn bushes will most definitely be your biggest pain in the ass whilst playing this game...I guarantee it. I would like to invite you to just take a look at these methodical..conniving..underhanded...assholes!
LOOK AT THEM!
Countless times have I been driving over the crest of a hill just to find a bush on the other side. You're thinking, "No big deal," right? This wouldn't be a problem, if not for the bushes being made out of wrought fucking iron! My very first time seeing one of these bushes, my thoughts were, "Hmm, this jeep going at 30-40mph and therefore, should just crash right through these puny bushes," but boy was I wrong. No matter how fast you are going, when you crash into the bush, you are brought to a complete stop. Then, you have to wait for you character to finally feel like putting the jeep in reverse. You sit there for a solid 5 seconds or so before the jerk puts the jeep in reverse...and those are some tedious 5 seconds after the 80th or so time you run into a goddamn bush! UGH!
Anyway..
The gameplay works well enough, but definitely could have been touched up to run a little more smoothly. Walking around, driving, crouching and climbing up trees sometimes becomes tedious. There were multiple times where my character decided to run funny while I was trying to make him run away from a pissed off baboon. Damn monkeys made me lose my film so many times...
Something I found rather funny, actually, is the manner in which you lose your film. If you get charged by a rhino, mauled by a hippo, or even trampled by elephants, your character gets away unscathed. He is temporarily knocked out, and you lose all your film. You aren't hurt, your camera stays in perfect shape, but the film that was inside the immaculate camera is destroyed...what the Hell..
Next are the missions. They are presented to your character via in-game email and are the driving force of the game. The missions are always photograph animal "X" doing action "Y" and it doesn't ever get too difficult. Doing missions gives you more money to upgrade your camera and buy more equipment. The missions also allow you to open up more areas to explore and teach you new techniques in photography. Some missions are even for big name companies like National Geographic and your photo will be presented on its cover...you even get an in-game copy of the issue. This game is actually sponsored by a lot of really big name companies including Sony and National Geographic.
I guess, for me, that there is just something satisfying about capturing the perfect shot of a giraffe after being hidden in a tree for several minutes or setting up a trap camera to get pictures of unsuspecting meerkats. My favorite part though, has to be the special event missions. The very first one, you are trying to take a photo of a cheetah hunting an antelope racing over the desert at like 60mph. These event missions are what I look forward to every time I turn on the game because it's just awesome to photograph events like these...
..even if they aren't real. All in all, I think Rhino Studio's had an awesome idea, got really excited, created amazing animals...then half-assed everything else. I haven't even mentioned that there aren't even any voice overs in this game, which is almost a necessity in today's console generation. I did enjoy the game and do not regret for a second making the purchase. If nothing else, I supported a company trying a new idea, which is fucking hard to come by in today's world.
I give Afrika on the PS3...
3/5 Indestructible Bushes!
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