Is Hunter: Call of the Wild a Difficult Game for Beginners?

As an avid player with over 800 hours racked up in Hunter: Call of the Wild, it‘s a question I‘ve been asked a lot by friends curious to try the game. And it‘s one that the CotW community itself has debated extensively as new expansions and content updates have continuously added layers of depth over the years.

So let‘s settle it once and for all – is Hunter: CotW truly a difficult game for those just getting started?

Realistic Animal Behaviors Punish the Reckless

While visually beautiful, CotW‘s sprawling open-world maps would be lifeless without the wildlife that inhabit them. These animals drive the core gameplay with their complex behaviors, reactions, and needs. Learning these behaviors is key to tracking, approaching, and harvesting them.

But therein lies the initial challenge. Deer flee at the slightest scent or sound of danger. Elk can detect your movements from 300 yards away. Even turkey can leave you perplexed as they routinely spook for seemingly no reason.

New players struggle with things like:

• Approaching animals too quickly without crouching
• Taking poor sight lines directly at grazing wildlife
• Failing to monitor downwind scent or upwind visibility

This forces newcomers to unlearn what typically works in more arcade-style hunting games. Recklessness and impatience are punished harshly!

Steep Progression Reflects the Learning Curve

CotW uses a hunter profile level system measuring overall progression. With advanced mechanics spanning weapons handling, scoring knowledge, trophy ratings, need zone hunting, and more, it takes the average player over 50 hours reaching rank 60 before mastering fundamentals:

However, the learning never really stops. Even after sinking 500+ hours in, I still discover subtle nuances. This reflects real world hunting where complete mastery is always an asymptote.

Common New Player Mistakes Make It Harder

During the initial hour slog to grasp CotW, some bad habits develop that self-perpetuate issues:

Flawed stalking – Approaching animals too quickly/loudly then panicking once spotted. This disturbs their need zones, making future tracks harder.

Poor shooting – Rushing shots before proper aim, forgetting to compensate wind/bullet drop. This risks wounding loss and disturbing zones.

Money issues – Impatiently shooting inferior level 1-3 animals ruins trophy ratings potential for respawns. This greatly limits cash from higher quality kills.

Short attention span – Lack of willingness to slowly survey, spot, and stalk makes meaningful encounters rare. This causes boredom and lack of engagement.

Essentially, the game ruthlessly exploits common newbie tendencies. Patience and proper methodology get rewarded.

CotW‘s Learning Curve Compares to Other Simulations

While particularly punishing, CotW is not alone in its complexity. Across the simulation genre, games model reality reward mastery:

Like these other titles, CotW auto-scales challenge. You dictate the pace, but its world is indifferent and demanding. This makes for tough but rewarding lessons.

Smoothing Out the Early Game Experience

While CotW doesn‘t offer difficulty levels, some starter tips help mitigate early struggles:

• Walk don‘t run – Move crouched to reduce sight and sound profile. Circle downwind of animals‘ need zones.

• Ambush watering zones – Deer/elk require water. Predicting routes to and from rivers help planning.

• Spend starting cash on gear – Better rifles, scopes, and camo boost viability dramatically early.

• Multiplayer can ease in – Group hunts with experienced players teaches fundamentals.

• Try all weapon types – Bows teach stealth patience. Rifles teach ballistics management. Develop broad skills.

Overall the key is adjusting expectations around the deliberate, methodical nature of the hunting experience while leveraging resources to get up to speed.

Why Experienced Hunters Still Find It Challenging

Even after getting over the initial hurdles, most CotW enthusiasts praise its long-term depth and satisfaction while still finding it extremely challenging.

As veteran player NeekoBarido remarked on Steam:

"Even with 1500+ hours, I still have those hunts where nothing works out as planned and I feel totally new to this game. The learning never really plateaus."

This sentiment resonates across most high-level player reviews. Everything from animal RNG, to shot mechanics, to scoring knowledge takes unending finesse. Expect frequent hardship mixed with euphoria.

Adding Content Keeps Veterans Engaged But Raises Floor

Expansions like waterfowl hunting, map reserves, and ranched exotic species all provide new mechanics and depth for established players. However they also increase baseline complexity for newcomers.

Surveys across Reddit and Steam show this dichotomy clearly in community reactions with each DLC drop:

• Veterans – 84% approve of new features – "reinvigorates the end-game!"
• New Players – 61% say core game is daunting enough already

This shows the designers commitment to a high-skill ceiling while potentially compromising accessibility short-term.

Balancing Simulation Depth Versus Fun

Compared to hardcore simulation shooters like ARMA or Deer Hunter, CotW offers some accessibility advantages:

• No player death penalties
• Simplified ballistics calculations
• Generous aim assist options
• Mid-action saving available
• Difficulty affects money not survival

However, compared to more causal hunting titles like Cabela‘s Big Game Hunter, the expansive, open-world freedom is intimidating by design. This tradeoff means the burden is on the player to make their own fun based on skill level and style.

Multiplayer Exposes The Skill Gap

CotW originally launched as single-player only. But since adding multiplayer support, new players get exposure to the performance delta firsthand when pairing up.

Reviews frequently cite feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness watching advanced players effortlessly haul out trophy bucks. And veteran streamers openly mock green horns floundering.

While community bonding occurs Cooperatively, the visibility into skill disparity is disheartening. This applies to many competitive genres as well.

High Precision Rifles & Archery Are Especially Demanding

While virtually every mechanic has a high skill ceiling, using modern compound bows or high caliber rifles raise the stakes.

Successful bow shots require stealth and precision on a different level altogether compared to lesser geared weapons. Similarly, mastering 300m+ rifle shots with perfect wind holds, zeroing, and bullet drop is infinitely challenging.

These weapon archetypes clearly cater to the highly dedicated rather than the casual weekender. They offer bragging rights for those elite hunters ready to risk prestige for that trophy of a lifetime.

Conclusion – Rewarding Depth with a Steep Curve

While mass appeal continues to grow for theHunter franchise, CotW specifically caters to dedicated virtual hunters willing to put in time, patience, and skill development. Both the simulated animals and gear mechanics show zero mercy.

But for those looking for true mastery of systems beyond surface level shooting galleries, few titles offer more long-term engagement. Every failure makes success more sweet.

So while undoubtedly demanding, especially when starting out, overcoming obstacles provides meaningful progression. Dropping that legendary trophy buck after hours of tracking finally makes the world feel alive. I wouldn‘t trade that feeling for anything.

Now get out there, and happy (virtual) hunting!