Published , by Bill Lavoy
Published , by Bill Lavoy
There’s no shortage of beautiful reserves in theHunter: Call of the Wild, but Revontuli Coast was quick to join my list of favorite locations to visit. The latest reserve added to Expansive Worlds’ growing hunting game, Revontuli Coast is based in Finland as part of Northern Europe and reminds me of what it’s like to be in Northern Ontario, Canada, where I’m from. It had been about a year since I’d taken a walk in theHunter: Call of the Wild, and this seemed like the perfect DLC for me to dive back in.
When you first step foot into Revontuli Coast, you’ll be greeted by a guide that talks you through the ins and outs of the reserve, giving you a short quest to get familiar with the location and what you should expect while you’re visiting. I started out following the objectives of this casual quest - which is literally a walk in the park - and I might have lasted three minutes before I was sidetracked.
The first animal I spotted was a Lynx taking a drink by the water. I wasn’t close, nor did I have the proper weapon or ammunition required to hunt it, so I simply observed through my binoculars and let it go about its business. Call of the Wild may be about hunting, but it’s also about hunting responsibly, and I wasn’t able to do that. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with seeing a beautiful animal in the wild and just appreciating it every now and then.
What I was prepared to do was make my way to the lake where I saw the Lynx drinking and deploy my Waterfowl Layout Blind, new with the reserve. I’ve never been big into hunting waterfowl, but Revontuli Coast features loads of them among the 19 species that populate this location. The blind deploys directly on the water, and hunters can climb in and enjoy a 360-degree view while remaining well concealed. I managed to take down a Canadian Goose before I decided to get back on the trail and follow along with this introductory quest.
I knew that Revontuli Coast featured Moose and Brown Bears in addition to the Lynx and plethora of waterfowl, so I took a quick moment to configure the Item Wheel accordingly, which is also new with this DLC. You can configure it from your inventory menu by dragging and dropping items onto it, and you can bring it up while hunting by pressing down on the middle mouse button. You can also take items from your Inventory and drop them onto compatible equipment already in the Item Wheel, such as the proper ammunition for a weapon. It took a minute to get used to, but the Item Wheel feels like a step in the right direction.
Speaking of the right direction, I managed to stay on the quest for a little while, but I soon discovered a highway running through Revontuli Coast. I quickly unlocked a camp I’d found from a lookout point and grabbed my ATV. If you know anything about hunting, you’re aware that driving a loud ATV down a highway is a good way not to have a successful hunt, but I just wanted to sightsee for the time being. There would be time to hunt later, but what drew me in more than anything was the desire to understand this new reserve in Call of the Wild.
My travels through Revontuli Coast did eventually bring me a nice Moose and two Brown Bears, all hunted using the proper weapon and ammunition, and all taken down with proper shots to vital organs. That aspect was secondary on my first trip through this new reserve. Hunting is about more than just finding the perfect animal, stalking it, and landing the perfect shot. It’s about getting to know every inch of the land well. Taking a walk in the woods and finding what will soon be your favorite spot. Knowing when you see a set of tracks that they’re likely headed to the lake a short distance away and planning your approach accordingly. Revontuli Coast felt like I was taking a walk in the woods behind my childhood home. It’s a whole new playground for hunters to explore in Call of the Wild, and I can’t wait to dive back in.
These impressions are based on a Steam key provided by Expansive Worlds and Avalanche Studios. Revontuli Coast is out now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One for $7.99 USD.