There are few games like Red Dead Redemption or, indeed, its excellent sequel. Rockstar crafted two near-perfect open-world titles that prioritized realism and grounded, heartbreaking narratives above all else to such a profoundly perfect extent that it feels almost impossible for any game to ever compare. That being said, there have been attempts at replicating the success of Rockstar’s Wild West simulator, or taking influence from certain features and mechanics.
As a result, while we rarely get any games that come close to achieving the same level of brilliance as RDR, there are plenty of games inspired by Red Dead Redemption that do a good job of offering fans something akin to it, in one way or another. This is the case with a recent title that blends one of the most enjoyable activities mastered in Red Dead Redemption 2 with, rather surprisingly, dinosaurs. While one may not believe a Red Dead Redemption meets Jurassic Park-style game would work, this time it might just.
Lost Ages Hunting is the debut title from indie developer HighlandsTeam and, as it sounds, is a game all about hunting dinosaurs. The game is entering Steam Early Access in July, with the initial release allowing players to traipse around a large open-world hunting six different types of dinosaurs in a prehistoric-themed map. The developer hopes to add more maps, including an Ice Age map and a post-apocalyptic one, each of which will give the player even more creatures to hunt.
It is taking the hunting game genre to the extreme, something that fans of Red Dead Redemption 2’s in-depth hunting mechanics will appreciate, and boasts multiple weapons, hunting equipment, the ability to take dinosaur and assorted creature parts as trophies, night vision hunting an more. Lost Ages Hunting could end up becoming an ambitious hunting simulator with a fantastical twist, should developer HighlandsTeam manage to flawlessly execute its Early Access period.
A potential downside is that its developer has disclosed rather heavy usage of AI in the game’s development. It states in its mandatory AI disclosure on Steam that the game includes “pre-generated assets created with the assistance of generative AI tools,” and that “selected store capsule artwork, promotional artwork, UI-related graphics, and selected music/audio elements” may include AI.
Frankly, if you enjoy hunting in Red Dead Redemption and have an affinity for dinosaurs, or, better still, killing them, then Lost Ages Hunting may just be the indie game for you. At the very least, it looks set to be a fun way to pass the time as one waits for the upcoming official Jurassic Park game. Fortunately, a free demo is available on Steam right now for those on the fence or keen to see what this Red Dead Redemption-esque hunting game with dinosaurs is all about.
Sure, Lost Ages Hunting isn’t going to be anything like the rumored and divisive Red Dead Redemption 3, but it does feel like a game perfectly suited to those who enjoy taking in the scenery and patiently stalking the legendary animals in RDR2. There’s also no denying that dinosaurs are cool, and any game centered around these criminally underutilized creatures, Red Dead Redemption-inspired or not, is probably going to be at least a little bit fun.
- Released
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October 26, 2018
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Engine
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RAGE
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
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N/A
- Cross Save
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N/A