UPDATED March 16 2023

It’s been almost 4 years, numerous updates, a complete change in intended game structure, and 1000 play hours since my initial review. I think it’s time for an update!

PROS
+ Game has been revamped from the original to fit the modern gamine era
+ Lots of customization options for your wolf. Since the original release, DLCs have added even more options.
+ Bigger, more detailed world maps than the original game, being 7x7 km compared to the original game’s 2x2 km (Lost River map DLC is 8x8 km).
+ Features are based off of real life wolf research, providing a balance between authenticity and gameplay.
+ NPC AI has been vastly improved, now freely wandering the map instead of being isolated to specific areas like the old game.
+ Stats System is not static and changes as your wolf ages, giving value to having different aged wolves for MultiPlalyer games.
+ Pups do not get hungry quickly like the old game, allowing one to take the time to coo at and enjoy them.
+ Achievements to work toward, none of which involve killing 10+ of a specific animal.
+ Seasons having unique aspects of weather, like deep snow to trudge through in winter, and seasonal flooding swamping everything during a specific point in spring, making you navigate differently.
+ Territory system has been revamped so you do not have to worry about it so much.
+ The cattle ranch from the original game makes a return (in the form of DLC).
+ BEAVERS AS PREY VIA AN AMBUSH MECHANIC MY BELOVED–

CONS
- Game still has some optimization issues, though that is continuously worked on
- Some aspects of gameplay feel like something is missing, but can’t put a finger on what
- Sleep drain sometimes feels a little too fast (20 min or so to hit 0), would be nice if it were longer
- Some little things that are frustrations, but not game or deal breaking

- - - - - - - - - -

I’ve played WolfQuest since the original release in 2007. I was a little kid then, and am an adult now, but my love for the game has never waned. It’s actually the game that got me into seriously pursuing art and looking into game development as a career, but that’s not the subject here. WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition is very much the game that I dreamed it could be back then, and I imagine I am not the only one. Seeing it able to reach the potential it actually has - especially with the development decision to change structure to an open-ended one with the Saga - warms my heart and I am so happy I get to see it happen and be a part of it.

As of this updated review, the current playable portion of the game is very much like the old game: episodic level = gameplay format, where you find a mate in Amethyst Mountain, then raise pups in Slough Creek to a certain point in time in the pups’ lives. It’s kind of funny how the game’s main changing point in structure has left it locked in this point of progression like the last game, but there are features put in place that provide a stable gameplay loop while the rest of the game (the Saga) is completed. Those things are:

- The Skip to Next Year button. When you finish a litter, this button allows you to sort of do a “NG+” type of thing where you raise a different litter, but retain the same territory as the previous one. I call this a “NG+” type thing because it functions more like a ‘reset’ of quests but you don’t lose progress from things before (territory, litters in family tree, etc).

- The Lost River Map DLC. It’s a whopping 8x8 km sized re-imagining of the fictional map from the original game. A huge amount of detail has gone into this map, and the currently available game loop (from Learn to Hunt quest to Endless Summer with pups) is playable here.

As well with these things, a lot has simply been added to the game since my original 2019 review that the original game simply did not have, including:

- Baby ungulates in spring to hunt! No longer stuck with older calves or adults to choose from, WolfQuest now has young calves and fawns you can find hidden in the grass, and then eventually following their mothers in their herds.

- Beavers as prey. This is the one prey animal in game where you are encouraged to use stealth, and it has a specific mechanic where you can crouch down and wait for a beaver to come along their well worn trails to attack. It’s my favorite thing to hunt now.

- Elk can now trip when running, which provides a potential advantage for you.

- Age Perks and Attributes. These replace the old game’s stat system, and are a lot more organic than the original game as well. Age Perks change as your wolf ages, showing the experience and the slow decline of their physical abilities, and Attributes are balanced in that to make one stronger, you have to weaken another. It’s nice. I like it.

- Injuries. This system is only for the wolves, but it is now possible to get injured. There are two types known as minor and major that give attribute penalties. Major injuries have their own unique limping animations.

- Achievements have been added, and there’s a large variety of them. Some may be considered ‘grindy’, but none of them are ‘kill 50 elk’ or ‘chase off 100 eagles’ like the old game, so that’s good enough for me.

Like any video-game, however, there are some things that are a bit odd or negative. These are personally just nitpicks of mine since they aren’t game breaking, just stuff I noticed either while playing or from discussions that stick out to me.

- Standoffs feel like something is missing. Whether it’s bears or moose or elk protecting calves, it often results in going in a somewhat dizzying circle trying to scare it off. I can’t put my finger on what it is that it might need or benefit from, however, so this is a minor nitpick.

- Isolating elk out of their herds. During the original release, being closely behind a targeted elk would eventually spook it and have it veer off away from its herd. This seems to have disappeared over time due to tweaks and changes. I’m hoping it will come back with the new AI system that was mentioned in a previous devblog.

- Wakefulness. I genuinely love how this is a need compared to say, thirst, and that it impacts your ability when you are overtired, but after playing so much, 20 minutes in single player truly does feel a bit short. I know it’s not as easy to just “change the setting from 20 min to 25 min”, but I do wish the time was a smidge longer. Or that there was an age perk where your wolf could go longer before needing to sleep.

The few negative things aside, the game all comes together into something that’s… really interesting and fun to play. Not obsessively of course since it’s incomplete, but in bursts it is a nice romp to take a break from the real world and immerse oneself in this simulated reality of a wolf’s life.

To be honest, I think the reason I love the game so much though is how a lot of it is built based off of real wolf research, and that in a variety of ways, players actually react to that gameplay the same way real wolves do. For example, lots of people do not like hunting mule deer, because they are so fast and thus give up pretty quickly. Wolves in real life also do this, give up quickly when it’s clear the deer has a lead. This aspect of the game, being educational in this way even if people don’t fully know it, has me confident that the game is on the right path, and I can’t wait to see what comes of the future.

UPDATED March 16 2023 It’s been almost 4 years, numerous updates, a complete change in intended game structure, and 1000 play hours since my initial review. I think it’s time for an update! PROS + Game has been revamped from the original to fit the modern gamine era + Lots of customization options for your wolf. Since the original release, DLCs have added even more options. + Bigger, more detailed world maps than the original game, being 7x7 km compared to the original game’s 2x2 km (Lost River map DLC is 8x8 km). + Features are based off of real life wolf research, providing a balance between authenticity and gameplay. + NPC AI has been vastly improved, now freely wandering the map instead of being isolated to specific areas like the old game. + Stats System is not static and changes as your wolf ages, giving value to having different aged wolves for MultiPlalyer games. + Pups do not get hungry quickly like the old game, allowing one to take the time to coo at and enjoy them. + Achievements to work toward, none of which involve killing 10+ of a specific animal. + Seasons having unique aspects of weather, like deep snow to trudge through in winter, and seasonal flooding swamping everything during a specific point in spring, making you navigate differently. + Territory system has been revamped so you do not have to worry about it so much. + The cattle ranch from the original game makes a return (in the form of DLC). + BEAVERS AS PREY VIA AN AMBUSH MECHANIC MY BELOVED– CONS - Game still has some optimization issues, though that is continuously worked on - Some aspects of gameplay feel like something is missing, but can’t put a finger on what - Sleep drain sometimes feels a little too fast (20 min or so to hit 0), would be nice if it were longer - Some little things that are frustrations, but not game or deal breaking - - - - - - - - - - I’ve played WolfQuest since the original release in 2007. I was a little kid then, and am an adult now, but my love for the game has never waned. It’s actually the game that got me into seriously pursuing art and looking into game development as a career, but that’s not the subject here. WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition is very much the game that I dreamed it could be back then, and I imagine I am not the only one. Seeing it able to reach the potential it actually has - especially with the development decision to change structure to an open-ended one with the Saga - warms my heart and I am so happy I get to see it happen and be a part of it. As of this updated review, the current playable portion of the game is very much like the old game: episodic level = gameplay format, where you find a mate in Amethyst Mountain, then raise pups in Slough Creek to a certain point in time in the pups’ lives. It’s kind of funny how the game’s main changing point in structure has left it locked in this point of progression like the last game, but there are features put in place that provide a stable gameplay loop while the rest of the game (the Saga) is completed. Those things are: - The Skip to Next Year button. When you finish a litter, this button allows you to sort of do a “NG+” type of thing where you raise a different litter, but retain the same territory as the previous one. I call this a “NG+” type thing because it functions more like a ‘reset’ of quests but you don’t lose progress from things before (territory, litters in family tree, etc). - The Lost River Map DLC. It’s a whopping 8x8 km sized re-imagining of the fictional map from the original game. A huge amount of detail has gone into this map, and the currently available game loop (from Learn to Hunt quest to Endless Summer with pups) is playable here. As well with these things, a lot has simply been added to the game since my original 2019 review that the original game simply did not have, including: - Baby ungulates in spring to hunt! No longer stuck with older calves or adults to choose from, WolfQuest now has young calves and fawns you can find hidden in the grass, and then eventually following their mothers in their herds. - Beavers as prey. This is the one prey animal in game where you are encouraged to use stealth, and it has a specific mechanic where you can crouch down and wait for a beaver to come along their well worn trails to attack. It’s my favorite thing to hunt now. - Elk can now trip when running, which provides a potential advantage for you. - Age Perks and Attributes. These replace the old game’s stat system, and are a lot more organic than the original game as well. Age Perks change as your wolf ages, showing the experience and the slow decline of their physical abilities, and Attributes are balanced in that to make one stronger, you have to weaken another. It’s nice. I like it. - Injuries. This system is only for the wolves, but it is now possible to get injured. There are two types known as minor and major that give attribute penalties. Major injuries have their own unique limping animations. - Achievements have been added, and there’s a large variety of them. Some may be considered ‘grindy’, but none of them are ‘kill 50 elk’ or ‘chase off 100 eagles’ like the old game, so that’s good enough for me. Like any video-game, however, there are some things that are a bit odd or negative. These are personally just nitpicks of mine since they aren’t game breaking, just stuff I noticed either while playing or from discussions that stick out to me. - Standoffs feel like something is missing. Whether it’s bears or moose or elk protecting calves, it often results in going in a somewhat dizzying circle trying to scare it off. I can’t put my finger on what it is that it might need or benefit from, however, so this is a minor nitpick. - Isolating elk out of their herds. During the original release, being closely behind a targeted elk would eventually spook it and have it veer off away from its herd. This seems to have disappeared over time due to tweaks and changes. I’m hoping it will come back with the new AI system that was mentioned in a previous devblog. - Wakefulness. I genuinely love how this is a need compared to say, thirst, and that it impacts your ability when you are overtired, but after playing so much, 20 minutes in single player truly does feel a bit short. I know it’s not as easy to just “change the setting from 20 min to 25 min”, but I do wish the time was a smidge longer. Or that there was an age perk where your wolf could go longer before needing to sleep. The few negative things aside, the game all comes together into something that’s… really interesting and fun to play. Not obsessively of course since it’s incomplete, but in bursts it is a nice romp to take a break from the real world and immerse oneself in this simulated reality of a wolf’s life. To be honest, I think the reason I love the game so much though is how a lot of it is built based off of real wolf research, and that in a variety of ways, players actually react to that gameplay the same way real wolves do. For example, lots of people do not like hunting mule deer, because they are so fast and thus give up pretty quickly. Wolves in real life also do this, give up quickly when it’s clear the deer has a lead. This aspect of the game, being educational in this way even if people don’t fully know it, has me confident that the game is on the right path, and I can’t wait to see what comes of the future.