Ladies and gentlemen, I have just conceived of another next-gen Kinect feature: the olfactory sensor. Or smell detector, as laymen may prefer. This component would allow Kinect to detect when your armchair sores are on the verge of turning septic and shut down the console, broadcasting a stern memorandum on the benefits of fresh air, sunlight and good circulation.
More compellingly, the olfactory sensor might also allow deer in Assassin's Creed 3 to scent your unmistakeable odour of stagnant Pot Noodle, lager and Stilton when you stand up-wind of them. Deer seem a bit too easy to entrap right now, happily tolerating the proximity of hooded men holding ominous lengths of bent wood and string. We should probably be thankful, mind you. It's amazing where - or more precisely, what - the slaying of Bambi and his ilk can get you.
You'll be peeling and gutting a lot of animals, whether you make use of the produce or not, because if there's one thing Assassin's Creed 3 is crystal-clear on, it's that Ubisoft didn't raise no wasteful type in young Connor Kenway. Slaughtering the beasts without taking the time to scoop out their innards will eventually desynchronise you from Connor, much like murdering civilians in town. I wonder if the same eco-friendly principle applies when he steps on a spider. Is there much of a market for bits of arachnid among frontier folk, Connor?
Hunting itself is a two-fold business of locating your quarry and contriving to kill it without damaging the precious hide and vital organs. Sure, you can blow Bambi's brains out his ears with a flintlock pistol if you're loaded down with commodities and cash, but frugal operators will close the distance, taking advantage of thick patches of vegetation or low-hanging branches, and gut the poor dear with a hidden blade. Or alternatively, bust out the bow and arrow for a somewhat less damaging ranged kill.
The presence of animals can be deduced from the environment - half-eaten bushes denote rabbits, flat grass equals deer, broken branches are for foxes - which are helpfully flagged with eyeglass symbols. Truth be told, we'd have enjoyed the option to track a creature's spoor without HUD assistance - here's hoping for an optional "purist" mode. Wounded animals leave a blood trail, potentially attracting the attention of (other) predators who must then be soundly thrashed before they abscond with your kill.
12 comments so far...
Bongzilla1878 on 2 Oct '12 said:
I'm not overly impressed with that Moose. Or whatever strange animal that is.
OXM ETboy on 2 Oct '12 said:
Game design doc #12312432: a game where you hunt just the one, incredibly powerful creature around an open world. A dragon, for instance, or King Kong.
Bongzilla1878 on 2 Oct '12 said:
When I think of an incredibly powerful creature in an open World I just can’t help but think of Hulk Hogan in some kind of DIY store (Open World - it does sound like it could be a DIY store or sell baths or something) – obviously this would cause Hulk Hogan some confussion and would lead to him eventually smashing the place up – now that would be a game - make this happen.
OXM ETboy on 2 Oct '12 said:
Game design doc #12312433: a game where you hunt Hulk Hogan in a DIY store.
/Kickstarts
FishyGinger on 3 Oct '12 said:
A game in which you hunt Hulk Hogan whilst playing as Paul Hogan? Pure Guinness
Captain_Chao5 on 3 Oct '12 said:
It's a stag... Did I miss the sarcastic humour in your comment?
Vegetunks9000 on 3 Oct '12 said:
Clearly Hogan would be the boss in this game? Surely you'd have to defeat many Hulkamaniacs to Lvl up, before you take on Hulk Hogan. Only to find you he evolves into the Hulkster after the first initial defeat.
CunningSmile on 3 Oct '12 said:
Who thought the QTEs would be a good idea? Can we hunt him?
Seriously the series has a perfectly good combat system so why not just let us kill packs of wolves in our own way rather than press X to win?
Bongzilla1878 on 4 Oct '12 said:
We should send the perfect hunter after him - Hulk Hogan (maybe he is not the stealthiest of hunters, he hardly blends in with that yellow outfit and all the shouting - but he sure if effective)
FishyGinger on 4 Oct '12 said:
How is everybody missing how great I am!? Paul Hogan is the ultimate hunter and Hulk Hogan is the ultimate prey.
A Hogan vs Hogan in the style of spy vs spy would be possibly the greatest thing ever, after a twix that replaces the caramel with a full sized mars bar.
CunningSmile on 4 Oct '12 said:
I'm getting diabetes just thinking about that
Elizabeth08123 on 6 Oct '12 said:
Cool can't wait need a new game asap