Way of the Hunter Beginner’s Guide: Tips & Tricks for New Hunters

by Mike Alexander / Game Guides, Tips & Tricks / 01 Jan 2022

Nine Rocks Games and THQ Nordic’s Way of the Hunter has just recently been released, bringing along with it one of the most in-depth hunting simulations ever made. Players will step into the shoes of a brand-new owner of a hunting lodge, nestled in lavishly inhabited environments. Carefully study your prey and make your mark to become a top-tier hunter.

However, those less familiar with the mechanics of hunting might find themselves a bit confused in a game they would otherwise enjoy. If you fall in that category, you’ve come to the right place! This Way of the Hunter Beginner’s Guide has plenty of tips & tricks that will help you go from novice to pro hunter in no time! So, when you’re ready to begin your quest, pick up your rifle and let’s get started!

Take in Your Surroundings

In some hunting games, your targets are presented to you, and all you have to do is go to a marked location and take your shot. Way of the Hunter is different. You’ll spend just as much time actually scouting out targets as you will stalking and eventually taking aim at them.

At first, this process might seem a little tedious, but the more you practice, the more in tune with the environment you will become. Carefully listen for tell-tale sounds, make note of any tracks or evidence of different animals that might have passed through a place, and keep your distance so you don’t scare them off. Remember, patience is key in hunting, and it is crucial in Way of the Hunter.

Think Twice, Shoot Once

When you finally have a target in your sights, you should observe for a little while before you pull the trigger. If you miss your shot or injure the animal instead of killing it, you will have failed your hunt. Nobody wants the shame of failure or making an animal suffer needlessly, so make sure you have done all of your prep work beforehand.

One major issue you can run into if you whiff your first shot is needing to track that same animal down all over again. Liek scouting, tracking can be a tedious process, so it’s something you’ll probably only want to do once and then not again for the duration of a hunt. Again, you’re going to want to make that first shot count every time.

Blood on the Tracks

If you don’t land a killshot, the animal will shuffle away as quickly as it can, which, as mentioned before, will send you into another tracking phase. Should you end up in this unfortunate position, here’s a little tip: carefully study the shape and patterns of the blood spatters on the ground where the animal was.

The shape of these marks will always point you toward the next one, which can be a much easier way to track an animal down, though you’ll be dealing with a lower-quality trophy. Just make sure to check the distance every few yards, you don’t want to stumble onto the animal and scare it off again!

Study Your Marks

The more hunts you complete, the more knowledge you should be gaining from each animal you hunt. Don’t make the mistake of merely treating your marks as video game shooting targets, because you will miss out on a large part of what makes Way of the Hunter great.

The developers spent a lot of time and took careful steps to make sure the animals’ behavior is as realistic as possible. If you pay attention during your hunts, you should be able to build up a knowledge base about the animals in the game that you can use for future hunts, or even online hunting parties with your friends.

Take Time to Explore

If you find that it’s taking a long time to find a target, don’t stress out or rush the process. Way of the Hunter has been lovingly crafted to have beautiful, realistic environments and scenery. It has all of the wonder of the great outdoors without the weather and bugs!

You’ll have to uncover the maps through your own exploration anyways, so the more ground you cover, the more information you’ll have available to you for next time. Also, it is important to note that these maps are HUGE. you could spend hours looking around and traveling all over, but thankfully, there is a fast travel system in the game. In your exploration you will often find campsites that you can teleport to at will.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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