Obtrusive ads, lackluster design limit Bear Hunt's potential
Bear Hunt is a simple time killer in which you're given a slingshot to target bears nearby in the forest. As they walk by or potentially attack, pull the sling back to hit them with a boulder. The game features a few modes like classic and time race, plus online multiplayer. The goal is to reach each level's target score and best it in the next level. It also has a few other tricks up its sleeve too like a secret rocket launcher. Bear Hunt is completely free and available for iPhone and iPad.
I don't like to start off on a bad note, but in this case it's completely warranted. Just about everything with this game's design is cringeworthy. The animations and graphics are amateur, navigation is inconsistent and the number of pop-up ads is just shameful. It's even more frustrating tapping the "X" and accidentally tapping the ad and getting yanked out of the app. This seriously hinders the usability of the game and deserves attention.
Moving along after that brief rant, let's get to the meat of Bear Hunt. Starting off in single player mode, you have Classic mode, Time Race and Practice to choose from. Classic starts out with just walking bears, but eventually the attack setting unlocks where they get a bit more aggressive.
Regardless, you get one minute and 30 seconds to reach the target score. Achieve this by using your slingshot on the bears. The farther away the bear, the more points you score for hitting it. Hit the same bear up to three times to completely destroy it and gain points each time.
In Time Race, the target score becomes not a matter of if you get there, but rather a matter of when. A stopwatch begins when you press Play and you have to race to reach your target score and beat the record each level in seconds and minutes.
At any point a bunny might appear out of the ground for a few seconds. If you successfully take a shot at the bunny, your slingshot turns into a rocket launcher which automatically targets and destroys all bears within your field of vision for the next few shots or so, granting you the chance to quickly rack up points.
Multiplayer mode uses a third-party service to set up matches between Facebook friends or other online players, but it doesn't always work and it's ultimately pretty forgettable.
Bear Hunt doesn't have any in-app purchases, but wow for once do I absolutely wish there was. I can't make it through a single round without up to three ads appearing all at once. Even just a US$0.99 upgrade to get rid of the ads that haunt me once and for all would suffice.
Fun to play in practice, but Bear Hunt lacks solid design and stability. I can't possibly overstate how annoying those ads are, too. You might get some enjoyment out of it if you need to kill a few minutes of time, but you won't miss out on much by passing up on this download. Bear Hunt is free for iOS in the App Store.
