Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 382 sampled Steam reviews (331 positive / 51 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Visuals & art6% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Visuals & art16% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
64%
72 reviews
5-15h
90%
94 reviews
15-40h
95%
93 reviews
40-100h
94%
63 reviews
100h+
88%
60 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 68 | 8 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 89% | 83 | 1306 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 65 | 16 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 87% | 81 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 16, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 5267 total reviews in window · weighted 230.8 up / 19 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (32)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“TheHunter: Call of the Wild is clearly one of the very good hunting simulators. The behaviour of the animals is absolutely logical and corresponds to reality. Graphically, it is a gem that is pleasing to the eye, and if you have the opportunity to play on a powerful machine, you will really enjoy this pleasure to the fullest. Thanks to a large variety of DLC, you can venture to virtually every known corner of the world. Unfortunately, the game also has a few lingering bugs in the form of game getting stuck on rocks. If you're also one of the achievement hunters on Steam, you're going to cry here. There are several achievements in the game that are buggy. You'll never get the two extra achievements because it was just a seasonal Halloween event from 2018.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Call of The Wild feels like a step back from classic theHunter. Even without microtransactions, the game facilitates way too much tracking animals, and removes the thrilling feeling of finding your target.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“It's not that it's a pure niche piece of software, as every single simulation game is like that. theHunter: Call of the Wild's biggest issue is that it got released in a pretty bad state, and still hasn't been fixed… And it's a real shame, because, when it decides to work, it can be quite the immersive experience and feels a lot closer to what it wants to - the best of its kind.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“theHunter: Call of the Wild clearly provides with a realistic feel of hunting. Seasoned hunters would adore it, but it may push away casual players.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“theHunter: Call of the Wild totes itself as offering "the most immersive hunting experience ever created" and while it has more than its share of charm, to label it as such is a bit steep. Whether you are trekking through the American Pacific Northwest at the Layton Lake District hunting reserve, or you are slumming through the Hirschfelden Hunting Reserve, a digital re-representation of German farmlands, theHunter: Call of the Wild is fun at first, but devolves into a mind-numbing walk through the 50-square mile, Apex-generated environment that tends to drive you to bored wandering. It sure is pretty though.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“In the end, theHunter: Call of the Wild is a more defined niche game in what is already a niche category. There isn't much appeal for hunting games to begin with, and an even smaller group wants a hunting simulator, especially when there is already a free-to-play version. However, this is a game that requires patience for both the hunting process and the bugs that come along with it. If you can live with that, and you're lucky enough to get a friend or two to join in, then you'll find the game to be a good time. Otherwise, try out the free-to-play version to see if this pacing is right for you.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“TheHunter: Call of the Wild is a game that will appeal to those who have a genuine passion for hunting, but due to the general lack of content, a poor UI and the horrendous movement speed, I don't think those outside of the hunting world will enjoy it.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“When theHunter: Call of the Wild works properly, it’s still going to be a game that only those with the patience of a saint would enjoy. It’s very slow, full of barriers, and isn’t very exciting. That’s not to say it’s not completely without merit as it’s a stunner to look at and there are rare occasions where everything comes together to make a compelling experience. Just note that those rare occasions are few and far between.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Boasts some beautiful, convincing countryside to hunt in, but the glacial pace will challenge the limits of most people’s patience.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“If hunting is your bag then theHunter is a game which could very much tick all the right boxes for you. Compared to the competition I’ve experienced this is right there at the top of the pile, and it’s a game which is only going to grow as Expansive Worlds continues to layer it with more content.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If you're looking for a hunting game to tide you over, this may be the game for you. It's not for people who don't have patience and want a quick kill.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you wouldn't normally touch a hunting game, I'd urge you to view theHunter: Call of the Wild as the ultimate "walking simulator" and give it a fair shake of the shotgun. I don't regret the many rewarding hours I ploughed into this engaging, immersive safari and can see myself returning to theHunter: Call of the Wild's wonderful wilderness again and again.”
read full review ↗
Gaming Professors
Hu3br
Cubed3
Chalgyr's Game Room
Worth Playing
GameGrin
TheSixthAxis
PC Gamer
Game Debate
GamingBolt
GameSpew…and 20 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- German Shorthaired Pointer DLC FixJul 23, 2026
- Hotfix 9.2.1 NotesJul 14, 2026
- Peru Hunting Reserve | Out now!Jun 16, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes | Patch 9.2Jun 15, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Peru Hunting Reserve｜June 16thJun 2, 2026
- Community Update (with Q&A!)May 22, 2026
- Patch 9.1 NotesApr 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Multi-Class Weapon Pack | April 14thApr 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- The Game Feeder Pack 2 | Out now!Feb 24, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes | Patch 9.0Feb 23, 2026
- Game Feeder Pack 2 | Wishlist now!Feb 17, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Scotland Hunting Reserve is Out Now!Dec 9, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Patch Notes | Patch 8.4Dec 8, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Pre-release Livestream and other updatesDec 5, 2025
- Premium Trophy Mount Pack｜December 9thNov 27, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Scotland Hunting Reserve｜December 9thNov 18, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 8.4｜December 9thNov 14, 2025
- Hotfix 8.3.1Oct 30, 2025
- Patch Notes | Patch 8.3Oct 21, 2025
- Hotfix 8.2.1Sep 9, 2025
- Patch 8.2 NotesAug 25, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Community Challenge FixJul 1, 2025
- Alberta Hunting Preserve is Out Now!Jun 17, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Snowfall Update Patch NotesJun 16, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Rapid Hunt Rifle Pack – Out Now!Mar 25, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- The Rapid Hunt Rifle Pack releases March 25thMar 18, 2025
- Small HotfixDec 18, 2024
- The Winter Hotfix is now live!Dec 10, 2024
- Winter Update, Salzwiesen Park, Pointer, & Bolt-Action RiflesDec 3, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Winter Preview Show - New Hunting Content Coming this December!Nov 19, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Scopes and Crosshairs Pack is Out NowSep 24, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Bugfix PatchJul 23, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Sundarpatan Nepal Hunting Reserve is Out Now!Jun 18, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Sundarpatan Nepal Hunting ReserveMay 28, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- High Caliber Weapon Pack | Out NOW!Mar 12, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Out Now | Labrador Retriever & Companion PatchNov 28, 2023
…and 4 earlier patch announcements.