Welcome to Africa

In the days when developers were trying to pioneer into new frontier, many great games came into existence, one of them being Pokémon Snap. Combining the wonderful world of Pokémon with an on-rails simulation game where players took photos of Pokémon, Pokémon Snap proved that Pokémon isn’t your standard role-playing series.

Now, over a decade later, a long-awaited sequel finally arrives on the PlayStation 3… well, sort of. Though a direct sequel to Pokémon Snap never really materialized, gamers longed for the day when they could reunite with their camera and go wild snapping photos. Since Nintendo never stepped up to the batting plate yet with a sequel, SCEA thought it should step in and deliver an experience very similar to that of Pokémon Snap. Substituting Pokémon with wild African animals and altering the story, SCEA’s Afrika looks like it may just be what gamers were starving for.

African Adventure

In a nutshell, the protagonist of Afrika assumes the role of a photojournalist hired to snap photos of the exotic animals of Africa. Gameplay is mission-driven, though you are free to take photos to your heart’s content. At a base camp, which acts as the game’s central hub, players will receive e-mails that ask them to complete specific objects. After receiving an e-mail, players can then travel by foot, jeep, or hot air balloon to locations where animals can be found.

While on foot, Afrika allows players to maneuver and strafe using the left analog stick and survey their surroundings using the right one. In addition to this, by pressing down on the controller, you can make your character bend down a little. In this pose, players can ready their camera and camera lenses, snapping photos of wildlife in their natural habitats.

Watch Out for the Lion!

Perhaps the most unique feature of Afrika is the ability to customize your camera and its accessories. As one would assume, different cameras and accessories each have different abilities, so one item may be able to take clearer pictures of wildlife but another may be capable of zooming in further.

Much like their real life counterparts, the virtual animals of Afrika disperse themselves from their herds if they sense danger. The key to taking photos of them is to slowly, and quietly, walk up to them and try not to be noticed. If you successfully get near them without being seen or heard, you can go crazy snapping photos.

Now, seeing as animals don’t like being disturbed, driving up to them in the jeep won’t quite work. The best way to slowly approach them is by foot. If they really start to get on your nerves, don’t try to run them over. You will only be halted before you hit it and your partner will warn you about getting too close to animals.

Can PlayStation 3 Owners Can Go to Africa Soon?

At the end of the day, Afrika looks to be a promising safari simulation game and a spiritual successor to the Nintendo 64 classic Pokémon Snap. Though it remains to be seen whether or not Afrika will be released in the west, judging by how well the game did in Japan, it would be a pretty big mistake not to release it here. Regardless of what happens, Afrika will always be regarded as Pokémon Snap 2 until Nintendo decides to make a true successor. That is, if it ever happens.