theHunter: Call of the Wild – Scotland Hunting Reserve Roams a Land of Stone, Song & Stags
Stepping into theHunter: Call of the Wild – Scotland Hunting Reserve feels like crossing a threshold into a living Highland myth, one where every loch glimmers with mystery and every ridge whispers old stories through the mist. This in‑depth exploration plunges you into towering mountains, Celtic woodlands, and windswept valleys alive with iconic Scottish wildlife. From the first breath of cold Highland air, the reserve wraps you in atmosphere, inviting you to track, stalk, and uncover the legends woven into its rugged landscape.
theHunter: Call of the Wild – Scotland Hunting Reserve Review Pros
- Beautiful graphics.
- 105GB Download size, which includes the base game and the many DLC packs I own.
- Scottish narrator giving the story and facts of the land.
- Unlock new fast travel points.
- Full controller support.
- Supports the DualSense controller.
- Hunting gameplay.
- First-person view.
- Tutorial pop-ups appear as you play, and these can be dismissed or turned off.
- Gaelic inspired soundtrack adds to the charm of the place.
- Tents, outposts, and towers can all be found and then used as fast travel points.
- The map fills in as you explore.
- You get a whole story dedicated to the Scottish region, it will have you taking in real-world locations and points of interest, whilst sprinkling in missions native to the land.
- You can play how you want, do story missions or don’t, take on side quests or don’t. You honestly can do what you want as soon as you finish the opening story setup.
- The location is stunning, with so many beautiful vistas and locations to explore, it nails the atmosphere, find little settlements, road signs, etc.
- You get to access any other DLC you have, like vehicles and dogs, and can get them straight away.
- Your phone is your tool for maps, finding your trophy if they run away while bleeding and accepting missions, etc.
- Sound and wind play a huge part; if you stink and the winds are just right, animals will run away from your stinky ass.
- The house-type lodge is like your home away from home. You can explore, complete missions, examine weapons, and visit the shop. It’s a huge old castle complete with a bridge and courtyard, and you can explore the many floors and rooms.
- Earn experience from hunting and finding locations, and level up to get skill points and unlock new items in the shop amd from the skill tree.
- I can still do my favourite thing, which is get on my super load ATV and drive around the whole area and hit all the fast travel points, spook animals and try and run them over, only to realise they are twice my size and twice as strong, and I die.
- Authentic and impactful animal call sounds, plus you can use binoculars and spot animals, which will add them to your bestiary, but also put an outline around the animal.
- The map is huge, and it is a lot of fun exploring and soaking it all up.
- Missions-wise, they are kind of fun and goofy, and not all kill this animal; some have ghost themes and folklore.
- Full mission management system.
theHunter: Call of the Wild – Scotland Hunting Reserve Review Cons
- No Steam achievements were added for the DLC.
- Had it where missions wouldn’t track, or I couldn’t interact with objects.
- They absolutely pump you full of Scottish slang and foods, Haggis and Bagpipes here. Fine, it’s Scotland, but it doesn’t need to be crammed down my throat every few minutes.
- There is no new species of birds, and the animals feel more like reskins or reimagined pieces than new.
- No new dog companion or outfits for your hunter, so it’s just the map that’s it.
- The lodge house has an upstairs, but you have to go outside to use the stairs.
- Not all the rooms in the lodge are accessible, and you cannot hang up any trophies or customise them.
- The story is just a basic one and doesn’t have any real impact; it’s just a vehicle to give out missions, but this is more for the main line, not the optional side missions.
- Had a lot of slowdown in heavily wooded areas.
- I don’t always find the scent system to work that well.
- My dog loves to glitch through walls. I mean, it might be a superpowered dog, but I only feed him Pedigree Chum, so I don’t know.
- The DLC has a whole that doesn’t feel as jam-packed and varied as some of the previous offerings.
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theHunter: Call of the Wild – Scotland Hunting Reserve
Developer: Expansive Worlds
Publisher: Avalanche Studios
Store Link:
theHunter: Call of the Wild – Scotland Hunting Reserve Review
Summary
theHunter Call of the Wild Scotland Hunting Reserve The Thrills and Highlights of Gameplay
theHunter Call of the Wild Scotland Hunting Reserve gives you a gorgeous stretch of land to explore, packed with beautiful vistas, real-world locations, and a full Scottish-themed story that lets you play however you want. You can hunt, roam, take on missions or ignore them entirely once the opening setup is done. The map fills in as you explore, with tents, outposts, and towers becoming fast travel points. Your phone handles maps, missions, and tracking wounded animals, while sound, wind, and scent all play a huge part in how animals react to you. The Gaelic-inspired soundtrack and Scottish narrator add charm, and the whole region feels alive with settlements, road signs, and atmospheric touches. You get access to your DLC gear straight away, including vehicles and dogs, and the huge lodge acts as a home base where you can explore, shop, and examine weapons. Levelling up through hunting and discovery unlocks new skills and items, and the hunting itself feels authentic thanks to impactful animal calls, binocular spotting, and a massive map that rewards exploration. Even messing about on the ATV is a laugh, especially when you realise the wildlife is tougher than you are.
theHunter Call of the Wild Scotland Hunting Reserve: Where It Falls Short Key Negatives
The DLC doesn’t add achievements, and missions sometimes fail to track or let you interact with objects. The Scottish slang and food references are pumped at you constantly, which gets tiring fast. There are no new bird species, and most animals feel like reskins rather than fresh additions. There’s no new dog companion or hunter outfits, and the lodge has odd limitations like needing to go outside to reach the upstairs and not being able to access all rooms or hang trophies. The story is basic and mainly exists to hand out missions, and performance can dip heavily in dense forests. The scent system isn’t always reliable, and your dog can glitch through walls like it’s got superpowers. Overall, the DLC doesn’t feel as varied or packed as some of the previous offerings.
theHunter Call of the Wild Scotland Hunting Reserve Immersive Story and Narrative Elements
You get a full story dedicated to the Scottish region, guided by a Scottish narrator who mixes facts, folklore, and missions tied to real-world locations. It’s more of a framework than a deep narrative, but it does a solid job of giving you reasons to explore, discover landmarks, and take on a mix of serious, goofy, and even ghost-themed missions. The optional side missions add more flavour than the main line, and the overall tone fits the atmosphere of the land.
theHunter Call of the Wild Scotland Hunting Reserve Visual and Performance Aspects.
The location is stunning, with beautiful graphics, atmospheric lighting, and a map that feels huge and rewarding to explore. The Gaelic-inspired soundtrack enhances the mood, and the first-person view helps you soak it all in. Performance isn’t perfect, with slowdowns in heavily wooded areas and the occasional glitch, especially with your dog, but the overall presentation nails the feel of the Scottish wilderness.
theHunter Call of the Wild Scotland Hunting Reserve Overall Verdict Is It Worth Playing?
This DLC delivers a gorgeous map, a charming narrator, and plenty of freedom to play your way, backed by strong hunting gameplay and a great sense of place. It’s let down by a basic story, a lack of meaningful new animals or companions, and some technical hiccups, but exploring Scotland is still a joy. If you love roaming huge maps, soaking in atmosphere, and hunting at your own pace, there’s plenty here to enjoy.
Back of the Box Quotes:
A stunning Scottish wilderness packed with charm and freedom to explore.
