Open Season (video game)

Open Season
Developer(s)	Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Quebec
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Engine	Unreal Engine 2.0
Platform(s)	Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Xbox 360, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube
Release date(s)	NA September 19, 2006 EU October 6, 2006 AUS November 30, 2006 DS & PSP NA September 19, 2006 EU October 6, 2006 AUS December 14, 2006 Wii NA November 30, 2006 EU December 22, 2006 AUS January 27, 2007
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: E10+ / E GBA, DS OFLC: G PEGI: 3+
Media/distribution	DVD-ROM, GameCube Game Disc, Universal Media Disc

Open Season is a video game based on the film of the same name. It was released for Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Xbox 360, Xbox, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo GameCube. The Nintendo DS version supports the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

While Patrick Warburton, Matthew W. Taylor, Danny Mann, and Michelle Murdocca reprise their roles from the movie, most of the original people were replaced (for example, Chris Williams and Matthew W. Taylor are the voices of Boog and Elliot in this game).

Plot

Boog is a 900-pound bear who lives a luxurious life in his owner Ranger Beth's garage, and is the star of the town Timberline's nature show. In a dream, Boog chases after a giant version of his teddy bear Dinkleman, but soon wakes up, and is woken by Ranger Beth, who takes him to the town center for Boog's performance. Beth finds that Shaw, the town's nastiest hunter has already hunted a buck(open season is about 3 days away) and goes in the center to confront him. The buck wakes up and introduces himself, his name being Elliot. Boog reluctantly frees him, and Shaw vows revenge on Boog. That night, Elliot decides to "free" Boog in return. He manages to lure him to the convenience store, where they finish all the chocolate bars(Elliot calls them Woo-Hoo! bars) there, but they are discovered and knocked down with a tranquilizer gun and brought to the forest. There, Elliot claims that he knows how to get back to Timberline, and Boog follows him.

They encounter a squirrel called McSquizzy and his team of squirrels, who bash them with nuts. However, Elliot distracts him and they manage to make it past. Boog meets a few members of Elliot's herd: Giselle, a doe whom Elliot has a crush on and Ian, the head of the herd. It is revealed that during this time of year, the Deer Games are held, with only one sport: running. Elliot competes with Ian and wins the race, but is kicked away by an angry Ian. In the forest, they help all kinds of animals with their tasks. The two meet McSquizzy again, who agrees to no longer throw nuts at them if they help him scare away hunters. This works, and McSquizzy directs them to a short cut: a mine. After riding through the mine in a mine cart, they continue their journey across a valley, and climb up a mountain, only to encounter Shaw, and they get scared and roll down the hill in a big snow ball. They get to a beaver's dam, which Elliot claims is the way home. Not letting them cross, the two help the beavers find a missing piece for the dam:an outhouse. They find Boswell the beaver trying to get push the outhouse down from a hunt camp. Boog and Elliot jump onto it, and it quickly breaks and they ride it down the river rapids until they reach the dam. Boog quickly realizes Elliot had never known how to go to Timberline, because he had asked some moles(Moles are blind) for directions. Boog's weight causes the dam to break up. Boog is washed up onto land, and finds that everyone is gone, and goes to look for shelter. Boog enters Shaw's house, only to be confronted by Shaw himself. Boog escapes, and encounters McSquizzy on a sign, who threatens not to show him the way if he does not help the animals during open season. Boog goes the right way, but decides to go back and help the animals, suggesting to the animals that they fight.

Agreeing to this, the ducks fly around the forest, dropping propane tanks everywhere while the other animals collect items helpful for the fight, and finally, the animals win. However, while they're celebrating, Shaw appears and tries to shoot Boog. However, Elliot takes the shot instead, which angers Boog. The grizzly defeats Shaw after throwing a skunk, a rabbit, and a squirrel at him, and ties Shaw up with his gun. The game then closes as the animals celebrate their victory by tackling Shaw and beating him up.

Gameplay

The game's genre is action-adventure. Boog can do many actions, such as throwing skunks through a hunter's chimney to scare them, or looking for berries to heal himself by smelling them. Many skills can be upgraded to 3rd level. Players can also decide what to do with the hunter: Sneak up and scare him or run up and throw him. In the game, the player must do many tasks for the forest animals, and when you do the max tasks for that species, they become your buddies, and let you throw them at hunters as well. Also, when you beat the game, you can play the mini-games you unlocked in single and multiplayer.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	75.0% — 45.8% GBA: 75.0% (4 reviews) DS: 72.8% (5 reviews) PSP: 67.0% (2 reviews) GCN: 62.0% (5 reviews) Xbox: 61.6% (5 reviews) Xbox360: 59.2% (16 reviews) PC: 58.0% (4 reviews) PS2: 48.2% (6 reviews) Wii: 45.8% (5 reviews)
Metacritic	List DS: 72% (4 reviews) Xbox: 59% (6 reviews) Xbox360: 59% (15 reviews) GCN: 59% (6 reviews) PC: 58% (4 reviews) PS2: 57% (6 reviews) Wii: 49% (5 reviews)
Review scores
Publication	Score
GameSpot	7.3 — 3.9 out of 10 GBA: 7.3 out of 10 DS: 7.2 out of 10 PSP: 7.1 out of 10 PS2: 5.3 out of 10 GCN: 5.3 out of 10 Xbox: 5.3 out of 10 Xbox360: 5.3 out of 10 PC: 5.3 out of 10 Wii: 3.9 out of 10
IGN	7.5 — 6.0 out of 10 GBA: 7.5 out of 10 DS: 7.0 out of 10 PSP: 6.3 out of 10 Xbox360: 6.3 out of 10 PS2: 6.0 out of 10 GCN: 6.0 out of 10 Wii: 6.0 out of 10 Xbox: 6.0 out of 10 PC: 6.0 out of 10

External links

• Open Season at MobyGames