Checked 2026-10-30
Hunting Simulator 3 review
Hunting Simulator 3 is worth a look if you want a solo, licensed-gear hunting sim and you can live with two maps. It is a weaker fit if you need co-op on day one. I am not averaging the scores below into one number.
Four written scores, kept apart
All four pieces are dated 29 October 2026.
| Outlet | Score | What they stressed |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming Boulevard, via Metacritic | 75/100 | Slow start, rewarding tracking, driving and movement limits |
| AltChar | 8/10 | Dog, shooting range, SimFauna; pause and hold-breath complaints; they count 35 species |
| GameCritix | 4/5 | Planning a hunt, animal change over time, the dog |
| NAG | 60/100 | Looks and gear brands; inconsistent animals, only two maps, paperwork |
Metacritic had one critic review when I opened it, so the metascore was still waiting on more reviews. User scores on that page were set to open on 31 October 2026 at 12:00 Pacific. I will not invent a user average.
Steam, two snapshots on the same day
On 30 October 2026 the Steam store showed Mostly Positive, 61 reviews and 70 percent positive. The separately retrieved SteamDB page showed 51 reviews and a 67.05 percent rating. The sources and score methods differ; I do not combine their counts or percentages, or infer a live total from either snapshot.
What players added before the critics
On 26 October a long-time Way of the Hunter player posted that the draw distance, animal animation and driving had sold them, and that deer alarm calls and map polish were the complaints. An earlier playtest write-up on 17 October was positive and short on numbers. Those are two threads, not a poll. The head-to-head with Way of the Hunter 2 is on the comparison page.
NAG says the game lacks a campaign feeling. The official news says each reserve has objectives. I leave that disagreement in place. Species counts disagree too: official posts say 37, AltChar says 35. The list is on animals.
Questions
Is Hunting Simulator 3 good?
Launch reviews land between 60 and 80 on a 100-point scale. Steam's early review label was Mostly Positive, on a few dozen reviews. That is a small sample one day after release.
Is it as good as Way of the Hunter 2?
They cost the same on Steam at list price. WOTH2 already has multiplayer and three regions. HS3 is solo at launch with two regions and a published 2027 co-op plan. The comparison page holds the table.