As any real gamer knows, fancy graphics and realistic sound don't make a game.

Something must happen when I play a game. Realistic simulations of other sports, including the aforementioned Falcon 4.0 and Grand Prix Legends, at least thrill the gamer with crashes, explosions and action, even in the midst of a steep learning curve. Again, RMTH3 isn't difficult. It's BORING. You sit and sit and sit some more.

When an animal finally does show up you better not miss. I did. And it was back to more tedious waiting and working the calls and the scents. I reread half of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath during one hunt.

When you finally kill something you can take a snapshot of it, if you packed a camera, which is an option. Either way you can hang your prize in your trophy room to admire it for eternity.

RMTH3 has its good points. The graphics are beautiful. The sound is outstanding. If I closed my eyes, it was easy to believe that I was outdoors in Eagle Nest, New Mexico. I could hear the chirp of indigenous birds, the rattle of nearby snakes. Geese honked; horses whinnied. And should your hunt, like mine, take hours, you can see the sky darken as day turns to dusk.

You can even ride vehicles such as pickup trucks, all terrain vehicles, and horses around the different hunting areas. And online hunting competitors are available through Gamespy Arcade.

The publisher, WizardWorks, is known for producing inexpensive but appealing PC games. I purchased the original Rocky Mountain Trophy Hunter a few years ago. It was actually fun, even without accelerated graphics or the ability to walk across the terrain on which you were hunting. A few toots on the old elk call actually produced something for you to shoot at. It seems the more realistic and graphically enhanced the games in this series have become the less fun they are too.

As any real gamer knows, fancy graphics and realistic sound don't make a game. Gameplay makes a game. On this basis, I can only recommend RMTH3 to serious hunting game fans and those who enjoy the real sport.

Reviewed by Walter Hurdle, PC Gameworld.