The Lost Wild proves there’s no such thing as an ‘Annapurna game’
First-person indie survival horrorThe Lost Wildwas one of the standout games featured in today’sAnnapurna Interactive showcase. It has plenty of that most scary of things: big, toothy dinosaurs. Watch the trailer below to see for yourself, but bring along some anti-lizard flares.
UK and Australian devs Great Ape Games credit classic survival horror series such as Capcom’sResident Eviland, of course,Dino Crisisfor their inspiration to make The Lost Wild. They also give a shout out to 1998’s pioneering FPSJurassic Park: Trespasser, which seems to beback in the newsa bit lately. The Lost Wild is set around a densely forested Japanese research facility, avoiding the various types of dinosaurs that have overrun it. You won’t be able to bump off said dinos, generally, instead having to find resources to distract, intimidate and avoid them.
You get to play as investigative reporter Saskia, who’s stranded among the roaring reptiles after she’s caught in a time-related event. It’s a single-player experience, and don’t expect to ride any dinosaurs or play as them. Great Ape say they’re aiming for a storyline that lasts around 6 to 10 hours, with environments ranging from “overgrown maze-like structures to lush open vistas”. You’ll have some freedom to explore, but it’ll mostly revolve around a linear story. Just watch out for the prehistoric denizens, whose systemic AI means they’ll act more like wild animals than monsters.
Today’s Annapurna showcase wasn’t all about ghosting dinos. There was a pretty diverse slate of other genres too, ranging from the JRPG-skateboarding dating simThirsty Suitorsto newly announced and staggeringly named Western-flavoured mech battlerBounty Star: The Morose Tale Of Graveyard Clem. Although that last one is being made by devs called Dinogod so maybe, ultimately, it is all about the scaly scamps.
