Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey - Before You Buy

Summary

In this 'Before You Buy' episode, Jake Baldino explores 'Ancestors: Humankind Odyssey', a survival game developed by one of the creators of Assassin's Creed. The game, set in prehistoric times, challenges players to survive and evolve their tribe over millions of years. Jake praises the game's unique approach and 'aha' moments but criticizes its repetitive and slow nature. Despite its ambition and beauty, he finds the core gameplay less enjoyable, with a steep learning curve and a grind that overshadows the discovery. Jake suggests watching a full playthrough to understand the game's depth before purchasing.

Takeaways

• 🎮 The game *Ancestors: Humankind Odyssey* is a unique survival experience where players explore the evolution of early humans.
• 👾 The game was created by one of the original minds behind *Assassin's Creed*, but it's vastly different, focusing on survival rather than action or climbing buildings.
• 🧠 The game provides no guidance, forcing players to figure out how to survive and evolve on their own, which mirrors the challenges early humans faced.
• 🔍 Players must experiment with the environment and learn through trial and error, leading to 'aha!' moments when they successfully discover new mechanics.
• 🌳 Players start as early apes, slowly progressing through evolutionary steps by exploring, surviving, and discovering new skills or resources in the jungle.
• 🔄 The gameplay loop involves a lot of repetition, like defending from predators, crafting items, and progressing generations of apes, which can become tedious over time.
• 🚶‍♂️ The goal is to evolve through various stages of human development, but the game's slow pace and grinding can make progression feel unrewarding.
• 🌍 The environment in the game is massive and beautifully designed, offering a rich visual and auditory experience, especially on PC.
• 💡 While the core concept of discovery is fun, many of the mechanics, such as combat and resource gathering, can become repetitive and lose their appeal.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The game features a generational system where players breed new apes with mutations that help advance evolution, but the system feels slow and sometimes unsatisfying.

Q & A

What is the name of the game discussed in the script?

The game discussed in the script is 'Ancestors: Humankind Odyssey'.

Who is the game's developer and what is their notable previous work?

The game is developed by Panache Digital Games, led by Patrice Désilets, who is one of the original minds behind 'Assassin's Creed'.

What platforms is 'Ancestors: Humankind Odyssey' available on?

The game is available on PC and is set to release on consoles in December.

What type of game is 'Ancestors: Humankind Odyssey' and how does it differ from other survival games?

It's a survival game set in prehistoric times. It differs by focusing on exploration and discovery rather than just combat, and it features a unique evolution mechanic.

How does the game approach tutorials and guidance for the player?

The game does not provide explicit tutorials or guidance. It throws the player into the experience with minimal instructions to simulate the early human perspective.

What is the core gameplay loop of 'Ancestors: Humankind Odyssey'?

The core gameplay loop involves exploring, finding food and water, dealing with predators, and discovering new skills and abilities to progress through generations.

How does the game represent the evolution of the player's character?

The game represents evolution by allowing the player to unlock and learn new abilities over time, which are then passed down to future generations through a skill tree system.

What are the 'neurons' in the game and how are they used?

Neurons are the game's currency used to unlock new abilities and skills in the skill tree, which can then be passed down to future generations.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the game's difficulty and progression?

The reviewer finds the game to be challenging and feels that the progression is slow and grindy, making it feel like an endless task without much payoff.

What are some of the positive aspects mentioned by the reviewer?

The reviewer appreciates the game's uniqueness, the 'aha' moments of discovery, the exhilarating climbing and swinging mechanics, and the beautiful graphics and sound design.

What suggestions does the reviewer have for potential buyers of the game?

The reviewer suggests watching a full 'Let's Play' of the game for at least an hour to understand the gameplay loop and decide if it's something they would enjoy.