Private Division’s new title ” Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey “, whose consumer version is set to go on sale in December . I had the opportunity to talk to its developer, Patrice Desilets of Panache Digital Games .
Patrice Desilets of Panache Digital Games
Patrice Désilets (hereafter Désilets) has been the director of Ubisoft since 2007, working on the first three of the “Assassin’s Creed” series. After leaving Ubisoft at the end of “Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood” in 2010, he established Panache Digital Games in 2014. “Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey” is the first work in about 9 years.
This time, Mr. Desire answered the interview while actually playing “Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey”. In addition, the save data he is promoting has been playing since the start of Tokyo Game Show 2019, and it is said that the clan still exists.
The game begins in the African jungle about 10 million years ago. Players operate monkeys, gain various experiences, and aim for early humanity while repeating generational changes.
Designed to move forward with the curiosity of the player, the UI is only displayed to the bare minimum, and the amount of information displayed on the screen is overwhelmingly small compared to recent games. There are only a minimum number of tutorials, and even if you are in a state of life-threatening such as poisoning or laceration, you will not be taught how to recover, and you will have to find out how to detoxify and stop bleeding yourself.
The same goes for food, and you can’t tell if the fruits and mushrooms you see for the first time are poisonous until you try them. However, foods that are eaten for the first time cannot be digested well and may cause stomach upset. According to Desire, as the generations change, you will be able to digest and not get hungry.
The state of neurons. By acting, neurons are connected and new abilities are acquired.
The jungle is home to many dangerous animals that can be foreign enemies. Monkeys are basically prey, not predators, but hunters. It does not have sharp claws or fangs like a beast, so it is necessary to make tools and arm it. Mr. Desire was shaving a tree branch with stones, making a primitive spear, and revenge the large carnivorous golden machairodus that had attacked. It seems that he was able to subdue for the first time in this play.
Developer interview
It’s been about two weeks since the PC version was released, but how is the player’s reaction?
It’s got a good reputation from players, and it’s popular with players on YouTube and Twitch, and it’s trending.
Are there any changes in the CS version from the PC version?
It’s a game with a difficult theme of “human evolution”, but it doesn’t change its gameplay. However, there are many evaluations that it is difficult, so I would like to incorporate support functions such as what to do next while incorporating feedback from players. Just last Tuesday, we delivered a balancing update patch. I want to release the PS4 version and the XBOX version by taking advantage of the feedback from the PC version.
Why is the progress of time not constant or slow every time it is attacked?
When left unattended, it progresses in real time, but when it moves, the time advances faster, and when it sleeps, the time advances very quickly. This expresses the feeling that time goes faster when you are doing something in reality. Being slow in battle mimics the feeling of an athlete entering the zone.
Is there any part that you had a hard time developing?
As a small team of 35 people, the biggest challenge was how to get what you wanted with this resource. Since this game intentionally does not give information in the game and progresses with the curiosity of the player, some people may feel unfriendly, so it was difficult to balance it. It was hard, but on the contrary, it was the most fun thing, and I felt a sense of accomplishment in terms of making a game like never before.
Please give a message to the players who are waiting for the CS version.
We will adjust based on the PC version in 3 months and release the PS4 version in the best condition. This game is unique and the only game where you can experience the epic theme of human evolution. I think the CS version will be an interesting game to relax with friends in the same room.
PS4 version and XBOX version “Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey” will be released in December 2019. The PC version is now on sale from Epic Games.
Official Website: https://ancestorsgame.com/en/
Epic Games: https://www.epicgames.com/store/ja/product/ancestors/home