Overview
Wanderer is a game all about the journey. As an unnamed, silent protagonist, the player simply guides their character through the world. The game is basically a nonlinear sandbox, with the player given the freedom to go wherever they want.
Core Mechanics
The player in Wanderer has to learn very few mechanics. Surviving is managed through drinking and eating, and camping is done via the tent system. Other minor mechanics like the map and the journal are only auxiliary to survival. Everything else that the player experiences is their perception of the world.Large amounts of scripted events and interactions between animals, the environment are available for the player to view. Everything from meteor storms to blizzards to forest fires has a chance to occur, and the player has to deal with them appropriately. Differently to typical sandbox or survival games, players do not have to mine or fight large amount of enemies or scavenge for tons of resources to build items. Players receive all of the items to survive, and they do not break or wear out. The intention of Wanderer is to give players a place to lay back and explore, that is not too tense or demanding, and provides rewards in the form of appreciation of beauty.
The World
Because the player spends so much time in the world, the world itself needs to be interesting. There are no other human characters within the world, so the player's interaction is limited to the environment and creatures within it. The game flows between lush forests and scorching deserts, with the player's only written objective being 'to wander'. Players have a small assortment of items, and are able to hunt animals for food and bottle water from a river. There are no extensive systems for house building, nor companions or 'levelling up'. The objective within the world of Wanderer is to wander. The game is intended to be a contemplative experience that allows players to relax, and the world facilitates that. The world shifts through seasons, with each biome changing to reflect both the current season and time. The fully implemented day/night cycle includes a system where players have to manage their temperature - they do this by lighting a fire. Depending on which biome they are in, different weather effects may occur. The system works via combination - if it rains in winter in the forest, it will snow rather than rain. If it rains in a different season, however, it may shower instead. The different combinations of weather effects present the problems players have to deal with. Players are able to pitch a small shelter, which has a height adjuster. This allows the player to stand under it to watch the rain or the sun set.
Players enjoy wonders like the Aurora in The Long Dark.
Overview
Final Odyssey takes place within a large, procedurally generated game world. This game world contains a series of islands for the player to explore. Much like the legendary Odysseus, players journey between these islands in their small boat, encountering enemies and challenges along the way.
Core Mechanics
The player explores the world in the first-person view, and is able to fight the enemy creatures that they come across with a variety of equipment they have. Initially alone, players can quickly gather enough materials to begin their exploration proper - a small boat is all that is needed to carry players between islands. On each island, players may find enemies, collectibles, areas to explore, and conquerable dungeons. Each dungeon carries a unique theme, and there are a limited amount within each world generation. The world is not limitless; although each generated world is different, the dungeons remain constant. As players progress through the game, they gain access to more equipment. Unlike many games in a similar genre, players do not 'level up' per se. As dungeons are completed, unique items and tools are received that allow players to go back to previously visited areas and explore them. These areas may contain rewards only available through the use of these items.
Narrative System
The Narrative system in Final Odyssey does not work like that of a normal game. As the player completes objectives, arrives at islands, gathers resources, and conquers dungeons, lines of text are added to the player's journal. Depending on how the player completes these dungeons, the text written will change. The text includes various information about the player character, including how they defeated a boss, what they used, and how long it took them. Each one of the entries is intended to fit with the previous entry in order to create a seamless narrative archive of the player's adventure - their own odyssey.
Players explore procedurally generated islands similar to the survival game Stranded Deep.
Overview
Walkabout tells the tale of a modern-day aborigine descendant discovering the story of his ancestors. Told from the first person, players take control of a teenager in the late 1980s, when Aborigine descendants were still ostracised within Australia. After encountering one of the last elders in the region, the player character sets out on their walkabout, to perform their own spiritual journey.
Core Mechanics
Walkabout utilises a number of puzzles and clue-hunting areas in order to lead players along several different paths. As players delve deeper into the stories of their ancestors, they also find more and more equipment that they can use as they journey further into the wilderness. Tools ranging from a rope for swinging across gaps to a compass and map are available for the player to find. Walkabout incorporates puzzles within an open world that the player must manually navigate through the use of an in-game map, navigating via landmarks present within the game world as well. Players also have a camera, a tool which allows them to take images of various places they have been to. These photos are used to give to the elder, who will give the player various locations to visit and tasks to do. The elder rewards the player with insight into the stories of 'those who walked before', a group that the player character has an obsession with. As the player uncovers more and more about their ancestors, more and more of the narrative is uncovered and revealed.
Environment
The environment of the Australian outback is a harsh and unforgiving place. In order to deal with the oppressive temperature and heat, there are certain tools the player has. The water bottle, the first item the player has, rehydrates the player and prevents them from hallucinating. If a player's hydration level gets too low, it eventually leads to death. The environment in Walkabout works as much against the player as it does to entertain the player, and any creatures, dangerous or otherwise, have to be carefully watched and tracked to make sure they don't jump the player.There are numerous places to explore puzzle through in the Australian Outback.
