Overview
Stranded on a frozen planet with no means of communication, Winter's Bite delivers a survival experience both unique and engaging. Integrating a constant feeling of suspense through a dynamic and changing weather system, Winter's Bite makes players feel the cold, all the time. After crash-landing on an almost inhospitable planet, players fight against bandits, creatures, and their character's mind as they slowly descend into madness.
Core Mechanics
Winter's Bite is controlled from the third person, with players taking control of Khaz Hamal, an engineer and only survivor of a freighter crash on a backwater planet. Hamal, due to his engineering background, is proficient enough at rigging together gear in a tight spot, but lacks proficiency with weapons and possesses a general lack of survival instincts. As a result, the gear available initially is more of a defensive nature; stunning and incapacitating enemies is the norm. As Khaz gains experience, players can choose which areas they want him to specialise and further develop his skills. He will never become an unstoppable killing machine, and as a result players have to continually develop more strategic options than 'make gun strong'.
Narrative
Khaz is a reasonably well-off engineer who has never really faced adversity. As a result, the reactions that he has to particular events within the world are intended to mirror the average person's reaction. As he progresses through the storyline, Khaz encounters several of his crewmates, and his decisions on their fates also impacts the rest of the storyline. Depending on these decisions, crewmates may accompany him on some of his missions. These individuals may offer Khaz benefits and assistance as well as general exposition depending on Khaz's position within the storyline itself.
Players progress through a storyline similar to Dead Space 3.
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.
Overview
A Road Untravelled follows the adventure of the photographer, Stephen Harvey, as he boards the mysterious Medusa, an elderly cruise liner, heading for Honduras. The story that follows catapults Harvey into a series of events that expose more and more of a sinister plot. Designed for this next generation of gaming, this deep narrative is married with a satisfying RPG element to create a game that leaves players always hungering for more.
Core Mechanics
Untravelled is presented from a 3rd Person Perspective, with the player taking control of Harvey as he travels and then experiences his adventures in Honduras. Armed (for a lot of the time) with only his camera, Harvey has a significantly harder time defending himself than most action heroes. Harvey is able to use a variety of equipment, depending on what the player chooses to train him in, but he will never become unstoppable. Untravelled is intended to put players in the shoes of an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. A nonlinear questing system serves to deliver the story of Untravelled, and players can choose to pursue the main story or choose from a number of alternative questlines. When it comes to combat, all of the fighting in the game can be avoided, depending on the choices that Harvey makes in quests. Using information, including notes and photographs, Harvey can subtly avoid combat through dialogue. Sneaking sections with heightened risk also serve as one of the several ways that players can avoid combat entirely.
Narrative
Untravelled takes cues from novels like Heart of Darkness and Mosquito Coast. Thrusting players into a dangerous environment where enemies and main characters alike go insane, the story quickly delves into chaos. Rather than only dealing with enemies, the main character also experiences sections where he is overcome with grief or despair. The narrative is also designed in a way that forces the player to make decisions that affect both the other characters and the world as a whole. With one decision, an entire group of people may be killed, or just one that the player knows well. Untravelled is a game based on the idea that every action has a consequence, something the player will learn very quickly.
Image of Far Cry 2, a First Person game heavily inspired by similar literary works.
Overview
Waka Ama tells the story of a centuries-old navigator and his crew exploring the pacific in search of a new home. The player character takes control of the waka captain Faleaka, as they journey across a seemingly endless ocean. Along the way, players encounter islands and all manner of ocean creatures. The game takes the form of an open world survival game, with the player having to manage the supplies on their waka as they journey between islands and attempt to find the legendary land of Aotearoa.
Core Mechanics
Because the central component of Waka Ama is Faleaka's Waka, many of the player's actions and avenues to do things revolve around the Waka. The player can store items on their waka, as well as craft weapons and other gear. On the waka itself, the player can also make adjustments to the map and view how far they have already travelled. Navigation forms a key component of the game, with the player receiving benefits depending on what kind of islands they identify and explore, how far they travel, and how well their expedition is going thus far. As player's explore items, they are able to find gear that they can use to upgrade their weapons and gear, as well as their waka. Upgrades like hull strength, stronger sails, and a sturdier rudder are just a few of the modifiers player's would be able to access.
Environment
Because the game takes place in the pacific islands, the environment that the player will travel through is largely tropical. This will be reflected in both the resources and the enemies that the player will encounter. Everything from hostile wildlife to rival tribes will attempt to aggress the player if they trespass on their territory. Because the islands are separated by large areas of water, player's will spend a lot of time at sea. In order to combat the possibility of boredom, player's will not only encounter islands, but animals, wrecked waka, and other natives travelling on their own boats between islands.
Players journey between islands using boats probably slightly bigger than this one.
(image sourced from condenast.co.uk)
