Introduction
If you’re into 1-player action games then Wild is a game you can look forward to, if you own a PlayStation 4. Since it’s being made by the same guy who created Rayman, it has been catching a lot of attention. Michel Ancel has created Wild Sheep, but has recently revealed 50 percent of his time is still at Ubisoft, and he’s been with them since 1992.
I have recently read an article on Wild in Game Informer where it caught my attention and inspired me to do more research on the upcoming game. I have dug up everything we know about the game so far and combined it into one article.
About Wild and What Makes it Different
It is clear that Michel Ancel has ventured into new grounds with Wild, as it is a much different game than the Rayman series. Wild takes place in the Neolithic era of mankind, right when man started to use tools for farming. Don’t expect to see or use any guns since the game is set so far back in time.
Wild is different from other titles in many ways, but let’s start with the fact that you will control animals. Yes, animals are your friends and you can use them to fight your battles and protect you in dangerous situations. So, you won’t have guns, but directing a group of crows to dive down and attack cannibals is just as cool.
Not everything animals help with is related to combat, and you will be able to survey the land from the view of a hawk. Stealth is easy when you can take control of a rabbit to sneak up on an enemy tribe, as your main enemy in the game will be humans.
This is different because most games kind of put us in a world where nature is the enemy. You know what I am talking about; worlds with beasts, overgrown rats, spiders, wolves, etc. This time, they are your friends and you’re in control of them.
Gameplay
Wild is being created in a way that will make it entertaining for a large amount of time, so it’s definitely not a game you can beat over the weekend. Actually, there is not even an end goal, as the game is about the player’s unique journey and you basically choose what you want to do in Wild’s large open world.
“One thing I hate in games is when you have these mission things and you know exactly what you have to achieve,” said Michel.
Speaking of large open world, did I forget to mention that Wild is roughly the same size as Europe? Yes, the world is that big! The environment will change with the seasons, and the weather patterns will adjust accordingly.
Michel Ancel discussed why the game is so big last year, writing, “When we started working on Wild we wanted to make sure that we would have fun playing our own game even after months and months of development.”
In Wild, you will start the game as a child, where your main mission is adventure. When you first start playing you will focus on learning about your environment and start domesticating small animals.
Each time you unlock an ability the character adds a tattoo to his body to represent that animal. You’re playing as a shaman who wants to track down a god that can give him the ability to control snakes. The shaman needs to control snakes in order to save a woman in his tribe who was recently bit by one.
Basically, smaller animals will help you spy on your enemy and larger animals will help you take them down. In the game you’re main enemy is other men, including tribes of cannibals (which was shown in the demo). It isn’t clear if you will ever have to fight with an animal or if there are animals that refuse to work with you.
Conclusion
It appears that Michel Ancel has a fresh vision for open-world games and Wild looks very promising. Playing in an open-world that’s nearly the size of Europe is just incredible, and being able to work with nature to fight off antagonist tribes sounds exciting. A completely fresh take on the genre, without any technology or vehicles.
Wild is arriving exclusively on the PlayStation 4 this year, although the title doesn’t have an official release date yet. Check out the videos below to get a good look at what Wild is all about…
