You Can Relive the Entirety of Human Evolution in This Impossible Video Game
‘Ancestors,’ the new game from the creative director of ‘Assassin’s Creed,’ trades fun for scientific accuracy
He swings from one tree to the next. He slips often, but experience has taught his kind not to explore on the ground in broad daylight. Moments ago, he was gorging on wild berries, but the scent of an approaching predator sent him running in a flurry of leaves and wind. The growing neurons of his primate brain allow him to remember directions, and he’s confident he’ll get back to his tribe before sundown. But suddenly, before he even realizes what’s happening, a panther lunges out of the shadows.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a strange video game. There are no objectives, no quest markers telling you where to go. In your first hours, you’ll fumble through lush rainforests, stopping to sniff every rock, mix together every item, and investigate every oddity before you’re jumped by some unseen predator. Expect to die often.
The goal, if you can call it that, is simple: Use the limited resources at your disposal — your hearing, your keen sense of smell, and the smallest trace of a developing intelligence — to evolve, just like your primate ancestors. The game offers no direction…
