Non-combat MMO, Wander, coming to PS4

Loki Davison's non-combat MMO (massively multiplayer online) game, Wander, is coming to PlayStation 4. Announced today on the PlayStation Blog, Wander — already coming to PC — puts a refreshing spin on the MMO genre, with the goal of telling a story without violence.

"Wander is the brainchild of Melbourne resident Loki Davison, who noticed a shocking absence of games that didn’t primarily focus on violence in order to tell a story, and decided there was a niche that desperately needed to be filled. That — coupled with a slight preoccupation with flight, travelling, and music — led to the conception of Wander, an MMO game that lets you explore a majestic environment in several different forms – a giant tree, a soaring griffin, a sea creature and more," explains writer and character designer Crystal Flinn.

You start off the game deep in a forest, "occupying a form you don't recognize." You can examine your surruondings for clues, and even encounter others like you that will help share information. During your journey, you'll hear mysterious, siren-like tones of opera singers; following these songs will lead you to "more exciting discoveries," like the ability to change your shape and acquire new ways to explore the world.

At the beginning you play as the Oren, a walking, sentient tree. Other playable characters include the Griffin, with the power of flight; the azertash, with the ability to swim and breathe underwater; and the swift and agile hira. Each form has several unique variants, all with their own cultures, backstories, and specific interactions with other forms and tribes.

Leave it to Sony to take a risk on such a outside-the-box game. I'll admit though, I'm intrigued. Wander is set to be released in March 2015, but it will be playable at the PlayStation Experience next month in Las Vegas.