Though “god games” may not make quite the same impact that they used to, the genre hasn’t exactly fallen by the wayside. From Peter Molyneux’s 1989 classic Populous, to The Sims, a franchise which continues to be the most popular example, to more radical entries like the iPhone’s Pocket God, GodFinger, and the PSP’s Patapon series, god games are a popular genre in their own right.
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Now Eric Chahi, the famed creator of the masterpiece of classic gaming, Another World, is apparently trying his hand at the genre. From Dust was revealed at E3 in June as Project Dust, and this week’s Gamescom has seen the title fleshed out quite a bit. Hence the new name, trailer and screens, all of which give hopeful fans a better idea of what exactly the title will be like.
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If there’s one thing that’s absolutely certain, it’s that From Dust looks absolutely incredible, especially for a downloadable XBLA and PSN title. It appears Chahi hasn’t lost his flair for visual storytelling, something Another World has been praised endlessly for. Opinionated reviews blog Action Button even ranked the game as the “best of all-time,” describing it as “honest, humble, noble, and at the same time hugely artistic and expressive.”
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So From Dust has quite the pedigree to live up to. The above trailer depicts the “creation of a realistic nature simulation” (at least someone has finally delivered on Peter Molyneux’s decade-old promise of realistic weather patterns), “an innovative dynamic world simulation,” and more.
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“We aim to recreate the emotions you experienced as a child when building and destroying sand castles on the beach,” says the trailer’s narrator. “We want to create a universe that reflects the power of nature, the relative insignificance of mankind, and the brevity of his lifespan.” Sounds depressing, but it may just make for a killer game.
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The video demonstrates some of the ways the various elements, like water, flora, soil and lava, interact. Lava cools to form rock, water flows dynamically as its surrounding terrain is altered, soils erodes quickly, and fauna slows that erosion. It’s all very natural, and there are even earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters. These events will no doubt affect the human tribe, though players’ roles aren’t yet clear.
Look forward to more on From Dust. This is definitely one to keep an eye on.
