It’s safe to say that Subnautica has more than earned its place as one of my favorite video games of all time. Despite the dangers lurking in the dark, drifting through the vast oceans of a weird, wonderful watery world never gets boring. But Subnautica 2 is still a long, long way off if recent comments from Unknown Worlds are to be believed, so I’m craving something new but just as relaxing. Astrobotanya brand new survival game from a team of industry veterans.
In Astrobotanica, you are Xel, an alien biologist from the distant world of Aya. Society is on the brink of collapse as technological abuse has caused Mother Nature to run away. Because of this, Xel has made it his mission to scour the galaxy for anything that could save their home. In this respect, the survival game’s story is eerily reminiscent of the current climate crisis.
What Xel doesn’t count on, however, is that their ship will crash on Earth in the middle of the Pleistocene – after two years of geology at university, I learned that we emerge in that era, so unfortunately no dinosaurs. As you’ve probably figured out by now, you’ll be looking for plants that can breathe new life (literally) into Xel’s dying home planet, but it’s no easy task.
Much like Subnautica, you’ll have to survive all manner of vicious predators while scavenging for life-saving foliage. You’ll spend your days researching, cultivating, and crossbreeding, but you’ll have to keep an eye out for beasts and prehistoric humans who will likely consider you breakfast.
While Xel’s list of gadgets and gizmos remains a secret for now, we see them use a scanner to identify a plant in the trailer and then abandon it for another, edible fruit. It looks like there’s actually a chance to accidentally poison yourself, which probably doesn’t feel like such a good idea.
Furthermore, the air on Earth is naturally low in CO2, which is a far cry from Aya’s air, and thus potentially toxic. It looks like you’ll have to develop new technologies to stay alive – in Astrobotanica, even the air is out there attacking you.
Developed by veterans of Dead Island and Dying Light, Astrobotanica is a far cry from the evil zombie mayhem of Haran, but the team has created some of the best survival horror games ever made. “Astrobotanica is a game we’ve always wanted to play,” says Arkadiusz Woźniak, founder of Space Goblin Studio, “and now I want to play it too.”
If the limitless exploration of Atrobotanica appeals to you, we have a list of the best open world games that let you roam through beautiful landscapes to your heart’s content. On the other hand, if you prefer to build the perfect farm and research, here are some management games that are perfect for you.
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