Big-Name Developers Team Up For Episodic Survival Game

Several industry veterans have recently formed a new independent game studio. Now, they’re here to tell you about their first title, The Long Dark Hinterland Studio is comprised of veteran developers coming from various high-profile groups, including Relic (Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War), Bioware (Mass Effect), Riot (League of Legends), and Volition (Saints Row). They’re joined by Marianne Krawczyk, who penned the stories for the God of War games and L.A. Noire, and the duo of Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan, composers who worked on Borderlands and Mass Effect Hinterland’s first game, The Long Dark, will be an episodic, post-apocalyptic, open-world PC survival game taking place in the Pacific Northwest. You’ll play as William Mackenzie, a stranded bush pilot trying to survive in the dangerous, wild animal-infested wilderness. Here’s some more (actually, a lot more) details:cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"e3616d04-4972-4839-a63a-c6975e2e9731","settings":{"advertising":{"macros":{"AD_UNIT":"/23178111854/od.kotaku.com/article","CHILD_UNIT":"article","POST_ID":"1276965599","POST_TYPE":"post","CHANNEL":"uncategorized","SECTION":"","SUBSECTION":"","CATEGORIES":"uncategorized","TAGS":"","NOP":"0"},"timeBeforeFirstAd":0}}}).render("cnx-player-main")}); Welcome to The Long Dark, the inaugural title from Hinterland, a new independent game studio comprised of veteran developers from the triple-A game industry. Hinterland’s core team members have collectively worked on over 40 triple-A games on console and PC, and are now turning their talents to creating an independent game — an immersive survival simulation for the PC. The Long Dark is a thought-provoking, first-person survival simulation that emphasizes quiet exploration in a stark, yet hauntingly beautiful, post-disaster setting. The breathtakingly picturesque Pacific Northwest frames the backdrop for the drama of The Long Dark. You take on the role of William Mackenzie, a newly stranded bush pilot crashed far from the nearest human habitation. Lost, wounded, all yono app and with wolves circling, you’ll have to quickly master basic wilderness survival skills if you’re to last long enough to understand how the world has changed since the aurorae appeared in the sky. And that’s just the beginning. Features: Immersive first-person exploration gameplay featuring a stunning, original art style. Players take on the role of franchise protagonist, Will Mackenzie, as he navigates the savage beauty of the Northern Wilderness and faces the hazards of the new “post-digital” frontier. Be on the lookout for potential supply caches, all the while using survival skills to overcome hazards introduced by harsh weather, wildlife, lack of food and water, and other survivors. Deep go rummy survival simulation gameplay where every decision matters. Explore a large open world in search of resources, and balance Condition and Willpower holy rummy against the needs of your daily survival. Morally challenging scenarios that challenge players to answer the question: “How far will you go to survive?” Any survivor you meet in the world can be friend or foe. Will you risk your life to discover what they know and selflessly sacrifice for the common good, or live — and potentially die — by the adage “might makes right”? Rich episodic fiction featuring dozens of locations, a cast of memorable characters, and a mature post-disaster storyline inspired by the creative risk-taking we see in many of today’s exciting television series. This isn’t the end of the world, but you can see it from here. Survival Story mode provides hours of narrative-driven exploration gameplay where you play as Will Mackenzie, struggling to understand what has happened to the world. Survival Sandbox mode provides potentially hundreds of hours of free-form survival gameplay where you push yourself and your skill to last as long as possible in a variety of survival scenarios. While Hinterland didn’t share a release date for The Long Dark, they did reveal that they would be launching a Kickstarter campaign for the game on September 16. There’s also a handful of concept art for you to check out below. Questions? Comments? Contact the author of this post at andras-AT-kotaku-DOT-com.