The history of humanity has never been told quite like Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. Created by Private Division, the game takes place over a span of millions of years. You are the first of what eventually will become mankind. You are, however, not human yet. Starting as an ape, you will make decisions that will have an impact generations after you have left the earth.
The world of Neogene Africa is not a very safe or forgiving place. You are an ape, starting a journey that will last millions of years. You will have to find new things, such as tools, in order to start the difficult process of evolving. There are many predators that call this part of the world home and you will have to use your wits in order to survive. This is simply not just a story of one person. You have a clan that will evolve with you, from a set of skills you choose. Die, and another member of the clan picks up the story. If everyone is killed, you must start all over again.
The world in Ancestors is a large place. The land is beautiful as well as overwhelming. This might be the point since the earliest ancestors of mankind did not know what was going on. The only rule was survival and you feel pressure to make sure your clan has the best chance of doing so. There is a fear system, which occurs when you are faced with stress and danger. The screen becomes a nightmare of gaping teeth and hungry mouths. Finding orbs will calm your clan member down. Being not quite human allows for hightened senses as you try and find tools that are necessary for your survival.
When a clan member sleeps, you get access to a skill tree that is represented by the clan members nervous system. This is more important that just being able to jump higher. The traits you grow will be passed on to future generations. You have to focus not only on the now, but also the future. Will your clan be smarter but less strong? will they have the knowledge and skills to face what will happen millions of years later?
Ancestors is a very long game. The developers said it should be about 40-50 hours long. When you add in different replays, you have a game that will occupy a lot of your time. I don’t know if I need to say this, but there is a high chance you will have a panic attack playing. As I developed my Ape’s strengh, I began to second guess myself. What , I wondered, will happen when my clan is strong, but not intelligent enough to deal with new problems. You will have this feeling many times. Just remember you can always restart. This is not a game for people who want a quick fix. Prepare to grind and put the work in.
Ancestors takes it’s place among video games that should be played in schools, like The Oregon Trail or Civilization. Not only will it teach people something, it is also a lot of fun. The game will be making it’s way to your favorite platform soon enough. While you wait, try and think what you would teach people millions of years from now.
8.5/10
Available on PC, Xbox and PS4
