I gotta say I’m kind of stumped for words with The Eternal Cylinder. This is probably the weirdest game I’ve seen in the last couple of years covering games. Publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment and developer Ace Team, known for Zeno Clash and Rock of Ages, dropped an announcement trailer for The Eternal Cylinder today. I’m still trying to figure out how to react to it. In practical terms, it’s a surreal survival adventure set on a planet inhabited by a lot of weird life forms. And the Eternal Cylinder itself is like a colossal rolling pin that threatens to crush all life on the planet.
You will control a herd of weird little creatures called Trebhums that look like muppets with an elephant trunk. Through them, you will explore the planet and its surreal environments while adapting to it, changing them into other forms if you need to accomplish some goal or another. The world of The Eternal Cylinder features a unique ecosystem built on a massive procedurally generated planet with animal AI, real-time world destruction, and some puzzle design that leaves room for emergent gameplay. The developer promises that no two playthroughs of The Eternal Cylinder will ever be the same.
The Eternal Cylinder‘s mutation mechanic
The planet in general sounds like something out of Rick and Morty, except with the art style and a similar procedural generation to No Man’s Sky. The Trebhums are at the bottom of the food chain on this planet, but the way they mutate and evolve looks fun. They have to eat a variety of flora and fauna to get new physical attributes and abilities. You’ll be able to discover and adapt with dozens of mutations, including traversal skills, such as flying and swimming. You can even discover new senses to overcome puzzles, challenges, and dangers. Some of the monsters in the trailer also look really cool.
Apparently, you’ll be able to stack mutations and abilities in dynamic ways. They will change the physical look of Trebhums, and stacking the mutations will generate near countless new creature designs. This is the part where the emergent gameplay comes in, and it does sound very interesting. You have to wonder how all these different mutations will help you stop the Cylinder, though. That’s part of the weirdness that makes this game unique. I really look forward to checking it out, not only for this unique mutation mechanic but also for the fascinating weirdness of the game world as a whole.
The Eternal Cylinder will launch in 2020 exclusively on the Epic Games Store for PC, and also for consoles. You can find out more about the game on the official website, where you can also sign up for the upcoming closed beta. You can also follow the Ace Team on Twitter to stay up to date.
What do you think of The Eternal Cylinder? Too weird for your taste, or just the right amount of sci-fi craziness? Leave your comments below and tell us your thoughts!
Published: Aug 16, 2019 07:35 am