The Witcher’s next game is Sons of the Forest meets Bioshock

“Serum is life.” That was the message given to me by Sport Island CEO and inventive director Michal Ojrzyński throughout our preview of the upcoming survival journey recreation at Gamescom 2023. With backing from Toplitz Productions, the Polish studio is hoping to attain massive with survival followers with Serum in what’s undoubtedly a crowded market.

Taking inspiration from current releases like Sons of the Forest and Inexperienced Hell, Serum is about within the yr 2070 and follows Adam, who’s concerned in a airplane crash earlier than discovering himself on an island in the midst of the Pacific Ocean. As a toxic inexperienced fog blankets the land, it’s right here that you simply come upon the unknown liquid often called Serum, which not solely grants immunity to the toxin but in addition presents particular talents. Naturally, there are some unintended effects.

“It’s a story-based survival recreation with perhaps a little bit of Misplaced Ark thrown in there with the animals,” Ojrzyński tells PCGamesN. “We concentrate on the time aspect, the starvation, staying alive, the mutation, how [Serum] is used to struggle animals and alter your self and attempt to reply the query: The place am I? What have I acquired into? The place will it go?”

The time aspect referred to is a countdown clock on Adam’s left arm that always wants topping up through Serum to outlive the tough atmosphere. Always injecting your self with syringes of glowing liquids clearly brings again recollections of Bioshock, one other recreation referenced by the dev crew.

Motion was fast and fluid with loads of methods to refill your counter. As I’m normally not eager on these gameplay parts, I used to be just a little apprehensive that I must always keep watch over the timer, but as the sport progresses, it seems to not be overly punishing.

Weaponry resembles that of Bioshock too (suppose the wrench), by combining the damaging results of Serum to improve weapons and infuse them with substances. That mentioned, capturing enemies gained’t play an element right here, as stealth is your greatest pal.

Because the mysterious E.V.A.S company works away within the background, hinting that all the things shouldn’t be because it appears, gamers might want to tackle the island’s mutated animals whereas uncovering clues about previous occasions. There might be 4 to 5 biomes to discover alongside seven animal sorts with a number of variations. A Bonebreaker, as an illustration, is thrice the dimensions of a daily wart hog, whereas a Fog Wolf is an enhanced wolf with luminescent inexperienced eyes that hunts in packs. You’ll must defeat all of these creatures to extract Serum.

Outdoors of the sport’s central thriller and survival mechanics, the crew hopes to attract gamers in via Serum’s sense of fashion. “We very a lot pushed the graphic fashion, the individuality of the animals and the creatures you meet on the earth,” Soltysik provides. “Unreal Engine 5 provides us stunning lighting. Every thing seems good on this inexperienced mist and fog. I imagine the artwork fashion and the best way that the mutated animals are aggressive make it stand out.” A tall order contemplating the competitors.

One additional incentive is the inclusion of The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia himself, voice actor Doug Cockle, who will voice Richard, a personality I didn’t have the pleasure of assembly. Let’s simply hope that Richard is on our facet when he lastly makes an look.

All in all, my Serum preview left me extra excited concerning the recreation than I used to be prior, which is admittedly all you possibly can ask. In any case, Serum is life.

Serum is scheduled to launch on PC through Steam within the first quarter of 2024, so anticipate it someday between January to March. One to four-player co-op might be accessible too.

Wish to play one thing comparable within the meantime? Listed below are the best survival games in addition to the best crafting games on PC for 2023, together with the aforementioned Inexperienced Hell and Sons of the Forest.