“Serum is life.” That was the message given to me by Recreation Island CEO and artistic 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 huge with survival followers with Serum in what’s undoubtedly a crowded market.
Taking inspiration from latest releases like Sons of the Forest and Inexperienced Hell, Serum is ready within the yr 2070 and follows Adam, who’s concerned in a airplane crash earlier than discovering himself on an island in the course of the Pacific Ocean. As a toxic inexperienced fog blankets the land, it’s right here that you simply come upon the unknown liquid referred to as Serum, which not solely grants immunity to the toxin but additionally gives particular skills. 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 deal with the time ingredient, the starvation, staying alive, the mutation, how [Serum] is used to battle animals and alter your self and attempt to reply the query: The place am I? What have I received into? The place will it go?”
The time ingredient referred to is a countdown clock on Adam’s left arm that consistently wants topping up by way of 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 a bit fearful that I must consistently control the timer, but as the sport progresses, it seems to not be overly punishing.
Weaponry resembles that of Bioshock too (assume the wrench), by combining the unfavourable results of Serum to improve weapons and infuse them with substances. That stated, capturing enemies received’t play a component right here, as stealth is your greatest buddy.
Because the mysterious E.V.A.S company works away within the background, hinting that the whole lot is just not because it appears, gamers might want to tackle the island’s mutated animals whereas uncovering clues about previous occasions. There will likely be 4 to 5 biomes to discover alongside seven animal sorts with a number of variations. A Bonebreaker, as an illustration, is 3 times 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 by 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 planet,” Soltysik provides. “Unreal Engine 5 offers us stunning lighting. All the things 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 further 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 absolutely all you may ask. In spite of everything, Serum is life.
Serum is scheduled to launch on PC by way of Steam within the first quarter of 2024, so count on it someday between January to March. One to four-player co-op will likely be out there too.
Wish to play one thing comparable within the meantime? Listed here are one of the best survival video games in addition to one of the best crafting video games on PC for 2023, together with the aforementioned Inexperienced Hell and Sons of the Forest.