Play Station Official Magazine - UK (2019-12)

(Antfer) #1

018


How far will you go to
protect your fox pups?
Endling sounds like it
could be an emotional
journey for all involved.

07


Afterdecadesof
pollutionand
casuallitteringby
humankind,the
world’sanimals
areunderthreat.
AsthelastfoxonEarthyouknow
thisonlytoowell.Canyougetyour
familytosafetyandsaveyour
species?Nopressure.
SpanishdeveloperHerobeat
Gamesis keentoensureitstitles
carrya messageaswellasgreat
gameplay.“Wedonotwanttotalk
onlyaboutenvironmentalproblems
oranimalwelfare,butalsomany
othersocialimpactissues,”says
Herobeat’sco-founder,Javier
Ramello,whoexplainsEndling
marksthestartofa seriesof
sociallyawaregames.
We’rein solidsurvivalmodefor
Endling’sside-scrollingscavenge-

athon.Scamperingfromleftto
rightweneedtoavoidthelight
fromthehumans’torchesaswe
scourforestsandabandoned
factoriesforfoodandshelterto
raiseourthreecubs.
Ramellois keentostressthe
game’sworldis notsciencefiction,
buta possiblefuturebasedon
facts.“Wehavedoneresearchon
scientificforecastsabouthowthe
worldcouldbein thenext 100
years,froma cultural,social,and
technologicalpointofview,”he
says.“Endlingis notonlyaboutthe
destructionofenvironmentsorthe
extinctionofspecies,buthowthis
willaffectthesocietythatcohabits
withourprotagonist.”

FANTASTICMRFOX
Whilethestealthandhuntingmay
feelfamiliar,it’stheactofraising
a familyofcutefoxesthatholds
everythingtogether.Aswellas
huntingpreytofeedyourfamily,

andprotectingthelittlescamps
fromhuman,environmental,
andanimalthreats,youneedto
enterparentmodeandteachthem
newskills,theideabeingthese
cubswillgrowin-gamebased
onyouractions
anddecisions.
We’repromised
“taxingemotional”
choiceswillneed
tobemadeonthe
journeytothegame’s
safehaven.“Those
decisionsareirreversibleandhave
tobecarefullyconsidered.Trial
anderroris notanoptionsince
thereis no‘undo’buttonwhenwe
dealwithourproblemsin reallife,”
saysRamello.
Savingyourcubscanmean–
heartbreakingly– huntingthepups
ofanotheranimal.
“Ourprotagonist– asa wild
animal– maynothavethe
conscienceofgoodandevil,
buttheplayerwillwitnessthe
consequencesofthedecisions
taken,”Ramelloexplains.

Should more videogames carry a strong
message? Write in and have your say.

The world is Endling – can


you save your fox family?


New survival game will carry an emotional ecological message


WE’RE PROMISED
“TAXING EMOTIONAL”
CHOICES WILL NEED
TO BE MADE.
Free download pdf