Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a third-person open world survival game from independent studio Panache Digital Games and published by Private Division. From Creative Director Patrice Désilets, experience the beauty and danger of Africa 10 million years ago as your hominid clan must Explore, Expand, and Evolve to survive over the course of 8 million years. Write your own unique story of human evolution and see if you can survive like our ancestors before us.
Although the graphics could be sharper, this game suits players who love to explore vast environments and tackle puzzles along the way. Based on factual science and history, this is a must for survival lovers that want to learn as they conquer this harsh and unforgiving landscape. Also, hat’s off to this game for offering a unique storyline and gameplay experience, striving away from the open-worlds with maps and guidelines that we are used to playing as gamers.
A game that not everyone will appreciate for what it really is: a raw and faithful experience of what the first steps of humanity really represented. It suffers from certain shortcomings, but we believe that the final product is a title worth giving a chance.
Ancestors is more than a survival game. Panache Digital developed some interesting mechanics about evolution, learning and neuronal development. But the game has technical issues and gets repetitive after a few hours.
Ancestors is a large, fussy, and at times uneven survival experience, but it's also deeply gratifying once you sink your teeth in.
The things that make Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey so appealing are the same thing that make it frustrating. Many things stand in the way of your progress, many of those things being mechanics, and rewards come sparingly. At the same time, there is something wholly unique here that, if you can properly sink your teeth into it, you could find yourself completely engulfed in it.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey has a huge gene pool of potential, but endless repetition and clunky controls need to be removed from its DNA. For die-hard survival and exploration fans there is a worthwhile experience here, but for everyone else this is a game that’s so repetitive it’ll drive you bananas.
While the slow-paced nature of Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey was a bit too much of a slog for me, there are plenty of players who will be up to the challenge. An effective ‘Human Simulator,” the ambition of the game is seen in its graphics, audio, and overall immersive long-haul gameplay. Just be prepared to put in the time. After all, evolution didn’t happen overnight.
April 23, 2018
Patrice Desilets shows Ancestors: A Humankind Odyssey’s pre-alpha footage. Read more