A Skyrim developer”s new monster-hunting open-world combines The Witcher with survival – yet is very different
In role-playing games I like to dive into the wildest character fantasies. The betrayed and rejected heiress to the Dwarven throne, the Khajiit-raised Nord with an identity crisis, the bloodthirsty Elven assassin with a penchant for promiscuity. But as much as I enjoy diving hundreds and thousands of hours into these role-playing stories, my fantasies are simpler on other days.
Sometimes I just want to be a mighty monster hunter, raining arrows like confetti and looking cool doing it.
The Axis Unseen could now combine two grandiose virtues: A simple but fun power fantasy with an exciting and sophisticated open world. Because the monster hunter game comes from a former Skyrim developer who knows exactly what good open worlds should look like – and has unceremoniously made his world five times the size of Himmelsrand. Is that a good idea?
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What is The Axis Unseen about?
The Axis Unseen comes from Skyrim and Fallout developer Nate Purkeypile (who has an incredible 18 years of development experience, 14 of which at Bethesda), but its theme is more reminiscent of The Witcher. In The Axis Unseen, you become a monster hunter in a folklore-inspired world that doesn”t shy away from real horror moments either.
Armed with your trusty bow, you set off in search of mythological monsters in a huge open world – and hope that you strike first. Because of course the creatures are not waiting comfortably with a coffee to be hit by your arrows. They”re always on your tail, too.
To make the tension perfect, The Axis Unseen is accompanied by a heavy metal folklore soundtrack, which you can also admire in the latest trailer:
For whom is it exciting?
The Axis Unseen is supposed to have more to offer than a groovy soundtrack and an exciting monster hunt. Your main motivation shall be to uncover new sensory abilities and collect special elemental arrows.
With the former, you can track down the monsters by sensing their scent particles, detecting the residual heat of their tracks or activating very unique senses that are normally hidden from humans. Keep in mind, however, that the monsters can also smell you, which is why the wind direction and your chosen route also play an important role.
The elemental arrows can be wildly combined with each other to create unique attacks. Wind-controlling arrows and fire arrows, for example, create an unstoppable inferno. And then there are time-distorting arrows – which freeze or slow down the movement of creatures in time, for example.
Last but not least, there”s a mysterious storyline to uncover – told in old Bethesda fashion via copious diary entries and the environment.
What do we like so far? What remains unclear?
What do we like so far?
- Atmosphere and soundtrack: The unique folklore atmosphere combined with the original soundtrack offer a great mix in the trailer.
- Simple but effective: The concept of a monster-hunting adventure could provide the perfect after-work entertainment to relieve stress.
- Exciting Open World: The world is said to be five times the size of Skyrim and contain six unique regions and already looks quite inviting in the trailer.
What remains unclear?
- Combat feel: Combat feel will be the most important factor here. Since Elder Scrolls is not exactly known for its perfect combat system, The Axis Unseen has to offer more here to be really fun.
- Motivation: How motivating will the game be away from the new arrows and sharpening of the senses? What long-term motivation does the exploration and story offer?
- Too big of an open world? As nice as “five times as big as Skyrim” rolls off the tongue – the trend in recent years has been more towards smaller game worlds. The Axis Unseen must prove that it can also fill its world well.
In his roadmap, developer Nate Purkeypile (who also recently revealed the secret of Skyrim”s rubbish planet ) tells us that the open world and the battle system are already completely finished. He is currently working on more creatures and visitable places in the world and wants to start the alpha phase afterwards. We”ll stay tuned.
Editor”s Verdict
I”m currently playing the Ezio Collection on Xbox again. You might be wondering what Assassin”s Creed has to do with The Axis Unseen and the answer is: not much. Except for a very special gameplay experience that the Ezio trilogy just brings back to me and that I often miss in games today.
A lavishly produced large world with simple but fun gameplay mechanics without superfluous role-playing elements, open-world collection stuff and thousands of side quests. Just a good, atmospheric action experience with a great atmosphere.
And The Axis Unseen with its chic style, monster hunting and atmospheric soundtrack could also offer me exactly that. That”s why I”ll be keeping a close eye on the game.
