Annapurna Interactive’s showcase gave fans a glimpse at various games currently being developed, however, one standout game was the last to be shown, The Lost Wild. A survival-horror game where players must survive on a hostile land filled with dangerous dinosaurs and find a way to safety, The Lost Wild does not only seem like a great idea, but the trailer depicts a visually stunning game that will test the player’s stealth and improvisation. However, while there are not a lot of details about the game, the trailer seems to highlight some themes and adventures in store for prospective players.
At the surface, The Lost Wild seems like a survival-horror game in a Jurassic Park setting, with the dinosaurs even resembling those that would be seen in the movies. This alone has many fans excited as the design of these creatures while the lighting and weather effects make them look especially terrifying, forcing players to either run the other way or hide in some grass nearby and hope they are not found. With this core concept, The Lost Wild has the potential to become the next big survival-horror game that players will enjoy.
A Beautiful World Filled With Dangers
The Lost Wild provides a world filled with threats that players will need to keep an eye out for, from towering dinosaurs that cannot be missed to perhaps stealthier creatures that enjoy the hunt. The trailer showcased many of the dinosaurs that the players will encounter, including some that seem to be non-threatening. However, Annapurna Interactive's trailer did showcase close encounters with carnivorous creatures that either hunt in packs or are big enough to survive on their own, and it will be up to the player to find ways to survive.
While these dangers could make The Lost Wild a truly terrifying experience, the world itself looks stunning with sharp details for not just the creatures but also the environment. The trailer showed the main character moving through the jungle and the design of the foliage, the weather, and the lighting all looked phenomenal, and often added to the horror factor of the game. The beauty of the world design is something to appreciate but also remains a reminder that there are threats around every corner for the players to be concerned about, giving The Lost Wild a good first impression as an indie horror game.
Fire and Tools
One of the biggest takeaways from The Lost Wild trailer was the fact that there was no combat in place; rather, players need to use stealth to hide from threats, and they will need to rely on non-lethal, and maybe even non-harmful means to scare predators away. Unlike games such as Ark Survival, killing dinosaurs isn't the player's priority. However, with fire and a few tools like flares, the game allows the player to keep the predators at bay as they search for safety.
This survival horror structure has a lot of potential in The Lost Wild as different dinosaurs could react differently to tools used to repel. While fire and flares may work on smaller predators that are chasing after the player, it should stand to reason that The Lost Wild's bigger dinosaurs will continue to hunt the player down even with these tools at their disposal. This would make the game more challenging as players will need to identify the dinosaur before deciding to stay hidden or scare it away.
A Possible Way Out
The trailer of The Lost Wild also somewhat touched on the main story behind the game by showing glimpses of civilization in an otherwise seemingly untouched land. The aim of The Lost Wild seems to be to escape from the forest by uncovering the mysteries of the man-made structures found within. This is eerily like Jurassic Park where the buildings around the island were the only means to call for rescue and hide, temporarily out of the reach of the dinosaurs. The story of the game will presumably have players explore these structures and possibly find new tools while learning about dinosaurs, and finding quicker, safer ways to get around the forest. However, with nothing yet confirmed, these man-made structures remain mysterious.
One of the standouts reveals at the Annapurna Interactive Showcase, The Lost Wild promises lots thrills and scares. The world design showcased in the trailer shows a beautiful world ready to be explored and a diverse range of dinosaurs that will either try to kill the player or simply add to the atmosphere. With a forest full of threats, the mystery surrounding the structures, and not many tools at the player’s disposal, The Lost Wild looks a gripping survival-horror title.
The Lost Wild is scheduled to release in 2024 for PC.