Another speculative entry in our list, Ubisoft’s I Am Alive makes the grade due to its interesting premise, an unfaltering desire to give every new IP a chance, and our love of cheesy disaster movies. Rumoured as being in development back in July of 2008, I Am Alive was later unveiled at E3 that year, scuppering speculation that the title would be Assassin’s Creed producer Jade Raymond’s follow up. (Raymond would go on to become Managing Director of Ubisoft’s new studio in Toronto.)
A survival game in the truest sense, I Am Alive is a sociological examination of what happens when society completely deteriorates in the face of disaster. Stricken by a 10.3 magnitude earthquake (note: a 10.0 on the Richter scale has never been recorded by humans and is absolutely devastating) Chicago is utterly destroyed. You play Adam, a normal guy who manages to survive the apocalyptic event who must now do whatever it takes to endure an unimaginable situation. Food shortages, lack of a clean water supply, rioting, looting, the threat of disease, Adam must fight to stay hydrated, combat other survivors who will do anything it takes to also stay alive, and ultimately locate his missing girlfriend who may or may not have a skyscraper sitting on her head.
Comparisons with Mirror’s Edge’s pacificist attitude where violence is a last resort (Adam can wave empty guns at people as a deterrent) are expected, while the game’s first person perspective will also infer a logical connection to EA’s adventurous FPS. We think I Am Alive has enough going for it to be quite unique, the inclusion of the game’s third-person perspective driving sections suggesting a strange blend of Bear Grylls meets Mad Max, all set in America’s now demolished Second City.
Started by French developer Darkworks (creators of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter on the PS2 and Xbox back in 2006), the game’s development was ultimately shipped off to Ubisoft Shanghai for completion. We’re now promised a spring 2011 release.
Its novel idea, interesting and different challenges and Ubisoft’s usual focus on quality suggests I Am Alive could be a stellar hit when it ultimately drops some time over then next few months. We’ll keep an eye out for any tremors suggesting otherwise, of course.
spooner_22
I didn’t realise this was gonna be first person…took my interest down slightly, but will still give it a look.
DRCD1
He isn’t dead yet?
You know what’s going to be the disaster? Ubi Shangai’s 10 FPS (Frames per second) on the PS3. SC: Double Agent had exactly that framerate on the PS3.
pitchforkdisney
This sounds like a cult Japanese game I played on PS2. Same premise, city hit by Earthquakes and aftershocks…Forget what it was called (anyone?) – it was very good.
Kovacs
Sakurazaka Shouboutai.
(Cherrytree Hill Fire-brigade)
pitchforkdisney
No…that’s not it. You started on a collapsing suspension bridge and made your way into the city. Health pick ups were water to keep hydrated…sounds just like this. Buildings collapsed as you travelled through them…ah – must try and find out…
pitchforkdisney
Got it: S.O.S. The Final Escape (In Europe anyway). On it’s 3rd sequel – due out in Feb with Move & 3d.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster_Report
ElGuason
haven’t seen or heard anything about this one until now
rht992
ahhh man i forgot about this game! good to know its set to come this year/ can’t wait to see what it can do