Have you had fun in Blackreach, the Dwemer-built labyrinth at the bottom of Skyrim’s expansive mountain map? Do you like murdering Ents in sluggish motion? Want to see the scents? You may be interested in The Axis Unseen, which has just been released on Steam – it is the work of former Bethesda programmer Nate Purkeypile, one of the great brains behind Blackreach.
The Axis Unseen is not an open-world RPG or a fantasy work like Elder Scrolls. It’s an open-world archery hunting simulator set in a “heavy metal horror” universe, with an appropriately thunderous soundtrack composed by post-metallurgical master Clifford Meyer of Red Sparowes fame.
Monsters in the game can sense you based on wind direction, and you can track them based on footprints and blood stains. This isn’t some pious exercise in realism, though: you also get a magical bow and arrows that can distort time and change the weather. Arrow effects can be combined Magica-style, and there are also unlockable items to enhance your senses. “See the scent particles”, – the Steam website raves. “Feel the warmth left in their footsteps. See colors like no man has ever seen.” I’m not sure my graphics card can handle colors beyond human comprehension, although the system specs don’t look too brutal.
I played an early version of The Axis Unseen at this year’s GDC Creator Day and quickly stepped on Bigfoot. In the 10 minutes or so before being stomped by Bigfoot, I particularly liked the game’s shamanic interface in the game world, with health, power availability, and the amount of noise you make noticeable in the form of glowing glyphs on your wrists and gear. I wasn’t particularly impressed by the hunting element, but it’s tough to form a clear impression of such delicacies when you’re surrounded by game developers screaming about the afterparty.
According to the Steam page, the full game takes “20 hours, and more if you’ve completed the game.” I think Graham is reviewing it, or at least putting together longer thoughts on the subject. He says he’s interested because archery is the only good part of Skyrim, but don’t worry about Graham – he always says that.
