[Preview] The Lost Wild, where we’re nothing more than prey

Dinosaurs are not to be messed with, apparently

The Lost Wild is not a power fantasy with dinosaurs to dominate. Instead it is about surviving at the bottom of a food chain and having nothing but your wit to help you do so. These are wild animals living their lives and you’re nothing more than a potential next meal.

We had the chance to sit in on a hands-off demo at Summer Game Fest that sees the game’s protagonist awaken in this environment unsure of what is going on or where they are. It wasn’t long before we encountered a dinosaur and saw exactly why a confrontation with one is a bad idea. Players are almost always in danger being of hunted, but luckily UI elements will make it easier to tell when you’re out of sight or currently being spotted. Dinos will seemingly not be on set paths but more watching the environment looking for prey. This feeds into the save system, which appears to be risk/reward based giving the player a limited number of chances to save out in the world. How that affects difficulty or replay-ability is uncertain, but it’s an interesting way to add weight to your decisions.

Developers Great Ape are allowing players to discover what’s next through intrigue, guiding them using things like lights in the distance, suggesting safety and possibly information that might illuminate what’s happening on this island. Maybe answers to why there are so many dinosaurs around, or what’s up with the weird sci-fi company that’s decided to set up shop around them.

The Lost Wild is currently planned for release in 2027 on PC and consoles.