Hilary Giorgi

Top 5 Riveting Alternatives to "Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey"

If you're a fan of evolution-themed survival games like "Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey," then you might be on the lookout for similar games that offer a blend of survival, exploration, and progression through different stages of civilization. Here are five intriguing alternatives that provide an immersive gaming experience with unique storylines, captivating settings, and compelling gameplay.

1. Ark: Survival Evolved

"Ark: Survival Evolved" is an action-adventure game developed by Studio Wildcard. It presents a unique blend of primal survival and high-tech futurism wrapped in a beautifully designed open-world environment filled with dinosaurs.

Gameplay

In "Ark: Survival Evolved," players begin stranded on an island teeming with prehistoric beasts. The primary goal is to survive by crafting tools, building shelters, and taming or fighting many of the game's 100+ dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures. As the game progresses, players can form tribes with others to improve their chances of survival.

Story & Setting

The storyline unfolds as players explore the vast environment known as 'the ARK.' They encounter explorer notes that reveal fragments about the island’s past and its strange technology. Over time, it becomes clear that 'the ARK' is not just an ordinary island but an alien creation designed for a mysterious purpose.

2. Conan Exiles

"Conan Exiles" is an open-world survival game developed by Funcom set in the brutal lands of Conan the Barbarian. It provides a savage world full of dangers where only the strongest can survive.

Gameplay

The player begins in "Conan Exiles" as an exile, sentenced to navigate a barren desert attached to a cross. After being saved by Conan himself, players must then learn to survive by scavenging resources, crafting tools, building shelters, and fighting off enemies from wild beasts to other exiles.

Story & Setting

Set in the harsh deserts of Hyboria, the game's narrative is driven by player exploration. Discovering ancient ruins and deciphering mysterious artifacts gradually uncovers the history of this savage land and its gods.

3. Far Cry Primal

"Far Cry Primal," developed by Ubisoft Montreal, is an action-adventure game that transports players back in time to 10,000 BCE where they experience life in the Stone Age—a time when giant beasts like woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers ruled the Earth.

Gameplay

Players take on the role of Takkar, a hunter who becomes the leader of his tribe. The gameplay involves hunting for food, crafting weapons from bones and stones, mastering fire for protection and cooking, taming wildlife for assistance in hunting or combat, and warring against other tribes for territory.

Story & Setting

Set in prehistoric Central Europe's majestic landscape known as Oros (based on the Carpathian Mountains), players slowly unravel Takkar's story as he tries to reunite his scattered tribe members while battling dangerous predators and rival tribes.

4. Green Hell

Creepy Jar’s "Green Hell" is a sweltering struggle for survival in the Amazon rainforest. It offers an unrelenting challenge with realistic survival conditions set within one of Earth's most biodiverse environments.

Gameplay

The gameplay of "Green Hell" demands meticulous attention to the character's physical and mental condition. Players must learn to navigate the complex ecosystem, build shelters, make tools, cook food, and treat wounds or illnesses while maintaining sanity.

Story & Setting

The story revolves around a man left alone in the Amazon rainforest with no memory of how he got there. As players strive to survive and escape, they uncover pieces of a disturbing past through faint radio messages and nightmarish visions.

5. Stranded Deep

Developed by Beam Team Games, "Stranded Deep" is a survival game that pits players against nature after a plane crash leaves them stranded in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean on small life-friendly islands surrounded by boundless ocean.

Gameplay

In "Stranded Deep," players must explore underwater environments and island landscapes to find resources for crafting tools, weapons, and shelter. The game offers an intricate crafting system and realistic survival mechanics such as dynamic weather conditions, day-night cycle, body health monitoring, hunting, cooking, and building.

Story & Setting

While the game doesn’t follow a linear storyline like others on this list—it focuses more on open-ended survival—the setting itself tells a story of isolation amidst natural beauty but with lurking dangers both on land and beneath the waves.

Each of these games offers its unique spin on survival mechanics combined with exploration in diverse environments—from prehistoric Earth to alien islands or unforgiving deserts. They all provide an immersive gaming experience that fans of "Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey" would surely appreciate.