Publisher Deep Silver and developer 5 Lives Studios have just unveiled a 21-minute gameplay walkthrough video of their upcoming survival adventure game Windbound. The video showcases the game’s mechanics and features commentary from Mitch Clifford, 5 Lives Studios co-founder and lead animator.
Set in the mystical Forbidden Islands, Windbound is a story about a girl named Kara who is separated from her fellow warriors. Kara must survive while being shipwrecked, void of resources, and all alone on this mysterious and picturesque island. Players guide Kara to uncover the beautiful island’s bountiful resources and deeper secrets within. Tons of scattered ruins and mysteries will can be discovered and may help Kara find her way home.
Windbound takes on the survival genre in a new direction with its nomadic hunting and exploration within its procedurally generated world with dynamic wildlife. This can either be a positive or a negative aspect of the game, as some survival and open-world fans actually enjoy the base building, fortification, and resource gathering mechanic of the genre. Players focus mostly on traveling around and between the islands using their created sea crafts that are fully customizable.
In the video we are given a glimpse of the game’s main mechanics, which comprise mostly of searching the islands for resources, upgrading your weapons and tools, and more. Windbound, however, mainly focuses on the exploration aspect of the game based on what can be seen so far in the video. The game has multiple chapters that are symbolized by multiple towers. Collecting specific keys will point players towards the next island they should sail to. Upgrading your boat is essential for both quicker and safer trips as a damaged ship far from shore can be disastrous. Certain elements of combat have also been shown, with Kara being able to dodge roll enemies, as well as craft and upgrade her weapons from a wood spear to more substantial gear. There are also skill upgrades which are called Blessings. One such example is less stamina drain while swimming. We can assume other upgrades will revolve around survivability and combat, and maybe even be focused on crafting.
Windbound is ready to set sail for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, and Stadia on August 28.
