The sequel to Immortals: Fenyx Rising (2020’s open-world, Greek-inspired journey sport) was cancelled in July 2023, and we’re simply now studying precisely what that sport was meant to ivolve—and the way a lot of a break from custom it was deliberate to be for Ubisoft.
In line with Axios’ Stephen Totilo, who broke the information on August 21, the sequel (codenamed Oxygen) was an bold one that may mix options of two distinct, beloved video games: FromSoftware’s motion RPG Elden Ring and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Nameless sources conversant in the sport’s growth spoke to Totilo, portray an in depth image of a “huge sport set throughout a fictionalized model of the Polynesian archipelago, made primarily by Ubisoft’s Quebec studio however developed alongside Polynesian consultants.”
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“The purpose was additionally to make a sport very completely different from the remainder of the Ubisoft portfolio,” a supply instructed Axios. As an alternative of the everyday Ubisoft map overwhelmingly dotted with icons, Immortals 2 would have far much less map markers, and require gamers “to look tougher to determine the place to go, by monitoring animals, following the wind, or navigating by way of the place of stars within the in-game sky,” alleged a supply. The core inspiration for this alteration? Elden Ring.
The sequel would reportedly even be very completely different from the unique Immortals, with extra sensible graphics, the abandonment of the primary sport’s narrator, fewer puzzles, and a “extra malleable story through which participant selection is critical.” In line with Axios’ sources, the participant’s character would try to “curry favor with numerous Polynesian gods” that may give them particular elemental powers and the flexibility to shape-shift. They’d acquire new tattoos on their physique primarily based on the narrative decisions they’d make in sport, all of which is rooted deeply in Polynesian cultural traditions and the notion of mana, or the idea that there’s a supernatural pressure flowing by means of people, animals, crops, and extra. A participant’s choices would have an effect on the varied islands on which Immortals 2 would have been set.
In line with Axios, a part of the explanation Immortals 2 was canned was in order that Ubisoft may deal with established IP like Murderer’s Creed Pink. The primary Immortals sport was reportedly developed in simply over a 12 months, however the sequel was taking longer due to its bold scope and its comparatively small dev group. Apparently, nonetheless, “a number of playable hours have been obtainable in an inside demo” by spring 2023, and Ubisoft was “at a juncture about whether or not to fund full growth or nix the mission.”
We all know Ubisoft in the end determined to can it, however as Kotaku’s Ethan Gach identified in July 2023, Immortals: Fenyx Rising was “fairly good,” and the thought of a extra expansive sequel that deserted among the drained markers of a Ubisoft sport sounds thrilling. Oh effectively, guess we’ll simply get extra Murderer’s Creed video games as a substitute.