Birthed in 2017 by ex-Ubisoft creative director Alex Hutchinson along with ex-EA executive producer Reid Schneider, Typhoon Games is aiming to be one of the few studios made explicitly for the gamers. Hutchinson had worked on both Far Cry 4 and Assassin's Creed 3 before he decided to run his own gaming company. Their debut title, Journey to the Savage Planet, is an action-adventure shooter that lets you traverse a simultaneously mesmerizing and dangerous world. The title appears to draw inspiration from the likes of Interstellar, No Man's Sky, and Resistance: Fall of Man.
With Marvel's Avengers getting its own co-op treatment at PAX West, it's only fair Journey to the Savage Planet gets some limelight, as well. Typhoon's brand new co-op footage showcases some interesting weaponry and mechanics, not to mention the game's beautiful world as its backdrop. Captured on PC, the gameplay demo gives players insight into the ways in which traversal works, what type of opponents they'll be up against, and, most importantly, how exactly co-op factors into the game.
One of the many interesting in-game mechanics includes the character's scanning capabilities, reminiscent of The Witcher 3's witcher senses. The weapons not only look rad, but they fit so neatly into the aesthetic and tone of the game. Those bombegranates, for instance, delicious as they might seem, serve as one of many various tools in the game that will aid in exploration, whether it be in combat or strategical maneuvering. Characters are also equipped with a rocket booster to get over long crevices and jumps, as well as a near-future light rope that allows players to swing from floating rocks.
The PAX West footage shows players embarking on a quest to relieve the blockage from a shrine on a floating island. While it may appear like shooting is one of the main mechanics in the game, it's actually journeying. Traversing this open planet is of utmost importance, as the story centers around "the fourth-best interstellar exploration company," so aptly named by Kindred Aerospace's own PR team. Your mission is to record the data on this uncharted planet in order to discover if it is or is not habitable for humans.
While the planet already appears to be pretty inhabitable for humans, the game is certainly looking very promising, to say the least. With Schneider's remarks in mind, Savage Planet becomes even more of an amazing adventure, for its players and for its creators:
"This is a passion project for our team, many of whom came from larger companies including Ubisoft, Eidos and WB Games to embark on this indie game adventure with us."
Journey to the Savage Planet debuts January 28th. As Typhoon Studios continues to grow well into the future, the studio's very first title will be something special, a title that will be remembered. The wait to use that bombegranate and to journey across this beautiful world will be unbearable, but at least PAX West and its many amazing stories, like Iron Man VR, will be keeping us busy for some time.