Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey Is Out Now For PS4

Ever wonder what life was like for our earliest ancestors? You know, the ones with a little more fur and a little less smarts? Well, now you can find out through the unique survival experience offered by Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. The game was released earlier this fall for PC, but is out today on the PlayStation 4. 

As advertised by a rather brutal trailer, you will go through the long, long (8 million years to be precise) journey of evolving from a tree-dwelling ape, to one of our upright ancestors facing the dangers of the African savannah. There are quite a few other creatures in the distant past that would like to take a bite out of the primordial creatures you play as. This unprecedented story comes from the mind of creative director Patrice Désilets, who might be best known for guiding the creation of the incredibly successful Assassin's Creed franchise. We can glimpse the iconic series' influence in the way characters swing from trees in Ancestors. 

That's where the similarities stop, however. The game is wholly focused on survival, and it's up to you, dear player, to keep these early humans alive. That is easier said than done. Like we mentioned before, there are many a hungry predator on the hunt in this game, but there are also other obstacles to look out for. Like the gameplay itself, apparently. 

When the PC version came out in August, we reported that players often had to stop and start their game over because they failed to understand the game's basic mechanics. Ancestors evidently throws in players without much of a walkthrough, leaving them to figure out how to work the world themselves. This has led to Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey being described as a "grind" that is fairly unforgiving. Huh, kind of like life itself.