Rare's new IP, Everwild, has received a brilliant new trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase. Perhaps the most gorgeous game of the event, Everwild is a breath of fresh air amidst the shooters and realistic style titles.
Everwild was first showcased at X019, but this newest look gives players a better idea of what may be in store. The game focuses on nature, harmony, and even life and death, and Rare seems to have captured that with the video. The cell-shaded style of the game looks like a Miyazaki anime meeting up with the art of Wind Waker, in the best ways possible.
In Everwild, it seems as if the magic and animal life will be a huge part of the game. Creating relationships with the animal life allows them to live alongside the player, help them with tasks, and create harmony. The gameplay shows massive monsters helping take down trees and even what looks like a creature being brought back to life.
Rare's most recent title, Sea of Thieves, which recently reached 15 million players, is a wonderful co-op adventure game. It looks like Everwild could be something similar, with a focus on enjoying the world together. In the case of Sea of Thieves, the gameplay focuses on adventure and goofy gameplay. In Everwild, the gameplay is tranquil and beautiful.
Rare has never been afraid of doing cool and unique things, as games like Conker's Bad Fur Day or Viva Pinata couldn't be any more different, but also couldn't be any more Rare. Time will tell where Everwild ranks among the best Rare games of all time, but the gameplay trailer alone shows that it has the chance to truly be special.
Many of the best games of 2020 have been action based or filled with standard video gamey tropes, but a few have been incredibly successful while not feeling like an every day video game, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Dreams. Video games can truly be a work of art, and it's wonderful to see when developers stretch themselves to make a video game feel like an artform unlike any other. Everwild showed that it may be just that.
Everwild will launch in 2021 for PC and Xbox Series X.