Where Ancestors further separates from the standard survival game is in the way that you build skills. It’s great that these systems fuel the larger narrative of the game and don’t just exist to make it more video-gamey. For these, you’re going to have to slowly start to incorporate them into your diet and acclimate your body to them, fitting the evolutionary model. You’re also going to discover food sources that you can’t properly digest. Lower life expectancy will lead to early death due to falls from reasonable heights, predators attacks, etc. You have to eat food because if you don’t it affects how much stamina and energy you have, and if those are not managed it will drain your life expectancy. You don’t need to eat food just because a little meter tells you to. I love that all of these systems make sense in the context of your being prehistoric creatures who are starting to develop a new metabolism, motor skills, and lifestyles. You also have to manage your sleep, stamina, life expectancy, and a bunch more. Survival games tend to lean on the player to make sure their characters have enough food and water to survive, which Ancestors does. Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a survival game that stands on its own two legs This game takes a very significant time investment, so you’re going to want to set aside around 60 hours. You won’t be playing for all of those 10 million years, but don’t be fooled. You build skills and luck upon genetic mutations in your 10 million year-long journey. That far-forward sight is what makes Ancestors unique compared to other survival games that I’ve played.
In this, you’ll have to take advantage of the benefits carried over from generation to generation and steer evolution down the right path. You’re at the helm during the dawn of humanity, and your task is to lead a band of ancient hominids towards the present day.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a very unique survival game.