Since it was first teased with a brief trailer at XO19 in November 2019, Everwild has drawn the interest of many gamers. Rare, a studio famous for titles such as Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, and Sea of Thieves, has seemingly been working on Everwild since 2014.
Development Journey
A decade later, despite a few trailers showcasing stunning visuals and potential gameplay, the actual nature of Everwild remains unclear, and at times, the studio seemed unsure as well. However, it looks like Rare has finally cracked the code, and Everwild is said to be making good progress.
Positive Updates
The most recent insights about Everwild come from Jez Corden at Windows Central, who claims that the game's development is “going well” and that the studio has “nailed the gameplay loop, and we should be seeing that in the future.” This news is significant for fans eager for fresh updates on Rare’s upcoming AAA intellectual property. The previously undefined gameplay loop might have been a major factor in why Everwild was stuck in developmental limbo. The situation was so problematic that the game reportedly underwent a complete reboot in 2021, aiming for a release in 2024.
Future Expectations
With 2024 approaching, Xbox has not disclosed any information about Everwild’s release date. Thus, it seems the game is still not in a state to be showcased, and it may take some time before we see the full launch. While it’s known that Everwild is anticipated to be a third-person action-adventure title, specific details about its gameplay remain elusive. Nevertheless, we can infer some elements based on the 2020 trailer.
The game seems to focus on the player's relationship with wildlife and flora. For example, the trailer depicts characters rescuing a tree from an insect invasion by using a type of spell. In other scenes, they are seen guiding a large creature to topple a tree. There's also a moment where a ritual is performed to heal a deer-like animal by calling on a spirit.
From this, we might speculate that the game could have minimal combat and instead focus on safeguarding nature through rituals and spirit summoning. However, this is purely conjectural, and the final version of Everwild could feature a completely different gameplay approach. No matter how the gameplay evolves, we hope Rare has genuinely “nailed” it as Jez Corden suggests.
Jez Corden via r/GamingLeaksAndRumors, Polygon, Teaser image: Xbox/Rare, edited.
