“I want a game that is not a game – I want a game that is a universe.”
That’s Dean Hall’s introduction to his new game, Ion.
The game is built, Hall says, on a series of rules governed by physics and biology and chemistry, not on scripts or quests. It will take players through the full cycle of life in a massively-multiplayer experience through galactic cities as humans colonize the universe.
Without any gameplay footage shown, it’s difficult to imagine how this game will play out, but it looks as if there are some interesting mechanics here. Much like Keiji Inafune’s newly announced game Recore (also shown off at Microsoft’s conference), players in Ion will be able to migrate their deceased characters into new host bodies and, presumably, continue playing.
In fact, the game’s Facebook page bears the message, “This is a station wide announcement. The Federation would like to remind you that it is the job of the user to keep their clone in functioning order. Failure to do so may result in termination of both.” Creepy.
Ion is billed as a simulation of life, though we imagine it is a projected simulation of life many centuries into the future. This seems to be a common theme with games this year as titles like Recore, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Anno 2205 all explore the genre of a new world to inhabit and live in with new dynamics that could only be possible in other worlds.
Take a look at the trailer for Ion above and let us know what you think of this ambitious new IP.
Ion has no current release date but is debuting on Xbox One and PC before other platforms.