Summary
Despite launching to a mixed reception, both critics and players universally agreed thatOnce Human’spost-apocalyptic world made the game worth playing. Filled to the brim withmutated Deviants,unsightly locations, and mysterious characters, the game nailed the sci-fi aesthetic.
As part of an exclusive interview that was rearranged fromTokyo Game Show, I got to speak to Once Human’s chief designer, Woody, who shared what inspired the game’s world and whether it could be adapted into a TV show or movie at some point in the future.
“It’s Not An Unimaginable Idea That We Make A TV Show, Novel, Or Animation”
Of the game’s inspirations, Woody told me, “When creating Once Human, we were inspired by a lot of great shows. The Mist and Stranger Things are two."
When creating Once Human, we were inspired by a lot of great shows. The Mist and Stranger Things are two.
But, while Western media evidently inspired the world, many of the deviant’s designs came from the team’s ambitious story-telling goals.
“First, we conceptualize our Deviants by giving them a high-level tag, [which is] the concept we want to portray to our players; then we shape that tag into something more specific, more tangible that resonates with the theme of our game or environment.”
I asked the chief designer if, given how well the game’s world-building was received and the increase in quality of recent TV and Movie adaptations, the Once Human Team would ever consider transitioning the game into different media.
“It’s not an unimaginable idea that we make a TV show, novel, or animation,” he said, before grounding himself and adding, “But the game is still in its early stages.
“We still think we have more stories to tell and more characters waiting to be presented and perfected. We really want a comprehensive in-game story first, and that’s where all of our attention will go next.”
Before focusing on any trans-media adaptations, though, the team’s full focus is on the game’s story and upcoming mobile port. Then, itsunannounced console version will become the main priority.
Once Human
WHERE TO PLAY
Once Human takes the MMO in new directions, placing the player in the role of a Meta-Human in the midst of a post-apocalyptic future. You must survive Stardust, an alien creature infecting and influencing a dark and chaotic world.
