Publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment and developer ACE Team have delayed open-world survival adventure game The Eternal Cylinder from its previously planned 2020 release window to 2021. It will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Games Store.
According to the publisher, the additional development time will be utilized to focus on player experience and to further realize the alien world players will explore.
A closed beta is planned for early 2021. Registration is available now via the official website.
Here is an overview of the game, via the Epic Games Store:
About
In The Eternal Cylinder, players control a herd of adorable creatures called Trebhums and must explore a strange alien world filled with exotic lifeforms, surreal environments, and the constant threat of the Cylinder, a gargantuan rolling structure of ancient origin which crushes everything in its path. This unique ecosystem is a massive, procedurally generated land with unique animal AI, real-time world destruction, and organic exploration and puzzle design to create emergent gameplay that ensures no two playthroughs are ever the same.
Your Trebhums begin at the bottom of the natural food chain but can mutate and evolve with new physical attributes and abilities by eating a variety of flora and fauna. Discover and adapt dozens of mutations, including new traversal skills like flying and swimming to reach new areas, and new senses to help overcome puzzles, challenges and dangers. Your many Trebhums can each have different mutations, and new mutations don’t replace ones you already have, letting you stack ability sets in dynamic ways. Each mutation will also change the physical look of a Trebhum and stacking these will generate near countless surprising new creature designs which players will be able to organically discover as they explore this unique alien ecosystem.
Key Features
- Unforgettable Alien World to Explore – Players must explore a gorgeous procedurally generated world which is populated with unforgettable vistas and unique landscapes which have something new to discover around every corner. The Eternal Cylinder features an open-world which allows players to reach and explore any areas which they can see on the horizon. This encourages constant exploration and ensures that there’s always something new to see.
- Real-Time World Destruction – Everything in the world can be destroyed in real-time by The Eternal Cylinder, so players must continuously evade its destructive path in order to survive whilst marveling at the visual splendor of its godlike power.
- Story Driven Open-World Survival – Unlike many open-world survival titles, The Eternal Cylinder features a deep and engrossing story for players to uncover as they continue to explore the vast world. The game explores themes of family and heritage, and the lasting power of knowledge.
- Build Your Own Alien Family – Unlike standard survival games where you have a main shelter that you can build or improve, in Eternal Cylinder players develop a nomadic herd of unique alien creatures called Trebhums. Players control one Trebhum from the herd at a time and the rest follow (Al controlled) but players can switch to any individual member of their herd at will. Explore the world to rescue more of your brethren and continuously expand your family. Control a herd which can grow to more than 20 members at any given time and imbue each of your Trebhums with their own unique mutations and skill sets. Players can create a custom name for each of their Trebhum, increasing the emotional bond between player and their Trebhum family.
- Unique Mutation System – Although Trebhum’s are generally frail and start their lives at the very bottom of the world’s food chain, they have the unique ability to mutate and unlock new skills by consuming natural edibles which populate the game world. So, players must explore and experiment with a vast array of fruits, flora and alien creatures to unlock new powers and gameplay options.
- 50-Plus Mutations to Discover – Players can unlock more than 50 unique mutations as they explore the world, each one of which enable new gameplay options. These include new traversal options such as the ability to fly and swim, but also new offensive moves like the ability to spit fire and create loud warning noises. New mutations allow players to explore new areas and each mutation stacks thus creating a truly expansive skill set which is constantly evolving.
- A Trebhum for Everyone – Enjoy a virtually endless visual variety of Trebhum designs, as each mutation combine with one another to create surprising new creatures. This allows your herd to continue to evolve as players explore new areas and players can share the unique look of their Trebhum family with the rest of the world online.
- Layered Survival – Players need to manage multiple layers of resources in order to be able to survive. These include hydration level, various temperatures each with their own impact and stamina.
- Living and Breathing Ecosystems – The world of The Eternal Cylinder is populated with more than 30 memorable handcrafted alien creatures. These creatures vary greatly in size and range from those smaller than a Trebhum, all the way to skyscraper sized leviathans who dominate the horizon. Each of these creatures feature their own dedicated Al and behave in natural ways. Players must learn their unique behaviors and discover surprising ways to utilize the natural food chain to their advantage and interact with every creature.
- Organic Puzzle Solving and Progression – The world of The Eternal Cylinder has been designed to empower players to organically solve its mysteries and progress without the need for obvious prompts and mission logs. This allows for fully immersive exploration which rewards players of every skill level, as the greater majority of the puzzles are not required for progression but do provide unique experiences.
- Four Unique Biodomes lo Discover and Explore – Players can explore four unique biodomes including alien savannas and infected habitats, each with their own dedicated ecosystems and unique creatures to discover.
- Truly Emergent Gameplay – The Eternal Cylinder‘s lush procedurally generated world, vast number of mutations to discover and unlock, unique creature Al system, living natural ecosystem, real-time world destruction and organically placed puzzles combine to create near endless possibilities for emergent gameplay and help to ensure that no two playthroughs will ever be there same.