Regular readers will know of my love for No Man’s Sky, or at very least, my desire for a truly far-reaching space exploration game. I traversed land and stars in No Man’s Sky for over 60 hours, and enjoyed the freedom of being lost in its universe. However, my enthusiasm waned when it became clear that Hello Games hadn’t built an end goal. There was no deep mystery to uncover and no puzzles to solve beyond the random riddles that became rudimentary.
Unfortunately, I have not had time to return to the lush galaxies and poetic planets since the release of the updates. But part of me wonders whether I should move forward and try to find something that seeks to be the game that No Man’s Sky never was.
So follow me as we stumble though another alien portal in the latest edition of Kickstart This!
Project: Epitasis
Developer: Lucas Govatos
Genre: First Person Exploration
Platform: PC (Windows, Mac), PS4, Xbox One
Funding Target: $11,650
What Is It?
Epitasis takes you on a journey to the remnants of an ancient alien civilisation where you explore to uncover the history of this long-gone race, while solving puzzles and unearthing technology and treasure beyond your wildest dreams… (Hmm… Can you unearth something if you are no longer on Earth?) Anyway, your science-propelled leap of faith has left you stranded on an alien planet, and your aim is to find a way home by utilising the new tech you discover during your travels. With an entire world to explore through a series of interconnected alien portals, you can journey to mesmerising landscapes, stunning vistas, and alien ruins.
To help you, developer Lucas Govatos has provided an alien drone, similar to the Ghosts from Destiny. This drone will teach you how to interact with the world, and fend off attacks from hostile drones and other security systems.
Why Fund It?
This is No Man’s Sky, but with a more focused objective. In addition to Hello Games’s title, Govatos also lists classic exploration games like Myst and The Talos Principle as inspirations for Epitasis. Whereas No Man’s Sky relied on procedural generation, the landscapes in Epitasis have been crafted purposely to be explored. As secrets wait to be found, auroras appear in certain areas, and waves of shooting stars spark across the sky.
Accompanying the gorgeous and varied landscapes is a serene, haunting soundtrack produced by Funk Fiction (AKA Pejman Roozbeh). The musical interludes are designed to compliment the nature of the game, and they also inspired some of the aesthetic decisions made by the developer.
Best Rewards?
- Digital copy of the game, PDF instruction manual, and UHD wallpapers – $15
- Previous rewards, plus early beta access – $25
- Previous rewards, plus digital copy of the official soundtrack – $30
- Previous rewards, plus Epitasis digital art book – $45
- Previous rewards, plus Epitasis t-shirt – $60
- Previous rewards, plus second copy of the game for a friend – $65
- Previous rewards, plus exclusive art print (limited to 200) – $100
- Previous rewards, but with three copies of the game for two friends (limited to 100) – $150
Until Next Time…
Between Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Space Odyssey and Epitasis, Kickstart This! has been very focused on the final frontier lately. We’ll try and come back to Earth soon.
