The Lost Wild, a first-person survival horror game set on an island overrun by dinosaurs, is aiming to differentiate its prehistoric inhabitants through distinct behaviors and reactions, moving beyond simple predator-AI tropes. Game director Gary Napper, who previously worked on Alien: Isolation, detailed the approach in a recent discussion.
Napper explained that the team at Great Ape Games is drawing on current paleontological understanding to inform the dinosaurs' temperaments. For instance, evidence suggesting allosauruses were erratic and aggressive, based on their teeth being found embedded in various materials, directly influences their in-game behavior. "An area [of the project] I find particularly fascinating is the difference between dinosaur behaviour for each species, and what that could mean for gameplay and character," Napper stated.
Players will need to learn the unique habits and foibles of each dinosaur species to survive. Unlike the singular threat in Alien: Isolation, The Lost Wild features multiple large predators, each requiring a different strategy. The game also incorporates environmental factors, such as light and dark, weather, and time of day, to further influence dinosaur behavior and player challenges. The context of a dinosaur's presence, such as whether it is near its nest or has recently fed, will also play a role in its aggression levels, signaling opportunities for stealthy evasion.
Communicating these nuanced behaviors to the player without relying on explicit UI elements like view cones is a key challenge. Napper noted that the team strives to balance believability with clear gameplay communication through "obvious tells and subtle hints that the player can read and learn." This approach is intended to reward patient, observant players while still allowing those who prefer a more reactive playstyle to engage with the game.
The narrative of The Lost Wild is set in the early 2000s, with the island owned by a mysterious corporation called Idehama, involved in industrial projects and energy research. Discovering the company's role in the island's dinosaur mystery and the protagonist Saskia's connection to it forms a significant part of the game's story. The game's setting also features a blend of retro technology from the 1990s and early 2000s, including vintage computers and pagers, contrasting with the wild, prehistoric environment.
The Lost Wild began development as a Crysis mod before evolving through Unreal Engine and gaining publisher support from Annapurna. The development team has grown to over 30 people working in Brighton, UK. The game's design has evolved significantly from its initial concept, shifting between pure survival horror and open-world exploration before settling on its current story-led journey. The game is slated for a 2027 release.