Human Element

Last updated
Human Element
Humanelement logo.png
Developer(s) Robotoki
Director(s) Robert Bowling
Producer(s) Robert Bowling
Engine CryEngine
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 4
Xbox One [1]
Wii U [2]
ReleaseCancelled [3]
Genre(s) First-person shooter, role-playing
Mode(s) Multiplayer

Human Element is a cancelled online multiplayer video game under development by Robotoki for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. [4] Development was halted when the studio was closed. [5]

Development

Human Element is the first game being developed by the independent game company Robotoki, which was formed by Robert Bowling after he left Infinity Ward following the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 . The premise of the game centers on the question, "What is the greatest threat in a zombie apocalypse?"; Bowling believes it is the fear that the walking dead instill in the survivors, who lead them to do unreasonable things to survive. The game focuses on the survivors more so than the zombies, "the human element", and takes place 35 years after the zombie apocalypse began. Game difficulty was to be based on the number and age of people in your party. Easy was just the player, medium was the player and an adult companion, while hard was the player and a child. In the latter 2 difficulties, the survival of the AI companion was to be a major part of the gameplay.

It can be played across multiple devices; an example given is that one player could play the console version for hundreds of hours, just for the action, whereas an intelligent class player, playing on a tablet, can join into the previous player's alliance and scavenge for them, and then benefit from the buffs given by the strength class of the alliance. Although it isn't the same experience, players all contribute to the overall goal of survival.

There are three attributes players can choose when creating their character: class, identity, and persona. Class types include action, intelligence, and stealth, with each offering a number of different abilities. Identity choices include a solo adult, partnered adult, or adult with child, and is the same as selecting a difficulty at the start of the game. Persona determines a player’s sex and race. Bowling states, "how you choose to start in the world will determine how you can engage and impact in the scenarios you will be presented with on a physical and moral level that you approach this world." [6]

The game was announced on June 1, 2012, [4] and more details were released in the July edition of Game Informer . [6] On July 19, 2012, Robotoki's president Robert Bowling announced that Human Element would have an episodic prequel released exclusively on the Ouya, as a first-party title. But it was later announced that the studio decided to cancel the Ouya version of Human Element "very early on" and switch focus to the open-world experience on other more powerful platforms. [1]

A teaser trailer premiered in late 2014, showing off possible early gameplay. Despite the initial details and pictures of the game creating a more darker tone and survival focussed gameplay, the trailer was much more action oriented, surprising and polarizing some fans. It is possible that due to development issues, the direction of the game was changed. Robotoki was shut down on January 20, 2015 due to lack of publishing deal of the premium version of the game and the inability of the founder of the company to self-fund the development of the game. The game is technically still on hiatus as a result of the shutdown. [7]

Related Research Articles

Resident Evil is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in post-apocalyptic urban environments infested with zombies and other lethal creatures. The franchise has expanded into other media, including a live-action film series, animated films, television series, comic books, novels, audiobooks, and merchandise. Resident Evil is the highest-grossing horror franchise.

<i>Oddworld: Strangers Wrath</i> 2005 video game

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is an action-adventure video game developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by Electronic Arts for the Xbox. It is the fourth overall entry of the Oddworld series. It was released on January 25, 2005.

nStigate Games

nStigate Games was an American video game developer based in Novato, California.

<i>Zombies</i> (video game) 2011 video game

Zombies is a video game adaptation of the popular tile-based board game by Twilight Creations Inc, publisher of the original game. The game was initially to be developed by Big Rooster for PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and Windows PCs through Steam, with possible versions for the Wii and the Nintendo DS. However, only Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8 versions have been confirmed after development of the game was resumed by Babaroga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turtle Rock Studios</span> American video game developer

Turtle Rock Studios is an American video game developer founded in March 2002 by Mike Booth. It was acquired by Valve in 2008, but was re-founded in 2010 as a subsidiary of Slamfire Inc. by Phil Robb and Chris Ashton. Turtle Rock Studios is involved in the creation of original titles as well as the provision of consulting services to the digital entertainment industry.

<i>Deadlight</i> (video game) 2012 video game

Deadlight is a sidescrolling cinematic platforming survival horror video game developed by Tequila Works and published by Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It was released for Xbox 360 in August 2012 via Xbox Live Arcade, and for Windows in October via Steam. In 2016, a Director's Cut version of the game was released for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, published by Deep Silver.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> (video game) 2012 episodic graphic adventure video game

The Walking Dead is a 2012 episodic graphic adventure video game developed and published by Telltale Games. Based on the comic book series of the same name, the game is the first of The Walking Dead video game series published by Telltale and consists of five episodes, released between April and November 2012. It is available for Android, iOS, Kindle Fire HDX, Windows, Mac OS X, Ouya, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X and Nintendo Switch.

<i>Amy</i> (video game) 2012 video game

Amy is a survival horror stealth video game, released in 2012, developed by VectorCell and published by Lexis Numérique. Amy depicts the journey of Amy, an autistic child with supernatural powers, and her protector Lana. In a city suffering from a zombie-type infection which Amy is immune to, Lana must stay near her young charge, for frequent healing, while protecting her from the infected, and the Phoenix Foundation who hopes to exploit her. Amy received negative critical reviews, due to its technical issues, controls, voice-acting, and game design, although a few felt it offered some unique gameplay ideas.

<i>Crimson Dragon</i> 2013 video game

Crimson Dragon is a rail shooter primarily developed by Grounding Inc. and published by Microsoft Studios as an Xbox One launch title. The game was published in 2013 in the West, with a Japanese release the following year. Set on the planet Draco, the story follows a dragon-riding soldier hunting the source of a disease that threatens Draco's human colony. The gameplay features the player moving an aiming reticle and shooting enemies while the dragon flies through 3D environments either on a fixed track or freely within arena-like zones. The dragon can be moved using either a standard gamepad or the console's Kinect peripheral.

<i>State of Decay</i> (video game) 2013 video game

State of Decay is a 2013 action-adventure survival video game developed by Undead Labs and published by Microsoft Studios. The game combines elements of shooters, stealth, role-playing and strategy games and the game challenges players to survive by exploring, scavenging, and fighting the undead. It places emphasis on how the player's leaderships skills fare against an onslaught of problems, such as diminishing survival resources, group trust and morale, zombie extermination, base defenses, and people's lives.

<i>Call of Duty: Black Ops II</i> 2012 video game

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a 2012 first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on November 12, 2012, and for the Wii U on November 18 in North America and November 30 in PAL regions. Black Ops II is the ninth game in the Call of Duty franchise of video games, a sequel to the 2010 game Call of Duty: Black Ops and the first Call of Duty game for the Wii U. A corresponding game for the PlayStation Vita, Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified, was developed by nStigate Games and also released on November 13.

<i>ZombiU</i> 2012 video game

ZombiU is a 2012 first-person survival horror video game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft. It was released for the Wii U as one of its launch games in November 2012. In the game, the player assumes control of a human survivor amid a 2012 zombie apocalypse. Featuring a permadeath system, it uses the Wii U GamePad extensively to scan the environment and maintain the survivor's inventory. The game was released under the name Zombi for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2015. The port, handled by Straight Right, adds new melee weapons and removes the multiplayer feature.

<i>Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare</i> 2014 third-person class-based shooter video game

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is a 2014 multiplayer third-person shooter and tower defense video game developed by PopCap Games and published by Electronic Arts. The third game in the Plants vs. Zombies franchise, the basic premise revolves around plants defending humankind from a zombie invasion. In the game, players assume control of either the Plants or the Zombies, as they fight in various cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. Upon completing matches and finishing objectives, players earn coins to acquire stickers that unlock customization items and character variants.

<i>Dying Light</i> 2015 video game

Dying Light is a 2015 survival horror video game developed by Techland and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game's story follows an undercover agent named Kyle Crane who is sent to infiltrate a quarantine zone in a fictional Middle Eastern city called Harran. It features an enemy-infested, open-world city with a dynamic day–night cycle, in which zombies are slow and clumsy during daytime but become extremely aggressive at night. The gameplay is focused on weapons-based combat and parkour, allowing players to choose fight or flight when presented with dangers. The game also features an asymmetrical multiplayer mode, and a four-player co-operative multiplayer mode.

<i>Charlie Murder</i> 2013 video game

Charlie Murder is a beat 'em up video game developed by Ska Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 and Ska Studios for Microsoft Windows. First revealed in January 2010 for Xbox Live Indie Games, the studio announced in May 2010 that the game would undergo a "complete overhaul" and be published in 2012 through Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360. Charlie Murder was eventually released on 14 August 2013 to positive reviews, with critics praising the game's soundtrack and hand-illustrated visuals. Versions for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS were released on May 12, 2017 via Steam.

<i>7 Days to Die</i> 2016 video game

7 Days to Die is a survival horror video game set in an open world developed by the Fun Pimps. It was released through early access for OS X and Windows on December 13, 2013, and for Linux on November 22, 2014. Versions for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in 2016 through Telltale Publishing, but are no longer being developed. A 1.0 version was released for the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on July 25, 2024.

<i>They Are Billions</i> 2017 video game

They Are Billions is a post-apocalyptic steampunk real-time strategy survival video game developed and published by Numantian Games. Available on Microsoft Windows, it was released onto Steam's Early Access program with a survival mode in December 2017. The game was released with a campaign titled "New Empire" on June 18, 2019. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were published by BlitWorks on July 1, 2019.

<i>Resident Evil 2</i> (2019 video game) Video game remake

Resident Evil 2 is a 2019 survival horror game developed and published by Capcom. A remake of the 1998 game Resident Evil 2, it was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in January 2019 and for Amazon Luna, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch in 2022. Players control the rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy and the college student Claire Redfield as they attempt to escape Raccoon City during a zombie outbreak.

References

  1. 1 2 Sarkar, Samit (21 March 2014). "Robotoki's Human Element coming to PC, Xbox One and PS4, not Ouya, in CryEngine". Polygon. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  2. "Robotoki Closes, Human Element Put on Hold". 21 January 2015.
  3. "Robert Bowling's Robotoki Studio Closes, Human Element On Hold". Game Informer . Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Human Element is Robotoki's first game, slated for 2015". Joystiq. June 1, 2012. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  5. Bowling, Robert (January 20, 2015). "So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes". Robotoki. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Taking On The Human Element". Game Informer . July 9, 2012. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  7. Sliwinski, Alexander (January 23, 2015). "Robotoki closes shop, Human Element on 'hiatus'". Joystiq. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2015.