 |
| Once Human | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Starry Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Starry Studio |
| Engine | NeoX |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | July 9, 2024 |
| Genre(s) | Third-person open world survival game |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Once Human is a free-to-play post-apocalyptic third-person open world multiplayer survival game. Developed and published by Starry Studio, a NetEase subsidiary, the game was released on July 9, 2024.
Once Human gameplay is a blend of survival and looter shooter mechanics, taking place in a shared sandbox map in an open world. [1] The player loads into the environment and is taken through a tutorial and series of early missions, designed to teach the player how the survival elements work, unlock their individual systems and progress the game narrative. [2]
Once the player makes it to the main menu, they will choose which scenario they wish to play. Scenarios are story driven narratives based off of the main scenario; Manibus. Once a scenario is picked the player will choose which server they wish to join. Servers have a timed shelf life and wipe after that time expires. Players can choose the most recently created server to have more play time or venture into ones that are older if they wish to be in a server that has been open long enough to unlock timed content, such as memetics, which serve as skills the player can choose to unlock with ciphers, earned by completing quests and leveling up. Player characters are saved along with high end items that survive in a player owned space called Eternaland, an isolated island where a player can store high end items, gear and deviants, that may be carried into a new scenarios. Players are limited on how much they can pull into a new scenario based on the items' rarity. In Eternaland, the player may build anything they have unlocked to build using dust, a material that is created by items within the players inventories that are not aloud to be carried into Eternaland.
Survival elements of the game include gathering resources, crafting items, base building, eating and managing the sanity meter system. [1] The player must eat and drink to keep up their hunger and hydration meter. Keeping these meters above a certain threshold grants the player various buffs to health and damage, among others. [1] Certain behaviors, like spending prolonged time in supernatural areas, decreases the sanity meter, which in turn reduces the player's maximum health pool. [3] The player must consume particular resources to restore their sanity meter, or must rest in a bed. [3]
Early gameplay consists primarily of gathering resources and materials to build a base camp, weapons and ammo, in order to explore the map and engage in various main missions, side missions, activities and world events. [2] Strongholds are large locations on the map which occupy particular areas. [2] They are populated with enemies and hold various treasures and resources. [1] Each stronghold has its own unique objectives for completion and its own theme. [2] Every stronghold has a rift anchor, which when activated, gives rewards and helps the player progress between monolith battles. [1]
Monolith battles are pivotal encounters that the player builds towards through progressing the main story and clearing the strongholds in each zone. [1] These are boss battles where the player must complete battle phases to defeat the Monolith. [1] There are currently three unique Monolith bosses. [2] Silos are instance generated dungeons populating the open world, with multiple difficulty tiers. [2] The silos have basic and elite enemies and a mini boss at the end. [2] Each silo offers particular rewards and can be repeated to farm resources. [2]
The player wakes up in an apocalyptic future with amnesia. The world had been destroyed by an event known as the Starfall, where the pollution of an alien substance called Stardust caused most living beings to mutate into violent Deviations. A mystical bird called "V" tells the player that they are a Meta-Human: a biologically enhanced human that can control Stardust. These Meta-Humans were created by a company called Rosetta, who had caused the Starfall with their reckless experiments in pursuit of human evolution.
The main storyline follows the Meta-Human and V as they discover the horrors of Rosetta, and defeat the Deviations that the company created. The world is covered in abandoned towns that the player explores, collecting items and learning about the past. Players are able to collect friendly Deviations known as Deviants, which can help them in battle or collect resources for them.
In September of 2024, the new expansion: Way of Winter was released as a new playable scenario. They scenario involves the player to once again meet with Mitsoku, one of the first metahumans and to which the mayflies get their name. Mitsoku informs the player that even with the monoliths defeated, she still feels weakness in the dimensional plains isn't getting better. She notices a presence outside of her Eternaland home and the player goes to investigate. They are greeted by a mysterious figure with an opera like mask called Igna. Igna, who the player can see is a Metahuman as Igna has a charred arm that is clearly cindering, is delighted to meet the player and claims that he knew this realm existed but wasn't powerful enough to enter it until now. Igna tries to recruit the player to his side but the malevolent presence of Igna causes the player to decline. Igna, disappointed departs and warns the player not to get in their way. The player returns to Mitsoku who, based of Igna's energy and departure, came from the icy north, a previously locked section of the map as it was considered lost and inhospitable. Mitsoku tasks the player to go to the north that she claims was the last place she knew her mentor went before he disappeared and maybe the player can find some help. The player departs to the north and goes to the closest settlement of their spawn point. The player encounters members of The Column, survivors of starfall who have been fighting against the Vultures and Rosetta for years. They inform the player that the Vultures and Roseta have formed an alliance since the north was cut off and both factions suffered heavy losses. They task the player to investigate the nature of their alliance and look for their leader, Roland, who has since disappeared after an abush not too long ago. As the player clears enemy strongholds, they encounter metahuman enhanced Vulture elites and enemy combat deviants. The player eventually rescues a few column members and learn Roland is alive and was taken west where an active volcano erupted years ago and destroyed the west's largest settlement. The player travels and continues to clear enemy bases in the west until they eventually discover Roland, alive but with a cindering arm similar to Igna's. Roland claims he was captured on purpose to learn more about Igna who has become the Vultures leader and convinced Rosetta to aid them in their quest to create/ resurrect Old Ones, massive deviants created by Rosetta experiments and contained in pocket dimensions. Roland claims Igna experimented on him by injecting something into his arm repeatedly. Many died in this experiment but Roland is the only who has survived. The player later discovers that when Igna was young he gained his powers and revered deviations as goods. His family rebuked his beliefs causing Igna to lash out and cause the volcano to erupt and directed the flowing lava to the settlement destroying it and allowing it to be overrun with deviations. The player along with Roland venture to the Vulture base to confront Igna, who is about to awaken his own created Old One and refuses to surrender. Igna casts himself into the lava causing his deviant creation, a Chaosweaver to awaken. The Chaosweaver departs leaving the bases all while the player can hear the faint yet thunderous laughter of Igna. Roland informs the player there is nothing they can do and must return to the Column to figure out their next moves. The scenario continues as the player expand their base, gather better materials and even create a control tower that can normalize the weather and enhance the surrounding land and have the chance to fight Chaosweavers in the wild.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 71/100 [4] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Eurogamer | 3/5 [5] |
| GamesRadar+ | 2.5/5 [6] |
| IGN | 8/10 [2] |
| CGMagazine | 8.5/10 [7] |
Once Human received "mixed or average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [4] IGN 's Justin Koreis gave the game a "great" rating of 8/10. [2]
The game was popular on release, with over 230,000 people playing concurrently on video game service Steam. The developers struggled to meet the demand, and players were forced to wait in queues before entering the game. [8]
On August 16, 2024, the game ranked #1 in the "Top Sellers" ranking on Steam.
Blood is a 3D first-person shooter video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by GT Interactive and developed using Ken Silverman’s Build engine. The shareware version was released for MS-DOS on March 7, 1997, while the full version was later released on May 21 in North America, and June 20 in Europe.
Xenosaga I & II is a 2006 role-playing video game co-developed by Monolith Soft and Tom Create, and published by Namco for the Nintendo DS. A spin-off of the Xenosaga trilogy and forming part of the Xeno metaseries, Xenosaga I & II retells the events of Xenosaga Episode I and Xenosaga Episode II while expanding on its characters and narrative. Displayed from an angled two-dimensional perspective, Xenosaga I & II makes use of a turn-based battle system with elements carried over from the main Xenosaga games.
Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 is a survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom with online playability for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to Resident Evil Outbreak, and the final installment of the spin-off series. It was released on September 9, 2004 in Japan, on April 26, 2005 in North America, and August 26, 2005 in PAL regions.
Blood & Magic is a real-time strategy video game released by Interplay Productions in 1996 which uses the Dungeons & Dragons license.
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht is a role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2; the game was released in 2002 in Japan and 2003 in North America. It was never released in Europe. It is the first entry in the Xenosaga trilogy and forms part of the wider Xeno metaseries. Gameplay features exploration of environments through a linear narrative, while battles use turn-based combat with the player characters fighting both on foot and piloting large mecha dubbed A.G.W.S.; combat in turn features a system of button combinations for attack types, and multiple leveling systems.
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse is a 2004 role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft for the PlayStation 2. It was published in Japan (2004) and North America (2005) by Namco, and in Europe by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (2005). It is the second entry in the Xenosaga trilogy, and forms part of the wider Xeno metaseries. Continuing directly from the events of Xenosaga Episode I, Xenosaga Episode II sees protagonists Shion Uzuki and Jr. continuing to combat the plots of the U-TIC Organization and the insane Albedo Piazzolla. Gameplay is carried over from the first game, featuring exploration of environments through a linear narrative, while battles follow a turn-based system featuring a system of button combinations, multiple leveling systems, and combat featuring both the characters on foot and piloting large mecha called "E.S.".
Battlefield 2142 is a 2006 first-person shooter video game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fourth game in the Battlefield series. Battlefield 2142 is set in 2142, depicting a war known as "The Cold War of the 22nd Century", in which two military superpowers – the European Union (EU) and Pan Asian Coalition (PAC) – battle for the remaining unfrozen land during a new ice age.
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy is a fighting video game published by Midway based on the Cartoon Network animated television series of the same name. The game was developed by High Voltage Software and released in North America on September 25, 2006, for the GameCube and PlayStation 2, and on November 17, 2006, for the Wii as a launch title. A companion game for the Game Boy Advance, featuring sidescrolling beat 'em up gameplay, was developed by Full Fat and released on October 31, 2006. The Wii version was released in Australia on March 15, 2007, and in Europe on March 16, 2007. The game pits characters from the series against one another in 3D arena battles using various attacks, items, and environmental hazards to eliminate opponents and be the last one standing.
Savage 2: A Tortured Soul is a fantasy and science fiction themed video game that combines elements of the first-person shooter, real-time strategy, and action role-playing game genres. It is developed and published by S2 Games. It is the sequel to Savage: The Battle for Newerth and was officially released on January 16, 2008. By December 2008 the game was officially freeware, with a paid "Premium Account" option that expanded certain aspects of the game.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade is the second expansion to the real-time strategy video game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War developed by Relic Entertainment and published by THQ. Based on Games Workshop's tabletop wargame, Warhammer 40,000, Dark Crusade was released on October 9, 2006. The expansion features two new races, the Tau Empire and the Necrons. Including the Imperial Guard from Dawn of War's first expansion pack Winter Assault, a total of seven playable races in this expansion.
Bookworm Adventures is a word-forming puzzle video game, the follow-up to Bookworm from PopCap Games. Released in November 2006, Bookworm Adventures combines the "create words from sets of letters" aspect of Bookworm with several elements of a role-playing video game. In the 2007 Interactive Achievement Awards, Bookworm Adventures won the "Downloadable Game of the Year". The game also won three Zeeby awards for Best Word & Trivia Game of 2006, Best Game Design of 2006 and Best Story/Narrative of 2006.
Soma Bringer is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The player, controlling one of the eight main characters, explores dungeons and fights enemies in real-time combat across three-dimensional plains from a top-down perspective. Multiplayer functions allow up to three players to participate in exploration and combat. The story takes place on the continent of Barnea, where its principle magical energy, Soma, is disrupted by the arrival of monsters called Visitors. This prompts a military group called Pharzuph Division 7 to defeat the Visitors and restore the balance of Soma.
Hexyz Force is a role-playing video game developed by Sting Entertainment and published by Atlus for the PlayStation Portable. It was released in Japan on November 12, 2009 and in North America on May 25, 2010.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The game is part of the Xenoblade Chronicles series, itself forming part of the wider Xeno metaseries. An expanded remaster, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, will be released in 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
Muchi Muchi Pork! is a 2007 arcade bullet hell cute 'em up developed by CAVE, and published by AMI. It was also ported to the Xbox 360 as part of the Muchi Muchi Pork!/Pink Sweets compilation disc produced by CAVE in February 2011.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a 2017 action-adventure video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Shadow of War is the sequel to 2014's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, both of which are based on J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. The game is set in between the events of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film trilogies, from which the game also takes inspiration. The player continues the story of Talion, the Gondorian Ranger who bonded with the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor, as they forge a new Ring of Power to amass an army to fight against Sauron. The game builds upon the "nemesis system" introduced in Shadow of Mordor, allowing Talion to gain followers from several races of Middle-earth and command them in warfare.
Deathtrap is a tower defense/action RPG video game released in 2015 by NeocoreGames for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It shares the gothic fiction setting with NeocoreGames' The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing and features a lone protagonist who is sent to a border world in an alternate dimension ("Ink") to defend a series of ancient strongholds against a horde of monsters invading from the depths of that dimension and trying to break through to the physical world.
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. Versions for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS are scheduled to be released in December 2024. 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.
Library of Ruina is an indie deck-building turn-based role-playing game developed and published by South Korean studio Project Moon. Initially released for Windows and Xbox One on August 10, 2021, it is a direct sequel to the 2018 PC game Lobotomy Corporation.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is an installment in the open-world Xenoblade Chronicles series, itself a part of the larger Xeno franchise. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 depicts the futures of the worlds featured in Xenoblade Chronicles (2010) and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017) and concludes the trilogy's narrative.
 | This third-person shooter video game article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |