Coming in 2012: ‘I Am Alive’ for XBLA and PSN

As we have seen, some games go through extended development times and switch between studios to varying degrees of success. A poor example of this is 2011’s Duke Nukem Forever. Some games however find their strengths and weaknesses and adjust accordingly. One such game looks to be I Am Alive, currently under development from Ubisoft Shanghai.

Originally announced in 2008 under developer Darkworks, I Am Alive was announced to be a full retail release but has now been brought to a more manageable downloadable title.

I Am Alive takes place in a fictional city of Haventon one year after something referred only to as the Event, a cataclysmic occurrence that wipes out much of the world’s population. There is even a cloud of toxic gas surrounding much of the planet. The main character is on the search for supplies and other survivors while he tries to reunite with his wife and daughter.

The game is played as a third person action game, with FPS perspective when aiming. Players will be given multiple tactics for survival including the ability to bluff by pointing unloaded weapons at non-hostile characters, stealth kills and quick kills. The player must scavenge for valuable supplies like gasoline, food, water, medicine and tools to traverse through areas and help other survivors. These resources must be carefully spent, especially those effecting the player’s stamina. Because of the game’s environment, there will be a lot of platforming, climbing and exploration involved as well.

Supposedly I Am Alive is going to be a difficult game that doesn’t hold a player’s hand throughout, but gives players the chance for retries by completing optional side missions. Think Dark Souls but not as crushing. Expect to see I Am Alive Available for digital release on the XBox Live Arcade and PlayStation 3 in the first quarter of 2012, but until then, check out the trailer below.