Have you ever wanted to explore the beginnings of humankind? Well now you can do that with Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. With its PC release this past August, Ancestors is now available for PS4 and Xbox.

Ancestors is a third-person survival game that takes place in prehistoric Africa where players take control of an ape lineage. The game’s focus is for players to evolve their species while discovering the intriguing world that surrounds them. The game expresses how the evolutionary journey is unique to everyone, encouraging players to proceed at their own pace. 

Focus on the particular ape a player controls will shift throughout their gameplay; while the player starts out playing as one ape, if and when that ape dies, the player will assume control of another ape in their clan. This process repeats until there are no apes left in the clan, the game at that point ends. 

Before entering the world of Ancestors, there is a note from the developer that states how they don’t intend on holding the player’s hand. Now to be fair, there are options that allow for tutorials to pop up, as well as the option to have a full HUD with details present. The game begins with an ape carrying a child; the pair are attacked and the child runs off to hide. The first task players are given is to find this child.

Assuming that the tutorials are turned on, the game will begin to share the various sensing abilities available to the apes. Using such abilities as “intelligence,” “smelling,” and “hearing,” the player can scope their environment for threats and points of interest. Different items and locations throughout Ancestors will be marked with an icon; once the player has inspected an item or location, it will be logged in their memory, allowing for easy recognition when analyzing the environment moving forward.

When I began looking for the child I used the hearing mechanic to scan the environment. When I called out, I heard the child call back, but could not confirm its location. Ancestors does not include any sort of mini-map; there is this odd circle indicator that displays the distance between the ape the player assumes control of and the rest of their clan. After running and jumping in all directions for some time, I eventually found the icon associated with the child. Upon locating the child, I was prompted to find our settlement. I didn’t have any immediate means of confirming where exactly our settlement was – that is until I was able to find the right icon associated with it. 

Ancestors continues in this prompt to prompt format, providing goals as one progresses in their journey. Between each of these prompts, players can explore the world and build upon the knowledge and skill set of their species.

Part of learning the mechanics to Ancestors depends on the player’s own sense of discovery. The game may state that a certain button activates an engagement, but it doesn’t explain how to fulfill the entire interaction. Coming across certain resolutions are easier compared to others depending on the type of interaction. For example, an ape can groom other apes to create a bond; a specific button will initiate said grooming, but the game doesn’t explicitly share how the button has to be pressed at a correct moment (indicated by a sound cue). Another example is the objective to give birth; there is a button to allow for mating, but afterward, there is no indication of what to do next. 

For the most part, the player has to discover how to properly use the mechanics on their own. Ancestors does offer a “Help” section in the menu to explain mechanics, but there is no further explanation on how to fully utilize a given function. Depending on the individual’s ability to pick up on details, some hints may not be totally apparent, making for more time spent trying to learn something rather than enjoying the fascinating landscape. 

Yet, in a way, learning the mechanics in this manner simulates the idea of self-discovery as a primitive species. And to be fair, if the player is willing to experiment and take their time with the mechanics, they will develop a stronger understanding of how those mechanics work moving forward. With an effort to look deeper into things, eventually, the stress factor will dissipate. 

The visuals of prehistoric Africa are stunning. The environment’s sprawling design can be a little overwhelming to venture through at first, but it can become easier to mentally map out each locale over time. As the player moves forward, more locations will open up to them. When discovering a new part of Ancestors, it’s important to note that apes may experience a fear factor of sorts; since this is brand new territory, the apes may react out of anxiety, sending them into a panic that takes minimal control away from the player. If in a panic for too long, a given ape will enter hysteria and run off, causing control to shift to a new ape. 

Ancestors’ world is full of cool and threatening creatures; from prehistoric crocodiles and pythons, to boars and tigers, there are many predators to keep an eye out for. Other than evading attacks, apes can also fight back against predators. 

As an ape, the player has the ability to climb up pretty much every tree and rock present. Though jumping to and from trees can be fun, climbing itself can be a hassle at times; when attempting to climb down a tree and approach a certain branch, I found it difficult to navigate based on my analog stick movements. The camera can also be a pain when striving to get a clear visual of direction while climbing. 

Whether tackling objectives or simply exploring the world, players will be able to advance their species. Broadening the knowledge of one’s clan comes in the form of inspecting the world; checking out different plants for examples and learning their properties becomes valuable information for future generations of apes. Observing and interacting with various animals in the world will also impact survival traits throughout the clan.

These actions eventually lead to opportunities where players can further progress their species’ neurological growth. Aspects such as motor functions and sensing abilities are some of the properties that can be upgraded. Upon reaching a certain point of development, the player can advance a generation, allowing them to see where their progress has taken their species. There are a couple of skill tree visuals to help players keep track of their overall evolution, as well as other stats regarding their ape lineage.

Along with their abilities, there are multiple statuses to keep in mind for the apes; everything from health, stamina, to dopamine levels, are significant to day to day survival. When it comes to mentioning these statuses, the game will say what one can do to alleviate any ailments associated with each status. But the game never explicitly says what to look for (it may just mention to find a plant with healing properties). At one point I found myself poisoned and was told to eat food to alleviate the affliction; unaware of what to actually look for, I ended up spending a great deal of time dragging my ape around and unable to help it (until the poison eventually left its body). 

By no means do I think Ancestors should baby the player. In all fairness, I think the self-discovery aspect to Ancestors is an interesting element that not only allows for a cool payoff, but also embraces the notion of a species learning about the life around them. I do feel though that the game could have amped up some mechanic explanations and maybe provided stronger hints regarding in-game actions. For example, mentioning what plants to look out for when an ape is hurt or poisoned would have been a tremendous help for those who are overwhelmed by Ancestors’ many elements. 

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey’s world and approach to evolution makes for an interesting and fun spin on exploration. It’s cool to see the amount of depth that has gone into this game to simulate the discovery of ancient times. For some players, however, the learning curve behind mechanics may be a bit much and take them out of the immersive gameplay. For anyone interested in the game, it’s essential to be patient, for there may be quite a bit of trial and error to endure at first. For those willing to press on, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey offers intellectually intriguing gameplay.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey review code provided by the publisher.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is out now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Games Store..