The Darwin Project
The Darwin Project takes both PUBG’s formula and Fortnite/Paladin’s cel-shaded art style, and throws in some of the crafting and survivability aspects of a game like Don’t Starve. The game also features a heavy emphasis on tracking and audience interaction; more Hunger Games than Battle Royale.
Gameplay of The Darwin Project has shown players using numerous tactics to track their competition, like following footprints in the snow. Heat signatures seem to play the most interesting role. The characters give off minimalistic body heat, but campfires (which are necessary to stave off hypothermia) give off a lot more heat, and are thus easier to track. If a player has found a means to track heat signatures, and they notice a large one pop up, it’s probably a player trying to warm up. Of course, a campfire could also be used as a trap. Clever hunters can use valuable resources and time to construct a fire, only to hide nearby and wait to ambush any other players looking to score an easy kill.
More interestingly, dev blogs and trailers market The Darwin Project as an upcoming eSport. Whether the game has what it takes to compete with games like Overwatch or League of Legends remains to be seen, but The Darwin Project does show promise of adding some much needed variety to the battle royale formula instead of just copying PUBG.
