The idea of dinosaurs existing in the modern era is one that has long fascinated humanity. Arguably, the most famous example of such a story isJurassic Park,which began as a novel by Michael Crichton before being adapted into a successful film franchise. Now, a new dinosaur story joins the ranks:FEROCIOUS,afirst-person shootergame with survival elements, developed by OMYOG and published by tinyBuild.FEROCIOUStakes place on a mysterious island where dinosaurs thrive in the modern day. The player, who has become stranded, must solve the island’s secret while forging a relationship with the dinosaurs and fighting off hostile mercenaries.
Game Rant spoke to OMYOG studio founder Leonard Saalfrank andFEROCIOUSwriter Dominik Hochwald about the process of designing the dinosaurs players will encounter in the game. They explained that it was a particularly tricky process because the dinosaurs had to be not just visually interesting, but also capable of engaging the player in combat and providing a different combat experience compared to shooting mercenaries or invading their bases. The result is visually stunning dinosaurs, on par with thebest dinosaur games, that include a mix of familiar species and less common ones for players to discover as they explore.
King KongServed As Inspiration For The Team
WhileJurassic Parkis the best-known property featuring dinosaurs in the modern day, it was actually not theFEROCIOUSteam’s primary inspiration. That honor went toKing Kong,specifically the 2005 film directed by Peter Jackson and itstie-in video game. Saalfrank explained how he was captivated by the dinosaurs featured inKing Kongand drew on them for inspiration:
“They had these fictional dinosaurs, which are based on real dinosaurs, but they continue to live on this island [Skull Island], and then they become a speculative continuation. And we have the same approach… So we don’t go back in the past. This is set in the current day, and the dinosaurs continue to live.”
LikeKing Kong’sdinosaurs, the ones featured inFEROCIOUSare not one hundred percent scientifically accurate, Saalfrank revealed. “It’s more like, ‘how can we make something unique and believable, but also, we want to add our own cool twist to it.'” The dinosaurs in the game are feathered, a more modern interpretation of how dinosaurs might have looked compared to the traditional depiction of them with leathery skin. That decision, Saalfrank revealed, was made simply because he liked the look of feathered dinosaurs.
The Dinosaurs Are An Awe-Inspiring Presence During Exploration And Combat
As players explore the mysterious island on whichFEROCIOUS’players must struggle tosurvive while starting with nothing, they will come across a wide range of dinosaurs. Saalfrank explained that he wanted the dinosaurs to feel awe-inspiring, so that players would take the time to appreciate their magnificent presence. When describingAmargasaurus,a large sauropod dinosaur that is a particular favorite of his, Saalfrank said: “It has, like an elephant, this aura, because, you know, it’s this huge calm animal, but nobody messes with it because it’s so big, and you can walk around it peacefully.”
However, not every encounter with dinosaurs inFEROCIOUSwill be peaceful. Saalfrank and Hochwald explained that it is possible to get into combat situations with dinosaurs, and that they made sure to balance the game’s first-person shooter mechanics so that fighting dinosaurs felt different than fighting mercenaries. For example,Raptors use their natural cunningto ambush players and attempt to sneak up behind them. WhetherFEROCIOUS’players choose to hunt down the island’s dinosaurs or coexist peacefully with them, they will have many memorable encounters with these uniquely designed modern-day dinosaurs residing on their mysterious island.
