I Am Alive is a textbook case of a game's development going through the wringer.
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Darworks, a promising studio on the rise, had big ambitions for I Am Alive. But disagreements and delays with their publisher and collaborator Ubisoft lead to their removal from the project. Ubisoft would take over the project, and slash the game down to its bare minimum in scope. Instead of a full retail release, I Am Alive became an XBLA and PSN title. A Far Cry, no pun intended, from what Darkworks had in mind.
And yet, Despite the game's reduced scope and mishmash of visions, there's still plenty within I Am Alive that remains unique. Like its combat system that relies on intimidation and bluffing your enemy. Something I haven't seen many other games use. Few games make every bullet count as much as I Am Alive does.
Even the cliche Ubisoft elements, like climbing, take a different approach than what you'd expect. Where you have to take manage your stamina while climbing. You have to plan your routes and conserve resources to avoid exhaustion. You can't sleepwalk through these stretches.
With the post acopoclypic setting, and elements of the "Dad Simulator" style of games that became popular around this time, you can draw some connections between I Am Alive and The Last of Us. A game that would release a little over a year after I Am Alive. That said, there's only small glimpses of it in I Am Alive, compared to its front and center nature in The Last of Us.
By no means is I AM Alive some hidden masterpiece. This isn’t some hidden masterpiece, but I found myself enjoying it more than its middling review scores suggest. Even in its stripped-down form, there’s something compelling about I Am Alive—a glimpse at untapped potential.
00:00 - Prelude
02:12 - I Am Alive Intro
03:38 - I Am Alive Presentation
04:55 - The Intimidation System
16:56 - Climbing
21:44 - Plot and Highlights of I Am Alive
38:35 - The Troubled Development of I Am Alive
45:22 - In Conclusion
Additional Footage:
• 300
• Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
• Batman: Arkham Knight
• Bioshock Infinite
• Bioshock 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPvwrNSqCqQ
• Cold Fear
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXDUAnIbiR4
• I Am Alive 2008 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ6Aely9YrQ
• I Am Alive 2010 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtskGX02tUk
• Jerma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQIAOcBRVAk
• The Last of Us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugnlEiDllOk
45:22 - In Conclusion
#iamalive #boulderpunch