Dutch Indie game developer Twirlbound officially launches Pine on Kickstarter.
The ambitious action-adventure title was recently released on Steam Greenlight, and is described as a combination between Bloodborne, The Legend of Zelda and Fable by Twirlbound, where humans are just one of many different races occupying the island of Albamare, and have to fight for survival against rival tribes, wild beasts and other enemies.
Part of the appeal of Pine is the world itself is never static. According to the developers, "Pine is world-centric, meaning things will happen across the island even without your involvement. Based on principles borrowed from evolution and ecology theory, every single species will try what it can to survive - from small power shifts to the utter extinction of a group, Albamare's living, breathing and constantly evolving world can and will make it happen."
This all ties into the ecological algorithms of the tribes found in Pine, which will also include a diverse ecology system of tribes and civilizations along the world of Albamare, complete with genetic algorithms to procedurally generate diversity amongst the tribes. Each tribe has different strengths and weaknesses, and the player can befriend or go to war with different tribes as they see fit, or simply sit back and watch the tribes fight each other for dominance. There are currently four races to befriend or fight in Pine, with Twirlbond hoping to add four more as the Kickstarter progresses.
The game's storyline features Hue, a young human who must help protect his small tribe of humans on the island by exploring outside their borders. Hue's journey will see the player unlock the hidden mysteries of the island. Along the way, Hue will need to use his resources wisely to progress through the game, including unique tools known as "Outfindings" such as an airglider or the igniter- reflecting the special items often found in The Legend of Zelda series.
Other features to be found in Pine include dynamic weather and a natural day/night cycle and a complex combat system that includes enemies evolving their own tactics against you, making fights dynamic as the game progresses.
Twirlbound is hoping to hit their goal of $105,309 on Kickstarter in the next 32 days. There currently is a €15 early backer tier that gets you a copy of Pine when it releases next year. Other backer tiers include digital maps and digital skins for Hue and his weapons, kickstarter backer wallpapers, and beta access to the game. The final tier, priced at €6,000, can see players helping to develop one of the islands species for the game as well as becoming an NPC in the game, and full alpha access.
No stretch goals have been announced yet at this time, but Twirlbound will update the Kickstarter as it moves closer to its conclusion.
What are your thoughts on Pine? Will you back the title? Leave your comments below.