Shelter, the badger survival game from last year (and one of our favourite titles of 2013) is getting a sequel, announced developer Might and Delight. It’s due out in autumn of this year, and will be a change in pace from the slow journey of the family of badgers.
“The essence of Shelter as a concept is keeping your family alive,” Might and Delight’s Anders Westin said. “But we have decided to let the animal itself set the pace and character of the gameplay. The badger translated into a slow and linear journey – with the lynx however, Shelter 2 will become a much more forceful experience, where improving your techniques for hunting prey takes a much bigger role.”
Despite the significant differences between badgers and lynxes, both are fierce, protective animals and have an uneasy relationship with humans. The lynx is endangered in some countries, while it continues to be hunted for sport in places like the US.
“We are basing the game features on the lynx´s life and behaviour,” Westin said. “That aspect makes Shelter 2 closer to realism, and oddly enough more gamey at the same time. To simply roam the world finding prey to hunt is thrilling in itself. That´s something we wanted to bring in to Shelter before, and it’s fantastic to see it come to life now.”
The mother lynx must nurture her cubs by providing different types of prey, carry them across treacherous terrain and ensure that they keep hydrated and away from harm.
No doubt a lot of people will end up feeling like bad mums if the first game is anything to go by.
Cheers, Eurogamer.