New details have been released on the indie developer Frog Factory’s first project, Heathen.

The news comes from a recent interview on Cryengine’s Indie Development Spotlight. Heathen is based on the novel “The Island of Doctor Moreau” and takes place decades after the events of the novel. The H.G. Wells novel in question “The Island of Doctor Moreau” is particularly well known for its challenging of complex themes and motifs such as the essence of humanity, and the ethical and moral implications of animal vivisection, and societal degeneration.

Manu, one of the two full time developers working on the project, has stated that Heathen “is an action and exploration game [set] in an eerie world populated by freaks, with steam punk elements.” Manu also revealed that the game would be released in an episodic format with “at least 3 episodes” slated for release. What truly sets Heathen apart from other games of the monster island ilk is the unique role that the player will be performing.

As opposed to taking the typical approach of playing the stranded human on an island full of beasts, the developers over at Frog Factory have flipped the concept on its head and will have the player assuming the role of the “half human half beast” hybrids that Doctor Moreau had created in the novel. This offers players the unique gameplay opportunity to quickly flow between the two alternating stances of man and beast. This provides a plethora of gameplay opportunities that will take advantage of the player’s imagination and ingenuity.

No release date has been announced for the first episode. At the moment Frog Factory is currently working towards the PC release, no information has confirmed the development of a VR or console port of Heathen, but Manu did say that the team did have an “open mind to porting it”.

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To find out more about Heathen visit the game’s website.

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