Published , by Sam Chandler
Published , by Sam Chandler
It’s been over a decade since players have gotten an Ape Escape game. There was always something so hilariously relaxing about catching apes in that wild adventure game. Anyone that was hoping to experience something like that again at some point will be pleased to hear that Bugsnax, according to the developers, is actually more like Ape Escape than a traditional first-person game.
In a recent interview with Shacknews, Phil Tibitoski of Young Horses got to talking about Bugsnax and how it plays. CEO of Shacknews Asif Khan expressed an opinion that all of us had, that he was surprised Bugsnax would be a first-person game. Speaking to this, Tibitoski talked about how the team approached the game, which leads into it being more like Ape Escape.
“Part of it is aligned with Octodad and that we want to make a game that is accessible to a wide audience of people,” Tibitoski said. “While there are some sandbox and sort of action-adventure elements to Bugsnax, there are no real failure conditions. You can’t die and you don’t have health.”
Unlike other first-person games which all tend to have a death mechanic, Bugsnax is more about letting the player experience what’s on offer. Tibitoski continues, “We ultimately want people to experience not only the gameplay but also the story and we don’t think that sort of challenge is in anyway helpful.”
As for inspiration, Tibitoski highlights that, from a gameplay perspective, Bugsnax is most like Ape Escape. The reason for this is that players have traps and tools that they need to use within the ecosystem of Bugsnax. It’s a clever comparison that is sure to prick the ears of anyone that’s been longing for an Ape Escape-like game since the early 2000s.
There’s a whole lot more great information and insights in the Bugsnax interview with Phil Tibitoski. For instance, and this might come as a surprise, but Bugsnax is not secretly a horror game. But that’s exactly what a horror game would want you to believe. Be sure to check out the Shacknews Bugsnax page for our ongoing coverage of this quirky game. Bugsnax will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC on November 12, 2020.