Every year brings an avalanche of new games, so it’s hardly surprising to see some familiar elements popping up here and there. Take, for instance, how Half-Life might remind you of Doom, or how you’ll notice parallels between Cities Skylines and SimCity, and even the shared vibes of Stalker and Fallout. Now, stepping into the scene with unmistakable echoes of its predecessors, is a new crafting and survival game from the giant Tencent—a company with stakes in big names like Ubisoft, Riot, and Paradox. If you’ve played Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West, or even Palworld, the recently introduced Light of Motiram might strike you as déjà vu all over again.
Picture this: civilization as we know it has vanished. In its place lies a thriving world of exuberant greenery and ‘mechanimals’—massive robotic creatures with a striking resemblance to dinosaurs, straight out of a cyberpunk dream. You step into the shoes of a young woman, armed with a trusty bow and arrow, ready to take on, capture, and tame these mechanical monsters. The game seamlessly blends crafting, survival, and open-world exploration. But don’t be mistaken; this isn’t Horizon Zero Dawn. Instead, it’s Light of Motiram, a fresh creation from Tencent’s Polaris Quest division, now taking its first steps with a new Steam page.
Visually, Motiram closely mirrors the feel of Sony and Guerilla’s much-loved open-world game. Yet, there’s also a sprinkle of Palworld’s magic in its gameplay mechanics. Besides gathering resources and crafting your very own settlements, Motiram challenges you to uncover, herd, and tame mechanimals, each boasting unique abilities and features, with various species thriving in diverse biomes.
Feel like going solo? That’s cool. But you can also join forces with up to nine friends in co-op mode. While some mechanimals stir with tranquility, the colossal ones demand a fierce showdown before they can be tamed.
And it’s not just Light of Motiram stirring the pot. Players have previously drawn parallels between another Tencent title, Tarisland, and Blizzard’s iconic World of Warcraft—even catching the attention of Warcraft’s executive creative director, Chris Metzen. As for Motiram, it’s hard to overlook its likeness to Horizon Zero Dawn, judging by the previews and insights Polaris Quest has shared. It’s closer in spirit than just appearance, with shades of Palworld thrown in for good measure. It’ll be interesting to see if Sony or Pocketpair—ironically at odds with Nintendo over a patent spat involving Palworld—might zone in on the similarities.
While you wait for the unfolding drama, why not dive into some of the best open-world or crafting games available on PC right now?
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