Fox News: The First Tree's Wandering Wildlife Is Lovely
Not the Foxer
Will you just look at the fox in that? Phwoar. The First Tree [official site] is an upcoming game about a vixen trying to find her missing cubs and a young human couple who have suffered a loss. It's being made by David Wehle, who released the going home simulator (that's a genre now, right?) Home Is Where One Starts. And judging by the colourful countryside and sorrowful voiceover in the trailer below, it looks like it intends to pluck some heartstrings.
It's going to be a short game, the developer says, between one or two hours. Players will take control of the fox and go on a journey to the "source of life". Along the way they will find leftovers from the life of a couple who have undergone a personal tragedy, giving you some backstory about what exactly went wrong. Eventually, we are told, the fox's story and that of the couple start to align.
Intriguing stuff. The website says it is for fans of Journey, Gone Home and Firewatch, which suggests it'll be the quiet, introspective kind of adventure. And it looks like you could probably add Shelter to that list. I shrugged off Firewatch and frowned at Gone Home for different reasons, to the surprise of every tender heart on the planet. But I do appreciate a good fox tale. This one isn't expected until some time in 2017. We'll keep our ears up.