Ubisoft Develops "Alterra," Minecraft-Inspired Social Sim

Ubisoft Montreal is developing a new voxel-based game, codenamed "Alterra," blending the building mechanics of Minecraft with the social simulation aspects of Animal Crossing. This exciting project, reportedly born from a previously cancelled four-year development, features a unique gameplay loop.

Players interact with "Matterlings," Funko Pop-esque creatures inspired by fantasy and real-world animals, on their home island. The game encourages home design, collecting resources, and socializing. Exploration extends beyond the home island to diverse biomes, each offering unique building materials and challenges from hostile creatures. The Minecraft-inspired element is evident in the biome-specific resources, like wood from forested areas.

Matterlings boast diverse appearances, with variations in clothing and species (dragons, cats, dogs, etc.). The project has been underway for over 18 months, led by producer Fabien Lhéraud (24 years at Ubisoft) and creative director Patrick Redding (known for titles like Gotham Knights and Splinter Cell Blacklist).

While promising, remember that "Alterra" is still in development, and details are subject to change.

Understanding Voxel Games

Voxel games utilize tiny cubes (voxels) to construct 3D environments, offering a distinct visual style reminiscent of LEGO bricks. Unlike Minecraft, which uses a voxel aesthetic but relies on traditional polygon rendering for its blocks, true voxel games like the planned "Alterra" render each individual voxel. This differs from polygon-based games (e.g., S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2) which use triangles to create surfaces, potentially leading to clipping issues. Voxel rendering provides a unique sense of volume and solidity.

The choice of voxel graphics in "Alterra" is noteworthy, given the industry's prevalent use of polygon-based rendering for efficiency. Ubisoft's embrace of this technology hints at an ambitious and visually unique game.