Season PS5 - What We Know So Far
It's not terribly often you get exciting news about a game that's described as "an atmospheric adventure bicycle road trip game," but that's exactly what Season is. Announced during the 2020 Game Awards, Season has a gorgeous animation style that's making people sit up and take notice.
Game Awards 2020 host Geoff Keighly introduced the game by noting that eventually, everyone would be back to traveling the world and meeting new people. Until then, he said, people can do that in Season as they "explore and record disappearing cultures in a strange, beautiful world. This game is just stunning."
The third-person game is the second from Canada's Scavengers Studio. The indie developer previously released Darwin Project, which is a free-to-play battle royale launched in 2018. That game looks very different from the upcoming Season and is shutting down four of its servers on Jan. 4 due to a lack of players.
It's clear that Season's trailer is generating a bit of excitement around this new IP. Here's what we know so far about the game, which is, unfortunately, a bit hard to Google.
Does Season have a release date?
No release date was announced for Season, and no information has been given out for even a time frame in which to expect the game. The main fact we know about Season's launch is that it will be a PlayStation 5 console exclusive, although it will be available for PCs through Steam as well. On Steam, the game release date is listed as "Coming Soon."
Scavengers Studio has about 30 employees, according to its Twitter description, so there's no huge team working on this one. The company has started a development blog that allows readers to get know people on the team. You can also opt into an email list if you're interested in updates on the game.
The company's previous game, Darwin Project, was released into Steam's Early Access program in 2018 and came out for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PCs in early 2020. The PlayStation has an Early Access program as well. It remains to be seen if players will get to play before the full release — whenever that may be.
Does Season have a trailer?
The trailer for Season is beautiful, giving off a relaxed feel that at least one Twitter user thinks could be the balm to this year. It showcases a Black female character, riding a bike and walking through different locales while recording animals using some retro technology as well as pen and paper. Piano music sets the scene, and the voiceover says, "Our grandparents lived for a thousand years. And our parents had a century to themselves. But us, we have one season."
The trailer's animation had commenters detecting a Studio Ghibli vibe, and they praised Sony for giving more experimental games a chance while getting excited about the art direction and music that sets the tone of the game. It was clearly a highlight of the Game Awards 2020 show for many tuning in, which bodes well for both Scavengers Studio and for the PlayStation 5.
What is the gameplay like for Season PS5?
Season's fact sheet says that players will be documenting, photographing, drawing, and recording life as they take a solitary bicycle journey with the goal of keeping the world's natural treasures and cultures from being forgotten.
The third-person game immerses players in different societies to collect artifacts and discover mysteries inside the world. It's "a surreal version of the mid-twentieth century, where thousands of years have passed without any progress," the fact sheet notes. Apparently, this universe is between collapses of some kind, and part of the player's goal is to find out what is causing them. The world is a "poetic fantasy world" with a touching story and beautiful landscapes to explore.
While it's difficult to know exactly what to expect from the gameplay based on a short launch trailer, what we've seen so far sends off peaceful, chill vibes suitable for all ages.