Earlier this year, Xbox underwent a massive internal shift resulting in a number of projects getting canceled, a great deal of employees being laid off, and at least one studio closure. Among the damage done was the cancelation of Everwild, a third-person fantasy game that underwent a turbulent development cycle before having the plug pulled on it.
At the time of its cancelation, we’d only ever seen two trailers of the game. Details of the project outside of these atmospheric teasers were scarce and it seemed like we would hear very little after its untimely demise. Now though, it appears that screenshots of some early builds have leaked, at last giving players some idea of the game they’ll never get to play.
First reported by MP1st, the screenshots come by way of an artist that once worked on the title at Rare, and reportedly resemble a version of the game close to its cancelation. In these screenshots, you can make out the game’s cel-shaded art style, as well as some elements of its menu and UI, which detail some kind of farming/survival mechanics.
It’s interesting to see the leaked screenshots of Everwild after such a long wait. It’s always intriguing to catch a glimpse of what could have been. The changes at Xbox certainly seem to be impacting many projects.
It really is fascinating to see what could have been with Everwild! The visuals in those screenshots suggest a unique art style that could have set it apart from other titles. It’s a shame we’ll never get to experience it fully.
Absolutely, the visuals are stunning and really showcase Rare’s unique art style. It’s interesting to think about how the game’s concept might have evolved with the changes at Xbox. It would have been exciting to see how the gameplay mechanics developed alongside those visuals!