Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey Brings the Animal Kingdom to Consoles Today

The creative director of Assassin’s Creed returns with something entirely new.

After a few turbulent months on the PC front, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is ready to win over a different kind of audience today.

Developers Panache Digital Games and the publishers at Private Division announced the game’s arrival on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, bringing with it a unique experience about apes that eventually become homo sapiens over a million years of evolution. It’s the brainchild of Patrice Désilets, who previously worked with Ubisoft as creative director of the first Assassin’s Creed games.

The game features a unique mixture of open-world combat, exploration, and traveling to new areas. As you proceed, you see your character grow through a “neuronal network.” It enhances a number of your skills as you perform different actions in the game, such as interacting with makeshift weapons and items within the environment. In other words, evolution—just as your character is experiencing.

“Ancestors is very much a story that is co-written by the player,” Désilets said in a press statement. “We created a world in which you are free to explore and develop this narrative that you control. It’s intentionally challenging, and we give players great freedom to explore and learn on their own, which makes each discovery and accomplishment incredibly rewarding.”

At the time of its initial launch back in August, the game wasn’t quite as well-received as Désilets hoped. It ended up with a 64 rating on Metacritic, with some players noting its lack of game mechanics. The creative director discussed these ratings in response, and the difficulty of putting the game together. He hopes to see a turnaround with the console version, which will reportedly include more tutorials to guide the player along.

Those who want to venture into this journey can do so now on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.