Once Human Challenges Players to Survive in a World Overrun By Monsters

At Summer Game Fest, Restart check out Once Human, an open-world multiplayer survival game from Starry Studio and NetEase.

Once Human takes place in a post-apocalyptic version of earth, where every living being, from plants to animals, has been contaminated by an alien material called “Stardust.” This Stardust has caused normal creatures and humans to change into horrific (albeit unique) beasts, like a spider-like creature with a city bus perched on its back.

Players will become a “Meta-Human” who has bonded with Stardust and therefore isn’t as susceptible to its effects. They’ll be challenged to complete quests, defeat monsters, gather resources, and more as they work alone and/or with other players to learn more about the Stardust and save whatever is left of humanity.

As a survival game, Once Human will challenge players to manage their character’s hunger, thirst, and sanity, which are affected by consuming foods and beverages that have been contaminated by Stardust. That is, consuming contaminated items may decrease the player’s hunger or thirst, but will also drain their sanity. In order to avoid this penalty, players will be able to cook contaminated ingredients to make their food safe to eat.

Once Human will feature nine main weapon types (things like handguns, shotguns, and melee weapons) and six armor types (things like helmets and masks). Dozens of craftable weapons will be up for grabs, and players will have the ability to upgrade their favorite ones with different parts and perks.

As players collect resources, they’ll be able to build their own bases with an impressive amount of creative freedom. They’ll also be able to collect pets of sorts, which can help them complete tasks. For instance, a bee can help them with their farming.

While Once Human has a serious storyline and loads of fearsome monsters, some of these helper creatures will add a bit of lightheartedness to the experience, as we found there’s something incredibly delightful about watching a cartoon-like dinosaur (who’s a chef, obviously) prance around the game’s gritty, post-apocalyptic environment.

Once Human

Release Date: July 9, 2024

• Windows
• Google Play
• iOS

Once Human will see a global release on PC on July 9, 2024. The game will come to iOS and Android devices later this year, with a console release also planned for the future. A free demo is available to download now on PC.