Better known for first-person shoot ‘em ups and car racing games, a new PS5 game set for release next year takes the gaming platform off in an unexpected direction.
Instead of urban cityscapes or motorsport tracks, Free Shepherd, a new possibly first ‘paw-son’ game, lets players become a border collie in search of missing sheep and herding them back to safety.
Set in a vast rural landscape, the forthcoming Frame Interactive game is a serene departure from the usual gaming fare.
While gamers have used the legendary Gran Turismo driving game to practice on the Nurburgring before attempting the iconic German race track for real, it seems unlikely that prowess at Free Shepherd will translate into expertise with a living, breathing sheepdog.
The single-player game is described as an “atmospheric adventure where you are an energetic and loyal sheepdog.” There are also mystical puzzles to solve while tracking down your wayward flock.
Explaining the gameplay, the developer says: “Run fast and free in a beautiful but troubled world. Herd masses of lost sheep to a secret refuge. Discover a mysterious calamity that only you can stop.”
Presumably, this doesn’t mean someone leaving the wrong gate open.
There’s also the possibility to “connect with allies” and “restore balance to the world through hard work.”
According to details that have emerged so far, the sheepdog will be able to sprint, skid, swim, dig, bark, and bound across varied terrain.
Much effort appears to have gone into the detail of the softly lit cinematic landscapes, which are influenced by weather, light, and “subtle fantastical forces.”
The unique selling points of the game are its focus on momentum-based movement and the expressive physicality of the sheepdog.
However, the developers, Frame Interactive, have yet to confirm if the game view will include a first-person perspective. If so, it would almost certainly be a world first in the gaming world. Games with animal protagonists usually lean toward third-person views so that the player can see the creature’s movements and animations.
See the trailer
Image content - Frame Interactive
