Ex Skyrim and Fallout dev’s monster hunting open-world game finally has a demo

The Axis Unseen is by far one of my most anticipated games right now. Blending an open-world hunting sim with cryptids from across cultures, it’s a “heavy metal horror game” from solo developer Nate Purkeypile. After working at Bethesda as a lead artist on Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starfield, and more, Purkeypile struck out on his own. Using that knowledge of open worlds, Purkeypile is taking his expertise to a much more subdued experience, and you can try it on Steam right now.

I’ve had my eye on The Axis Unseen for about two years now. Purkeypile’s solo debut is about using the world to hunt, track, and take down nightmarish creatures from our folklore. Gangly men made of branches, Chupacabras, and anything else that haunts your dreams is fair game. So grab your bow, knife, and get hunting in this atmospheric horror game.

This isn’t about survival though. There’s no hunger, thirst, or an overabundance of crafting materials. Even the UI is pared back, as everything exists within the world itself. You’re exploring, learning about the lives of these cryptids, hunting them, and upgrading your bow and arrows as you go. So yes, while The Axis Unseen is an open-world game, it’s not packed to the gills with a checklist of activities. You’re instead encouraged to interact with every facet of the world, immersing yourself in the environment to stay one step ahead of the cryptids.

As someone fed up with the never-ending open-world checklist guff employed in most triple-A videogames these days, The Axis Unseen is a breath of fresh air. Big, dense, explorable landscapes shouldn’t just be used as a crutch to prop up bursting open worlds simply there to be gorged on. Using large worlds for other, fresher ideas is welcome, and Purkeypile’s The Axis Unseen does just that. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is my favorite game of the year, and even I can recognize how many useless menial tasks it stuffs between the cracks. We need fresh ideas, and The Axis Unseen is one of them.

If you want to learn even more about the gameplay and hear from Purkeypile, Nat’s The Axis Unseen preview from GDC is well worth a read. From the primeval atmosphere to the cryptid hunting and open world, there’s an awful lot to get stuck into. The Axis Unseen’s map is also around five times bigger than Skyrim, but the scale isn’t actually about ramming the world with things to do.

“Because it’s focused on wilderness, you need a lot of space to be able to go around,” Purkeypile told us back in 2022. “It’s not about exploring dungeons and stuff.”

Just Purkey Games has now released The Axis Unseen demo on Steam, with the full launch slated for Tuesday October 22. You can download it right here. Progress from the demo will also carry over to the full game.

If you want to know what else is on the horizon we’ve brought together all the biggest upcoming PC games, alongside the best indie games to keep you busy before then.

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