Patrice Désilets Announces Plans for Sequel to Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey
- Patrice Désilets announced plans for a sequel to Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey.
- Désilets claims to own the intellectual property, contrary to previous beliefs.
- The sequel’s development is contingent on the success of 1666: Amsterdam, which is currently in early access.
Patrice Désilets, acclaimed for his work on the Assassin’s Creed series and currently directing 1666: Amsterdam, recently disclosed intentions to develop a sequel to the open-world human evolution survival game Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. Speaking at an event for 1666: Amsterdam, he stated that the game, released in 2019, was conceived as “volume one” with plans for additional volumes to enhance the game.
There was uncertainty regarding ownership of the Ancestors franchise, as it was believed to be under the auspices of Take-Two’s publishing label, Private Division. However, Désilets clarified, “I own the IP. But it’s complex.”
Confirming his commitment to the sequel, he expressed, “Yeah, I will. I will. And people can believe me because I’m ready to wait 16 fucking years to finish what I started [with 1666 Amsterdam]; I finish what I started.”
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a game that navigates the journey of human evolution from primate to biped, spanning millions of years. Players experienced this evolution through various eras with a third-person action survival gameplay approach. While Donlan’s review for Eurogamer recognized the ambitious nature of Ancestors, he critiqued it as “clunky and not much fun,” although it still managed to sell 2 million copies as of April 2024.
Despite its shortcomings, Ancestors served as a precursor to Désilets’ long-cherished project, 1666: Amsterdam, which was significantly reimagined during the COVID lockdown and is now in production.
Similar to Ancestors, 1666: Amsterdam showcases imaginative concepts, though its execution has also drawn mixed reviews as noted by Donlan in his early access assessment. The game remains unfinished, with Désilets stating, “there’s ‘less than half’ in the game of what I want.” The early access period is estimated to last “approximately a year,” though an exact timeline is challenging to predict.
Désilets remarked, “The toughest part is done. Now it’s all about production and making – we would say ‘the poutine’,” suggesting that significant progress has been made, and the focus is now on development. He further emphasized, “We have a plan,” indicating a structured approach moving forward, with community feedback factored into future developments.
As for 1666: Amsterdam, it currently holds a “mixed” reception on Steam with only 720 reviews, indicating a limited audience engagement thus far. The fate of any potential Ancestors sequel will depend heavily on the success of 1666: Amsterdam once it is fully completed.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
