Ubisoft Montreal Unveils "Alterra," a Novel Voxel-Based Social Simulation Game

Ubisoft Montreal, renowned for titles like Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Far Cry 6, is reportedly developing a new voxel game codenamed "Alterra," as revealed by Insider Gaming on November 26th. This project, drawing inspiration from Minecraft and Animal Crossing, reportedly emerged from a previously cancelled four-year development.

The core gameplay loop, according to sources, mirrors the relaxed charm of Animal Crossing. Instead of human NPCs, players interact with "Matterlings," whimsical creatures residing on a central home island. Players can customize their homes, engage in activities reminiscent of bug-catching, and socialize with these unique inhabitants.

Adventure extends beyond the home island. Players can explore diverse biomes, collecting resources and encountering a variety of Matterlings. However, these explorations aren't without peril, as enemies pose a challenge. The game incorporates Minecraft-style mechanics, with different biomes providing unique building materials – forests yielding wood, for example.

Matterlings are described as resembling stylized Funko Pop figures, with large heads and designs inspired by both fantastical creatures (dragons) and familiar animals (cats, dogs). Variations exist within each species, based on attire.

Development on "Alterra" commenced over 18 months ago, led by Fabien Lhéraud (a 24-year Ubisoft veteran) as lead producer and Patrick Redding as creative director (known for his work on Gotham Knights, Splinter Cell Blacklist, and Far Cry 2). Lhéraud's LinkedIn profile confirms his involvement in a "Next Gen Unannounced Project" starting December 2020.

While this news is exciting, remember that "Alterra" is still in development and subject to change.

Understanding Voxel Games

Voxel games employ a unique rendering technique. Objects are constructed from tiny cubes or voxels, assembled and rendered in 3D, similar to digital LEGO bricks. While Minecraft often gets categorized as a voxel game due to its aesthetic, it technically uses a voxel-like appearance while employing traditional polygon models for its blocks.

In contrast to polygon-based rendering (used in games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2), which creates surfaces from triangles, voxel games build objects by stacking cubes, resulting in solid, volumetric representations. This eliminates the "clipping" issue often seen in polygon-based games.

Ubisoft's embrace of voxel technology for "Alterra" is a noteworthy development in the gaming industry.