Niantic, the company behind the smash hit Pokemon Go, has launched its next augmented reality game, which is once again packed of adorable creatures. Peridot is a game about taking care of and rearing mystical creatures. Imagine Pokemon Go crossed with a Tamagotchi, but with real-world and augmented reality components.
What’s New?
According to Niantic, the core idea is that “Peridots are awakening to a world substantially different from the one they wandered in after thousands of years of slumber, and they will require your help to preserve them from extinction.” In practice, this means you’ll look after the animals by training, feeding, and playing with them as they grow from cute little infants to mature adults before reproducing more.
Peridots are known for their individuality, which is one of their most distinguishing characteristics. They all have distinct personality traits and appear distinctive thanks to a mix of handcrafted and procedurally produced components.
They also have their own DNA, according to Niantic, which links into the concept of reproduction, which is “modelled after how DNA works in real life,” according to the developer. Different creature archetypes, such as unicorns and cheetahs, can be mixed and matched during breeding to produce a variety of new cute little creatures.
What’s More?
(And no, peridots are not NFT, despite the fact that they are one-of-a-kind digital assets.) “It’s a pretty interesting idea,” said lead producer Ziah Fogel. “It’s something we’re clearly looking at.” The precipice. “But for the time being, we’re concentrating on testing and enhancing the core gaming experience to ensure that it’s both enjoyable and accessible.”)
Much of the gameplay, like that of Niantic’s other games – including, more recently, Pikmin Flower – necessitates venturing out into the real world. This could include going on hikes with your Peridot or finding him specific food, as well as hunting for nests in the wild, which are required for breeding.
Despite the fact that the plot revolves around saving a species from extinction, there is no death in Peridot. “This game has no punitive elements,” explains Fogel. “Creatures are immortal. Instead, we strive to incentivize users to return and interact with their pets more frequently.
Digging In More Details
Similarly, augmented reality appears to be a key feature of the game; much like in Pokemon Go and similar games, seeing these exotic animals in the real world is part of the experience. Niantic’s Lightship platform is being used to create Peridot, and the game’s synthetic critters can “recognize different real-world surfaces like as soil, sand, water, grass, and foliage. and respond appropriately,” according to the developer.
Since Pokemon Go’s spectacular success, Niantic has mostly focused on other licensed franchises such as Pikmin, Harry Potter, and Transformers. Since Entrance, Peridot will be the developer’s first totally original project. While there is no set release date for the new game, Niantic says it will be available in “certain markets” on the App Store and Google Play in April, with “more markets” being added as testing and iterations during the soft launch continue.