14 DAY TRIAL // Grow Home, the experimental project suddenly elevated to game status, is now listed on Steam. It’s not an Early Access title, you can’t pre-order it either, so it just sits there until Ubisoft gives Valve the go ahead to start selling it.
Ubisoft Reflection’s indie game will be launched on PC on February 4, but there are no details on whether or not Grow Home will arrive on other gaming platforms as well.
So, what makes Grow Home stand out from other indie games? Well, it appears that Ubisoft’s game is meant to offer a unique gameplay experience based climbing, growing and exploration.
BUD (Botanical Utility Droid), the protagonist of the game has been inspired from Wall-E, but developers confirmed they had been inspired by Hitchhiker’s Guide as well.
One thing that will surely differentiate Grow Home from other games in the same genre will be the climbing, which features procedural animation and allows players to move BUD’s hands independently, thus creating a unique experience.
Both story and game mechanics seem interesting enough
There’s also a story behind the cute droid and it involves saving a planet by harvesting the seeds of a giant alien plant. BUD is supposed to climb on that giant alien plant just like Jack and the Beanstalk. You will have to create your own path while riding the huge alien plant.
In order to enhance BUD’s abilities, you will have to collect crystals by exploring every nook and cranny of the alien world. Many of the alien plants that encountered in your journey have various properties that will surely help you in your quest.
The premise and the game mechanics described by Ubisoft do seem appealing enough, but the execution matter as well. It remains to be seen when Grow Home will be available for pre-order and for how much, until then, stay tuned.