Sony, following the latest trend, is starting to develop its console titles on mobile platforms. Today, the company has released an Android version of last year’s PS3 hit Tokyo Jungle on the American market. About her and not only – in our material.
The original project was released on PlayStation 3 a year ago. Our colleagues from Eurogamer then gave him a score of 9 out of 10 points, and dubbed him “GTA with lions”. Although, in fact, the project was still closer to the Sims and Diablo mix.
The history of the original
As a result of the catastrophe, humanity disappeared from the face of the Earth, but people’s pets and zookeepers calmly survived the misfortune. The player had to choose a suitable animal (at first only weak dogs, chickens, fallow deer are available) and try to survive them in a deserted Tokyo.
Survival meant the development of skills, the creation of their own pack, as well as constant skirmishes with hostile species.
The concept initially fit perfectly into the free-2-play concept. The coolest animals could be sold for real. In fact, the endless gameplay (walk around the city, explore locations, learn new abilities) would not be a problem to reproduce on mobile devices.
So it’s not surprising that Sony decided to move the game to mobile (and, by the way, portable) platforms.
What happened
The essence of the game in Tokyo Jungle Mobile decided not to change.
The goal is to survive in overpopulated Tokyo. To do this, you need to eat all the vegetation that can only be found when playing for a herbivore. Or hunt other animals, being a predator. If you don’t eat, you will die.
This is not implemented in the game, but it would be interesting to look at a project in which the retension is built like in “tamagotchi”: I did not hunt my animal, it dies (a penalty for a number of characteristics that do not concern any “buns” that are bought for real money).
Returning to Tokyo Jungle. In total, the project will need to live a conditional century. To achieve this successfully, you need to avoid the dangers that the environment conceals, such as poisonous fog and other hostile animals. Also in the game you need to find a partner for mating, raise offspring and gather a flock of relatives around you. Other animals in the pack, in fact, are additional lives.
Problems
The first problem is that, as in the case of the original project, the development was approached “on a budget”. Tokyo Jungle has been transformed from a three-dimensional action into an isometric “miracle”, with the playing field divided into squares.
The second problem is monetization. Despite the fact that the project could be made shareware, it is paid, for which they ask for $ 2.99 in the first week of sales, and then raise the price tag to $ 5.99 (and you don’t have to pay for animals, of which there are about 40 pieces in the game. All of them can be purchased for in-game currency, which is enough for all types at once).
The third problem is the release of the project in the USA only in the PlayStation Mobile app store (that is, it only works on PS Vita and smartphones that support this store). This immediately seriously narrows the potential audience.
About the future
We do not believe in the future of this project. Too many “buts”. However, we really like the concept. We are waiting for mobile survival about exploring the wild world and the need to maintain the health of your pet all the time.