Ubisoft Montreal is developing a new voxel-based game, codenamed "Alterra," blending the building mechanics of Minecraft with the social simulation aspects of Animal Crossing. This exciting project, reportedly born from a previously cancelled four-year project, features a unique gameplay loop.

Players interact with "Matterlings," creatures resembling Funko Pops, on their home island, customizing their homes and engaging in activities reminiscent of Animal Crossing. Exploration extends beyond the home island, with various biomes offering diverse materials for construction and new Matterlings to meet. However, players will encounter enemies during their adventures. The game's voxel nature, similar to Minecraft in its blocky aesthetic, influences the building system, with biomes providing specific building materials (e.g., forests for wood).

Matterlings, inspired by dragons, cats, dogs, and other creatures, exhibit variations based on clothing. The project, led by producer Fabien Lhéraud (24 years at Ubisoft) and creative director Patrick Redding (known for Gotham Knights, Splinter Cell, and Far Cry), has been in development for over 18 months.

While promising, remember that "Alterra" is still under development and details are subject to change.

Understanding Voxel Games:

Voxel games utilize tiny cubes or pixels to construct 3D objects, creating a distinctive visual style often compared to LEGO bricks. Unlike Minecraft, which uses a voxel-like aesthetic but relies on traditional polygon models for its blocks, true voxel games, like the planned "Alterra," build objects by stacking these individual voxels. This contrasts with polygon-based rendering (used in games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2) which constructs objects from triangles, often resulting in clipping issues.

Ubisoft's foray into voxel technology with "Alterra" is an exciting development in the gaming landscape.