While the Uncharted series’ Nathan Drake would hardly break a sweat with this climbing and hanging, I Am Live‘s hero is a bit more realistic and limited. The beginning of that journey had me climbing my way up and over debris, onto hanging cars and bridge rails, and onto even more dangerous wrecked remains. In my session, I worked through the first several sections of the game: over a busted suspension bridge that seems to have given out during rush hour, through city sewers to the main character’s apartment, out through makeshift shelters for the few remaining living, and into skyscrapers inhabited by angry survivors trying to stay alive. It seems that the entire world has suffered from The Event.

It looks as if some bomb has gone off, or a series of powerful earthquakes have hit, as wrecked cars are piled onto broken bridges, and dead bodies are strewn about below crumbled buildings and burnt city remains. He returns to see his entire city ruined and covered with a toxic gray dust. The game’s main character returns to his home town after about a year of being away in hopes of finding his wife and daughter, having come home by foot. I Am Live is set after a disaster known as The Event. I Am Alive (Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network)

I’m still somewhat surprised that I managed to survive I Am Alive. But what Ubisoft Shanghai has here is a bit different from the rest of your end-of-the-world games in that your struggle to survive is the main focus, and your limitations as a normal human end up being your greatest enemy. This is yet another game that puts you in a post-apocalyptic situation, exploring a ruined city, trying to make your way.

I was so tense from playing that I think I’ll always jokingly call this game I Am Stressed Out. Some of that excitement could just be that I’m relieved to be safe for a bit, and finally not nervous to the end of my wit from wandering around in the game’s charged, threatening world. I’m coming off spending a weekend with early preview code for Ubisoft’s I Am Alive, and I’ll tell you right now that I’m already pretty excited about this game.

Ubisoft i am alive