The irony of Ubisoft's upcoming title I Am Alive has kept the game in news headlines for three years now - a steady mix of reports confirming the game's unfortunate demise and details of its enduring development ripple through the Internet on a regular basis.
As a result, it's no surprise that today's unearthing of I Am Alive content comes with a major caveat - neither the trailer, images, or cut-scene were official releases and, as a result, it's difficult to pinpoint whether or not the leaks are from an earlier version of the title or represent what players might be able to expect whenever the game actually hits retail.
I Am Alive was first announced at E3 2008 with Darkworks (Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare) handling development. After a series of false reports as well as rumors suggesting the project had been scrapped, Ubisoft confirmed that Darkworks was no longer working on the title - and that their own Ubisoft Shanghai studio would be developing the game for retail. Recent rumors even suggested I Am Alive would be released digitally, through XBLA and PSN, but the news was quickly debunked.
Official info for the game is scarce, nothing more than the basic premise has even been revealed for the title, and Ubisoft's official website for the game still plays the three year-old announcement trailer.
Check out the original E3 2008 I Am Alive announcement trailer below:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLGuM_d-6Ok
The trailer did a decent job of establishing the basic set-up and hints at the type of overarching objectives players might face in the game, i.e. an Earthquake has decimated Chicago and water, as well as other survival supplies, have become the most valuable objects around. However, considering the lack of official information, it's no surprise that players have now turned to unofficial leaks to fill-in some of the gaps.
Recently, it was revealed that a version of I Am Alive may have leaked online - with a NeoGaf post offering-up some new footage and images. That said, as mentioned, it's still unclear which version of the game has leaked - the Darkworks build, the original Ubisoft Shanghai build (based on the Darkworks version), or the final Ubisoft Shanghai build (which reportedly saw major changes to both the story and gameplay).
Check out the leaked teaser trailer for I Am Alive (followed by a cut-scene from the game) below. NOTE: While there's no way of knowing which version of the game we're looking at here, Ubisoft is actively shutting-down YouTube links for the trailer and cut-scene - so it's certainly plausible that this could be a recent build of the game:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcaF9ooQ314
I Am Alive Teaser Trailer
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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bBVa0p_UFY
I Am Alive Cut-Scene
Interestingly, the Uncharted-like gameplay now appears to not only incorporate first person combat elements but the setting may have also been swapped out for an Asian locale - which, following the 2011 TÅhoku earthquake and tsunami, may be yet another reason the game is still missing in action. No doubt a title about surviving in the aftermath of an Eastern Asia disaster could be hard to market right now.
An image montage of the game's home and inventory screens, as well as in-game action shots can be viewed below (though, feel free to mute the video - since the poster has included some ill-fitted music over the screenshots).
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG3bn9zafqA
The screens and footage are somewhat mixed - with some genuinely cool ambiance and story potential coupled with some bland visuals and weird character design. It'll be interesting to see what Ubisoft has up their sleeve when I Am Alive actually emerges with official details.
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I Am Alive missed a projected spring 2011 release date - we'll keep you posted as we hear something more official.
Source: NeoGaf