I am Alive was showcased years ago and now that Ubisoft Shanghai took over the project we're looking at an early March 2012 release. The game is set in a fictitious American city called Haventon following a worldwide disaster which has left the lands in a post apocalyptic waste filled with toxic dust and survivors following their own rules to survive. The game sees you take control of an unnamed survivor whose main goal seems to be just like everyone else's which is to survive following the catastrophic happenings after what is referred to as the "event". A sub-plot of looking for his wife and daughter is presented, but the survival aspect becomes a more profound purpose than anything else. I've played a preview build which doesn't divulge any secrets regarding the game's story, but does offer a welcome glimpse into the gameplay.

My first and perhaps lasting impressions of I Am Alive is that there's a distinct similarity to the older Tomb Raider games except in a very different setting that is perhaps unique to this game. The world is very much turned upside down, and how the game portrays this is with the use of some distinct grain and colour filters. The graphics are deliberately stale and muggy to covey the effects of the "event" and so there's a lingering impression cast onto the player. At times I felt a little more detail could have made for a bit more clarity, but then after about an hour's play realised the game wasn't going for ultra sharp looks, instead favouring a more ragged appearance to suit the mood. This actually works well and creates a game world that doesn't require the player to focus on the finer details despite there being a fair amount of suggested details on offer.

So to begin, the game thrusts you into a tutorial scenario where you're learning the nuances of climbing , controls and combat. The climbing is an important feature because it's here where you'll mostly need a keen eye to see where you should be heading, and to see if a ledge can be grabbed or used to scale. The use of a stamina bar is an interesting feature, and something I've not seen in other games, making the simple act of climbing a lot more hazardous and surprisingly tactical. Fiddle about too much or be indecisive and you'll lose your overall stamina as you hammer the RT button, or fall to your demise. It's an edgy offering and works well within the slower pacing of the game. What's more the maintenance of your stamina does have a jarring effect on what you can do, and if you're sloppy and let its overall level fall, you'll restrict yourself unnecessarily at times - meaning you won't be able to reach certain areas as a result. The stamina and health of the main character can be replenished via perishable items found littered across the world but in some cases, items can be used to help other survivors rather than be squandered by your character.

The controls are pretty standard fare for climbing and running around, but there's a bit of fiddling when reaching the peak of a climb or when positioning oneself for a leap to a higher or adjacent ledge. Hopefully these will be addressed in the final build.

What's really neat is the exploration, which for the most part (from the chapters I played) feel fairly linear, however it's the whole premise of the destroyed world that really sucks you in and offers compelling discovery despite their being some deviation but not fully open world gaming. A handy map is viewable at all times, and reminded me of the scribbled map found in the older Silent Hill games.Encounters with other humans is handled as you'd expect, where being hostile to lone survivors might not be the best course of action and early on can get you killed. There's a stealth element on hand whereby you can crouch and perhaps avoid enemies, but I saw no real evidence of this in play as most encounters were unavoidable. I assume later on in the game you'll be able to use stealth to your advantage. The story does introduce you to a little girl who you'll chase and then befriend. The early mission requires you to take her to a safe zone in a shopping mall and its here the bond between you is formed as is relayed via the protagonist's video camera recordings.

Encounters with the not so friendly though is completely different.The way I would view encounters with hostiles is like mini puzzles to navigate rather than full blown action set pieces. You're tasked with tracking the most dangerous foes first, with surprise melee attacks as they close in, then using a pistol to frighten any foes who aren't equipped with weapons. What starts out pretty straight forwards early on, does get a bit more complex as you come face to face with multiple enemies with guns. I really like the element of bluffing which works both ways as some enemies with guns don't actually have any bullets. In this regards there's a bit of trial and error involved, and although restarting checkpoints is limited, makes for a bit of learning each time you die and have to start over. There's a lock on feature available so that you're facing the most prominent threat, but this needs a bit of work as it's fiddly in this build. As encounters become more complex the aim of taking out foes with such limited resources becomes more difficult. On one occasion I lingered too long with one enemy who had surrendered, only for his unarmed accomplice dash and pick up the loaded gun from an enemy I had just shot and killed - the end result was a restart checkpoint as it wasn't something I expected.

I Am Alive appears to be an engaging game for XBLA and PSN and whilst a little sloppy in places which should be fixed for the final game, does a grand job of keeping the suspense full on and the intrigue at the maximum as you discover what drives the main character along as he helps others and ultimately helps himself.

I Am Alive is due for release in early March 2012 and should be worth picking up if you like your games to require a bit of the old grey matter being used.