With PlayStation building its reputation largely on top-notch exclusives, it’s no surprise that many first-party games from the publisher have landed in the 90s on Metacritic. While it’s easier to find titles that take inspiration from critically acclaimed games like God of War and The Last of Us, it’s rare to find games that attempt to replicate the magic of Journey. Former Journey developers have tried to make recapture lighting in a bottle with artsy games like Abzu, but without spending a few hours with a random Traveler in a mystifying post-apocalyptic world, the itch isn’t fully scratch. However, despite that high bar Journey set, the upcoming Steam game Hello Sunshine seems heavily inspired by it.
However, while Hello Sunshine’s core concept of walking through a beautiful desert as a lone survivor is familiar, it’s also putting in the legwork to be more than just a Journey clone. Not only will this Steam game’s co-op option see the second player controlling something other than “The Final Employee,” but the game can also be enjoyed solo. To make that approach work, more mechanics are needed, as Journey was viewed as art primarily for how it paired players with a mystery partner and had them experience a moving story together. This is where Hello Sunshine’s robotic companions, survival mechanics, and Wall-E-like plot premise come into play.
Developer Red Thread Games has not yet provided a release window for Hello Sunshine.
What to Expect From Journey-Like Survival Sim Hello Sunshine
- EXPLORE a world ruined by corporations to reach a tower that will help decide the fate of the world.
- SURVIVE sweltering heat, manage hunger, and avoid killer crabs by working with a giant robot.
- SALVAGE resources found within the world to create new gear that will help you survive.
- COMPLETE menial tasks to level up and access additional benefits, like rest areas and self-care rooms.
- PLAY either solo or with a friend, though the second player won’t take the same form as their friend.
“A survival mystery set in the ruins of a corporate empire. Walk in the shadow of a giant robot during the sweltering days; stay close to keep warm during the cold nights. Scavenge, craft, upgrade—and piece together the broken puzzle of a world ruled by machines that refuse to shut down.”
Hello Sunshine Borrows Journey’s Main Concept, Both in Solo and Co-Op
Hello Sunshine promises a long journey through a tower, and said journey takes place primarily within massive stretches of sand. Throughout this process, players will build a relationship with a gigantic robot, learning to work with the cute-yet-intimidating machine as time goes on. Initially, the lumbering colossus will hardly acknowledge the player following in its shadow, but as they repair it, have charming interactions, upgrade its software, and so on, their bond will deepen. By the time they reach the tower at the end of the journey, the unnamed employee and machine will have a proper love for one another. And while players will seemingly be growing close to an AI-controlled machine as opposed to another person, that may not always be the case.
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Hello Sunshine is set to offer two-player co-op just like Journey did, but few details have been provided about how exactly this mode will work. It will be available in both split-screen and online co-op, though each player will see a “different perspective” on the world and story. They’ll coordinate scavenging runs and exchange resources for upgrades, with a “peculiar partnership” teased. Those keeping a close eye on the game have theorized that one player will control the giant robot and another will be The Final Employee, though it’s worth noting that this is purely speculation. Red Thread Games has only stated that the second player will be something different from the human that the first player controls, but regardless, traversing a desert world together to reach a high point at the end is very Journey-coded.
Hello Sunshine’s Survival Mechanics Make It More Than a Simple Walking Sim
While Hello Sunshine’s core concept is very Journey-like, it certainly seems like it will be a deeper game mechanically. For starters, with the adventure apparently poised to be longer than it is in Journey, it makes sense that gamers would have to engage with more mechanics to keep their dedicated Employee (and robotic partner) alive. First and foremost, this means surviving freezing nights and brutal days, and having the survival game mechanics to boot. Staying in the shadow of the robot helps with the latter, while the former will require making a camp with a fire, cooking food, and gearing up before following the robot once again when the sun rises.
Naturally, players will need resources to both feed their character and maintain the robot, and they’ll find these by raiding supply drops and storage units from downed war machines and abandoned settlements. When night falls, players can use a Sunshine Recycler device to turn all their loot into new gear for their survivor, upgrades for the robot like defensive gear and better sensors that help with finding loot, or machine cosmetics like paint and decals. The longer players adventure, the better they’ll get at looting and surviving, and their growing bond with the big, adorable robot will see it lifting the Employee to new areas, digging up secrets, and combatting leftover machines. In addition to the large machine, the Employee will be able to deploy helper bots that map terrain, hunt for food, and gather resources.
Hello Sunshine is set in a world ruined by corporations that allowed AI to run rampant, and though this message will be clear to players right away, the character will remain a loyal worker up until their final choice at the end of the road. With that Employee status comes access to the Sunshine company’s automated workstations, which give players menial tasks to complete within the world that can be exchanged for employee levels. These levels unlock vending machines, rest areas, and self-care rooms that can make the journey through the desert a lot less brutal. And, as they adventure, players will learn the protagonist’s true identity, how exactly the world fell apart in the first place, and more. With a story resembling Disney’s Wall-E due to its lovable robots and commentary on humanity’s current path, plus gameplay that mixes the survival genre with Journey, Hello Sunshine seems to have everything it needs to be a genuine hit.
