Prey for the Gods reimagines Shadow of the Colossus as a wintry survival game

Prey for the Gods looks a lot like a wintry Shadow of the Colossus with a grappling hook. If you ask me, that's a good thing to look like.

Now on Kickstarter, this indie effort looks shockingly accomplished for a team of three industry vets at the fledgling No Matter Studios. Prey for the Gods puts players in the role of a young woman who has arrived in a mysterious land looking for a way to end the perpetual winter. Allegedly slaying the gargantuan creatures - most likely the gods of the title - will aid you in your quest.

And what magnificent creatures these are! Looking at the Kickstarter trailer, these ferocious beasts run the gamut from bat-wings buzzards to spooky translucent wraiths to brutish cave trolls.

Yet Prey for the Gods isn't just a Shadow of the Colossus clone, as it brings a few neat ideas to the table. For one, it will be less linear that Fumito Ueda's masterpiece, which prescribed the player to tackling its prey in a specific order.

More importantly, there will be a complex wilderness survival aspect to this adventure. You'll have to hunt for food, take shelter, build fires, and craft weapons and clothing in this wintry climate. There will even be a dynamic weather system and day/night cycle.

The combat also promises to be a lot more open-ended than Shadow of the Colossus' heavily scripted AI puzzle bosses. In Prey for the Gods you'll be able to challenge bosses on head-on, take a stealthy approach and climb their backs, or rely on ranged weaponry. Most likely you'll have to mix it up your tactics between all of these as the situation demands.

It's certainly ambitious, at any rate. Based on what No Matter has shown so far, it's caught the public's eye as Prey for the Gods has already raised over $96k of its $300k goal in only a day. It has until 5th August to raise the rest.

At the moment Prey for the Gods is only set for PC, though PS4 and Xbox One ports are available as a $600k stretch goal. No Matter is refreshingly realistic noting that even if it raises the funds for consoles, this won't be a simultaneous multiplatform launch. Just getting one version of this game out looks like a hefty enough undertaking.

Should you want to reserve a PC copy, it's $15 for the basic package with more goodies available for a premium. Prey for the Gods is aiming for a December 2017 launch.