Former Fallout art lead Nate Purkeypile, an industry veteran who's worked on games ranging from Metroid Prime 3 to Starfield, is now making an indie game called The Axis Unseen out of the back of a camper.
"Now that I am a solo indie dev, I can make my game anywhere," Purkeypile says on Twitter. "So I have been working on The Axis Unseen out of my camper trailer. I can take it anywhere and still work on the game. It has been super handy!" Purkeypile attached a few images of the camper work setup, and promises more to come.
Now that I am a solo indie dev, I can make my game anywhere.So I have been working on The Axis Unseen out of my camper trailer.I can take it anywhere and still work on the game.It has been super handy! Follow me for more vids on my setup! pic.twitter.com/l9svTNwnj8May 24, 2022
In another tweet, the dev adds "I still am home often, I just take it out for trips and weekends and stuff. I still work out of it at home though. It's basically my office."
The Axis Unseen is billed as a "heavy metal open world horror hunting" game, and I can't really imagine any genre combination better suited to development in a camper. You hunt creatures from folklore with a bow, following tracks, looking for blood trails, and staying undetected by hiding your scent.
Over time, you can collect magical upgrades like fire and wind arrows - which you can use in combination to spread fire across the land. You'll also be able to improve your own senses, so you can see scents on the wind or "see colors that no human has ever seen."
The game's backed with a "primitive metal" soundtrack by Clifford Meyer (formerly of Isis and Red Sparowes) which will adjust dynamically to what's happening as you play - ambient noise as you're exploring, and intense rock when the action heats up.
The Axis Unseen is on the way to PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store with a release date of "when the Axis aligns." (In other words, there's no release window yet.) Console versions are listed as "TBD."
Purkeypile previously served as a world artist on games like BloodRayne 2 and Metroid Prime 3 before moving to Bethesda Game Studios in 2007. There, he served in senior art roles on Fallout 3 (including The Pitt and Point Lookout DLC packs), Skyrim, and Fallout 4, and worked as a lead artist on both Fallout 76 and Starfield.
The Starfield release date might've been delayed, but we're expecting a lot more info at the Xbox and Bethesda games showcase next week.
