New China-Made “Mechanical” Open World Survival Game Looks A Little Too Familiar

Earlier this year, the gaming world was shaken by what some are calling one of the most audacious “inspired by” titles ever to emerge in the industry. Palworld, developed by Pocketpair, garnered significant attention for its striking similarities to the beloved Pokémon franchise, prompting an ongoing legal dispute over copyright issues.

Fast forward to today, and a new contender has entered the scene: Light of Motiram. This game adopts a familiar yet distinct formula, blending elements reminiscent of Horizon Zero Dawn with survival mechanics. In fact, the game’s promotional artwork strikingly mirrors that of Horizon Forbidden West, raising eyebrows and questions about originality. Developed by Polaris Quest, a subsidiary of Tencent, this title has certainly piqued interest.

The game’s store page was unveiled earlier today but was promptly removed from both Steam and the Epic Games Store shortly thereafter. According to reports, the game’s description detailed an engaging premise:

“In a world dominated by colossal machines, embark on an exploration of a vast open world. Build your base of operations, advance your technology, train Mechanimals, and challenge formidable bosses. Begin in the primitive age and forge a new path of development. Defy the machinations of the world and survive alongside your mechanimal companions.”

Visuals released so far depict these mechanimals as strikingly reminiscent of creatures from the Horizon series, featuring designs based on real-life animals with a pronounced colour palette of grey, black, yellow, and neon blue accents. The setting is similar to that of a post-apocalyptic world where humanity struggles to rebuild following monumental disasters.

What sets Light of Motiram apart is its integration of survival and base-building mechanics. Players will need to gather resources to establish settlements and craft various weapon types, with some mechanimals accompanying them in battle. Plus, the game supports cooperative play, allowing up to ten players to team up in hunting mechanimals, gathering resources, and constructing bases.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTMxBhy2dp0[/embedyt]

This multiplayer aspect could raise concerns for Guerrilla Games, especially in light of ongoing speculation about a potential Horizon MMO in development. As Sony positions Aloy as one of its flagship characters, the emergence of a game so closely echoing the Horizon franchise could lead to yet another legal confrontation in the gaming industry. In the meantime, the game is being crucified online on social media.

Light of Motiram singlehandedly dragging back Chinese gaming's positive hard-earned reputation years back….

smh pic.twitter.com/5hTEIssUSx

— Daniel Camilo (@DanielOlimac) November 28, 2024

This is shameless. https://t.co/RCV2JLE5SQ pic.twitter.com/gdnVGebmLw

— Genki? (@Genki_JPN) November 28, 2024

Light of Motiram has been announced for PC… Ummm….. pic.twitter.com/CLlfFdqiYY

— Pyo 5?? (@mrpyo1) November 28, 2024

Horizon Zero Fucks https://t.co/llIcc9Ogeq

— Very AFK (@Cromwelp) November 28, 2024