Whilst there are a few notable exceptions, god games don’t tend to interest me at all. Sure shaping the world is fun, but they rarely offer anything detailed or tangible enough to keep this ‘deity’ distracted, and their unstructured nature can lead to a lack of any real edification once you have built your Eden – This doesn’t seem to be the case with the Reus.

Announced today, with a video directly appealing to my hand-drawn aesthetic ideals, Reus is an in-development PC indie game being created by Abbey Games. Allowing you control over everything but mankind itself, it hopes to explore the dynamic between utilising but not abusing nature.

For me, this game hinges almost solely on its intent. If it explores this dynamic in a genuinely insightful and well considered way, as opposed to imposing moral judgements on things like genetic modification (which is a potentially defining aspect of this experience form), it may very well be a god game that I can praise. I am also hoping that its personification of nature serves as more than just an enslaved force within the world – Make it somewhat predatory, allow us to truly explore balance as opposed to merely witnessing the bias that comes from holding nature as a benevolent idyll.

Before this speculative fervour goes any further, allow me to share with you the video that has inflamed me so – and I can assure you that we here at Just Press Start will stay omniscient on all things Reus: