First revealed during the recent PlayStation State of Play, The Lost Wild has drawn comparisons to a first‑person Dino Crisis while carving out its own identity. Developed by Great Ape Games and published by Annapurna Interactive, the title was showcased in a hands‑off preview at Summer Game Fest 2026, offering a tense look at its stealth‑driven survival gameplay.

In this preview, we followed protagonist Saskia as she arrives on a storm‑swept island and encounters her first dinosaur. Unlike other titles where dinosaurs are treated as monstrous trophies to be hunted, The Lost Wild frames them as apex predators, and players as prey.

Much of the gameplay we witnessed was stealth, requiring us to outmaneuver the dinosaurs in their own cat-and-mouse game. Solving puzzles is also the heart of The Lost Wild, relying mostly on your wits and memory to figure out the next step to escape the island.

The Lost Wild – Hands-Off Impressions

The adventure begins with Saskia navigating the storm‑lashed island that serves as the game’s central setting. Alone and far from home, she presses forward on foot, uncovering scattered scientific equipment that hints at deeper mysteries waiting to be unraveled.

Her path leads to a tipped‑over truck, where she encounters a scientist clad in a hazmat suit. Though his words are in Japanese, unintelligible to Saskia, the urgency in his tone signals that they are not alone on this island.

At this point, it’s already too late for the scientist. An allosaurus creeps up behind him and takes a large bite, disemboweling the scientist and making it a quick meal. The beast takes the rest of the deceased scientist and takes it somewhere else. Saskia, alone and troubled, hides underneath the truck, trying to figure out her next move.

The Lost Wild looks to emphasize the type of gameplay that makes you feel almost helpless, requiring players to use their wits and instincts paired with stealth. The next few minutes revolve around traversing through the narrow paths, outwitting the Allosaurus, so we can get access inside the scientific facility. It’s enclosed with an electric fence, and given the rain, it’s not exactly wise to climb atop it. The key would be to find an access card to enter the gate.

While traversing the different offices and outdoor facilities, Saskia can pick up throwable items such as beer bottles and coffee mugs and throw them to distract the lurking Allosaurus. Hitting a truck will trigger its car alarm, drawing the beast away from you as you proceed towards your goal.

In The Lost Wild, there are no life bars, but there are stealth notices where a closed eye will show you fully hidden, an open eye will suggest that you are exposed, and a yellow open eye will alert you that a dinosaur has spotted you, and you will need to run. The moment you are grabbed by the Allosaurus, it’s game over.

After a few unsuccessful attempts to open the electric gate, we’re finally able to access the indoor facilities. Yet, the Allosaurus will still find you and chase after you. Luckily, the descending heavy doors prevent the apex predator from stumbling in.

Inside the facility, you can acquire another access card to enter a new area, and a distress call comes through on one of the radios. As you pick it up, you’re introduced to another main character in The Lost Wild, Daisuke. He offers you a plan to escape the island and find the answers to its many mysteries. You just need to help him escape, and it requires traversing through its perilous ground deeper into the island.

As you can imagine, gameplay in The Lost Wild will revolve around puzzle solving and stealth, relying mostly on your wits to escape. When in danger, using various tools may help intimidate roaming dinosaurs, resulting in a cat-and-mouse-style loop that feels exhilarating and tension-filled.

The Lost Wild is scheduled to launch on 2027, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.