I Am Alive climbing onto XBLA, PSN this winter

Once believed to be abandoned, Ubisoft has confirmed that I Am Alive not only has a heartbeat, but it will see release this winter on the Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

Developed by Ubisoft Shanghai, I Am Alive tells the story of an everyman who has lost his wife and daughter during a mysterious but cataclysmic event. This man returns to his hometown, Haventon, a year later to find the city in ruins, with its inhabitants taking "necessary actions" to survive.

According to Ubisoft's description, I Am Alive will have players battling both enemies and the environment. Players must manage their stamina and resources to survive in the embattled region, and they will climb to the tops of buildings to find essential items.

On top of the gameplay details Ubisoft formally announced today, earlier this week, the ESRB rated the game M-for-Mature and said the title would include various finishing moves like throat-slashing, impaling, and pistol-whipping.

First announced at the 2008 Electronic Entertainment Expo, I Am Alive was originally pegged to ship in 2009. At the time, Paris-based Darkworks was at work on the game but Ubisoft Shanghai took over development duties in 2009.