There are a number of settings that simply work for me. I can go from a excessive fantasy journey to a darkish, dystopian future; I like gritty science fiction, but additionally the concept of heaven and hell. One in every of my favourite archtypes, nonetheless, is steampunk – the proper mix of previous and new with some magical aptitude in addition. It’s what attracted me to video games like Lies of P and New Arc Line, and it’s what excites me about Sand, Hologrpyh’s upcoming PvPvE shooter. Set on an Arrakis-style desert planet the place big, rideable mechs have turn out to be the bastions of humanity, it appears to be like completely wonderful – and it’s coming quickly.
That is Sophie, a now desolate world that’s harking back to Dune’s Arrakis. You’re a scavenger, intent on in search of out the planet’s riches, irrespective of the fee. However you’re not alone. Sophie is brimming with potential, so that you’ll must struggle your method by enemy groups and myriad monstrosities with the intention to seize the FPS sport‘s greatest gear and get out alive.
Whereas that feels like the normal extraction fare, there’s one, big twist. Your base is located on a hulking mech often known as a Trampler, which can carry you throughout Sophie’s barren wastelands. Inbuilt an allohistorical 1870s Austro-Hungarian empire and primarily used to move supplies, the Trampler is the important thing to your survival in Sand, and it’s totally customizable, too.

The motion takes place on the bottom, nonetheless, and also you’ll must grasp your weapon if you wish to survive. Whether or not you’re alone or in a bunch, the planet’s undead inhabitants aren’t going to go down and not using a struggle, and for those who run into an enemy squad, issues get much more tough. Sophie isn’t precisely steady, both, with sandstorms and different climate occasions making each new enterprise even riskier.
We’ve seen numerous Sand to date thanks to numerous playtests, however Hologryph plans to broaden upon all of that coming into early entry. There are new cities and POIs which are stacked with loot, new environmental hazards, and undead wanderers that’ll assault gamers as they meander by varied crumbling cityscapes.
Moreover, you’ll be capable of equipment out your Trampler with a brand new chassis and varied compartments, and Hologryph has spent a while tuning its controls as effectively.
Hologryph has confirmed that Sand’s early entry launch date is ready for Thursday April 3. That’s simply a few months away, and truthfully, I can’t wait. You’ll be able to add it to your wishlist right here.
For those who, like me, love that digital sense of hopelessness and isolation, right here’s our record of the very best apocalypse video games. Alternatively, if exploring the huge reaches of the cosmos is extra your factor, right here’s our rundown of all the very best area video games.
You may as well comply with us on Google Information for every day PC video games information, critiques, and guides, or be a part of our group Discord to remain within the know.