by theygamesThere are a few settings that just work for me. I can go from a high fantasy adventure to a dark, dystopian future; I love gritty science fiction, but also the idea of heaven and hell. One of my favorite archtypes, however, is steampunk – the perfect blend of old and new with some magical flair to boot. It’s what attracted me to 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 where huge, rideable mechs have become the bastions of humanity, it looks absolutely amazing – and it’s coming soon.
This is Sophie, a now desolate world that’s reminiscent of Dune’s Arrakis. You are a scavenger, intent on seeking out the planet’s riches, no matter the cost. But you’re not alone. Sophie is brimming with potential, so you’ll have to fight your way through enemy teams and myriad monstrosities in order to grab the FPS game‘s best gear and get out alive.
While that sounds like the traditional extraction fare, there’s one, huge twist. Your base is situated on a hulking mech known as a Trampler, which will carry you across Sophie’s barren wastelands. Built in an allohistorical 1870s Austro-Hungarian empire and primarily used to transport materials, the Trampler is the key to your survival in Sand, and it’s fully customizable, too.
The action takes place on the ground, however, and you’ll have to master your weapon if you want to survive. Whether you’re alone or in a group, the planet’s undead inhabitants aren’t going to go down without a fight, and if you run into an enemy squad, things get even more difficult. Sophie isn’t exactly stable, either, with sandstorms and other weather events making every new venture even riskier.
We’ve seen quite a lot of Sand so far thanks to various playtests, but Hologryph plans to expand upon all of that coming into early access. There are new cities and POIs that are stacked with loot, new environmental hazards, and undead wanderers that’ll attack players as they meander through various crumbling cityscapes.
Additionally, you’ll be able to kit out your Trampler with a new chassis and various compartments, and Hologryph has spent some time tuning its controls as well.
Hologryph has confirmed that Sand’s early access release date is set for Thursday April 3. That’s just a couple of months away, and honestly, I can’t wait. You can add it to your wishlist here.
If you, like me, love that virtual sense of hopelessness and isolation, here’s our list of the best apocalypse games. Alternatively, if exploring the vast reaches of the cosmos is more your thing, here’s our rundown of all the best space games.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or join our community Discord to stay in the know.