SAND: A New Extraction Shooter Set For April
On April 3rd, the extraction shooter SAND will launch on Steam, a multiplayer open-world PVPVE action and survival game developed by Hologryph and TowerHaus and published by tinyBuild. This game, which I can undoubtedly call “original,” aims to stand out by implementing a mix of elements that, like other games we have mentioned in our articles, have not been seen together before. I could even add that some mechanics simply have not been seen at all, whether combined or not.
In addition to delivering engaging first-person action with survival and resource management elements, SAND will put us in command of mobile bases that will also be our best weapon. Giant walkers will traverse the endless seas of sand with ease, from which we will engage in the game’s most epic and entertaining battles. If you want to see what we mean, just take a look at the Official Early Access Release Date Trailer right below, courtesy of GameTrailers.
SAND: Light on Story, Heavy on Action
“In their desperation, Galicians, citizens of a region within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, are returning to the desolate remains of the once-resource-rich world of Sophie, in order to uncover hidden riches in the barren wastelands, rectify historical injustices, and claim what they believe is rightfully theirs.”
That is how SAND’s “story” is described on its Steam page under the title “An industrial alternate history of 1910”. From my perspective, this contradicts something stated earlier, since right at the beginning of the same page, SAND is described as “an open-world PVPVE extraction shooter where players operate giant walkers across the post-apocalyptic dunes of a fallen planet”.
Now, setting aside all the jokes I could make about this and trying to be objective, I have to say that, despite SAND’s Steam description being somewhat contradictory, I want to believe it is one of those games that offers just enough narrative to justify the events and actions we carry out in-game. If I am right, and that is the case, I still applaud the developers. Surely, during the days leading up to its release, we may learn more about the internal story that drives the game, or they may simply edit their Steam page. The point is that if we focus on seeing the positive aspects of the game, we will find that it is much more than just a simple contradiction in a store page description.
In this desert setting, whether it is Earth or some fallen planet, we will find ourselves in a highly hostile environment where our priorities will be gathering resources and becoming stronger, not only to face the world itself but also the various hostile forces we will encounter. These will include the inhabitants of cities or settlements, whether alive or dead, and of course, other players. To survive, our greatest strength will also be our most lethal weapon, our best tool, and our means of transport.
Tamplers, Weapons & Combat
The Tamplers, as these gigantic sand walkers are called, will be the mobile bases where we will live, travel, and use as colossal siege engines against cities or other Tamplers. That is why it will be crucial to constantly customize and upgrade them, expanding their storage space, reinforcing their armor, enhancing their weapons, and making them more useful for our role as dune pirates (?). Yes, that is actually what it says on Steam, seriously.
The building system will be highly versatile, allowing us to design our Tampler from scratch, choosing the placement of its engine, storage vault, compartments, weapons, shape, and many other features. Then, once we are ready, we will be able to either team up with friends to operate our colossus as a coordinated crew or enter the world of SAND alone and face both other players and the dangers within the game. In the ruined cities of Sophie, countless riches remain, simply waiting for the bravest or the dumbest looter capable of claiming them.
Among SAND’s strongest points is, perhaps first of all, the combat, which will be highly dynamic. We will move through the world in first person, as in any FPS, but this is not just about shooting! In the middle of combat, we will have to climb onto the cannons of our Tampler to bring down a tower or a particularly strong wall, and a couple of minutes later, we will find ourselves welding and repairing one of the destroyed legs of our walker. As part of this whole operation, we will have to secure the loot, which is the reason we initiated combat in the first place, and retreat in time to our mobile base. And if you think that is the end of it, think again! In the world of SAND, we will be attacked by other pirates, looters, and players! Lowering our guard is not something we can do here.
Okay, so let’s recap. SAND is a first-person open-world PVPVE extraction shooter with action and survival elements, launching on Steam on April 3rd. But pay attention! It will enter Early Access very soon, so we will have to stay very tuned for upcoming news from its devs. In the meantime, and since we have to wait, how about taking a look at the comments and telling us what you think about this appealing concept that SAND proposes? You know, gamer, we will be reading you! 🙂
Images Source: GameTrailers Official YouTube Channel, SAND on Steam
