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Divinity: Original Sin now on Steam Early Access
After drawing in more than $900,000 on Kickstarter, Larian Studios' prequel to Divine Divinity, Divinity: Original Sin, is ready for a bit of open-world questing on PCs via Early Access. While buying in will grant you the full game once it's finished, Divinity's Early Access page estimates the current offering to be "the first 15 hours of the game." It also suggests that those looking for something representative of the final version's content and polish should pass on the Early Access version, which is meant to allow players to "influence development" with feedback. Sounds reasonable! The page also notes that while Larian will be updating the game regularly, save games will "not be compatible between versions." Sooo maybe don't get super attached to any adventures you start until Divinity's final version is released. Of course, the final version will include an RPG maker, so you could just get familiar with Divinity's mechanics and then make your own adventure. Larian is encouraging all participants to share their thoughts concerning balancing, bugs and potential improvements on Divinity's discussion board. If you're interested in helping or just itching to venture through the first chunk of the game, $39.99 will get you an Early Access copy. You can also go for the $59.99 double pack and try out the Early Access multiplayer with a friend.
Loadout opens its doors to amateur gunsmiths on January 31
Come January 31, developer Edge of Reality will release Loadout, which differentiates itself from the legions of other free-to-play shooters by allowing players to build their own weaponry. "Loadout's weapon-crafting system runs so deep that there are over 44 billion possible creations to assemble, enabling players to transform weapon behavior in extreme ways, thereby defining their own class and play style," reads the developer's official description. "Combining weapon-crafting with acrobatic movement and over-the-top comedic violence, Loadout is packed with personality and style that deliver a fresh and satisfying alternative to the vast array of modern combat shooters." While that January 31 release date is still a few weeks off, those of you who can't wait to start slapping together increasingly ludicrous armaments can try the game this very minute via Steam's Early Access program. Keep in mind though, Early Access requires an entrance fee ranging from $10 to $40, while waiting patiently is free and shows admirable restraint.
4X strategy game Horizon enters Steam space in February
L3O Interactive-developed Horizon will launch on Steam in full in February. The strategy game's beta version was added to Steam Early Access in July 2013, and is still available to purchase for $24.99. Horizon belongs to the 4X strategy genre, which emphasizes universe exploration and conquest. In Horizon's case, players partake in turn-based tactical space combat, developing colonies that interact with ten alien races in industry, trade and sciences. The game is being published by Iceberg Interactive, which brought about another popular 4X space strategy game in 2012, Amplitude Studios' Endless Space.
Flatout dev's Next Car Game comes to Steam Early Access
Next Car Game is the next game to pop up on Steam Early Access, meaning one and all can pay $25 to test drive Bugbear's breakneck racer - and eventually get the final version, of course. According to Flatout studio, the currently available build is pre-alpha, and features two cars and three tracks to go vroom around. Next Car Game has been in Early Access since Christmas, albeit through Bugbear itself. In fact, the studio released a playable build as early as November, just after canceling its Kickstarter, making it available to anyone who put down the money to pre-order the game. Interestingly, Bugbear canceled the Kickstarter campaign after raising around $82,000 of a $350,000 goal, but according to its site the studio has now raised over $500,000 through pre-orders. Next Car Game is set to ride onto PC in "early spring 2014."
Ghost Recon Online coming soon to Steam Early Access
Ubisoft's free-to-play third-person shooter Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online will soon enroll in Steam's Early Access program, the publisher announced today. Originally released in 2012, Ghost Recon Online has seen frequent updates in recent months as developer Ubisoft Singapore responds to player feedback. The team plans to use Early Access to further refine the experience as it builds toward a worldwide launch. Ghost Recon Online is available now via Steam Early Access in Canada. A worldwide release is coming this spring.
Blackguards Early Access now available to Mac users
Whether you prefer Windows or OS X, you can now enter the high-fantasy world of Blackguards via Steam's Early Access service. There are three purchasing options available for those too impatient to wait for a full-fledged retail release of the turn-based roleplaying game. $25 grants you access to the Blackguards beta. For $35, you'll receive beta access, a 150-page art book, the game's soundtrack, a digital world map, video interviews with the developers at Daedalic Entertainment and six wallpapers for your computer. Spend $50 and earn everything in that last package, plus free access to the game's first DLC release, a gratis copy of The Dark Eye – Chains of Satinav, and your name will be added to the Blackguards' credit roll. In addition to bringing Blackguards to the Mac, Daedalic Entertainment has also released a new trailer for the game, which can be seen above.
Jetpack FPS Drunken Robot Pornography nets weekly challenge mode
Dejobaan Games' jetpack-powered, titan-battling first-person shooter Drunken Robot Pornography has been updated with a new Battle Royale mode via Steam Early Access, giving players the chance to show off their robot-slaying skills in unique challenge maps released weekly. Every Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern time, Dejobaan will upload a new Drunken Robot Battle Royale map, and players will have until the following Thursday to upload a high score to its leaderboard. Dejobaan will highlight winners during their weekly Twitch broadcast as they gear up for a final Steam release in the first quarter of this year. More than 20 new Battle Royale challenges are scheduled to launch over the mode's planned six-month stretch.
DayZ alpha first-week sales exceed 400,000, dev outlines update plans
It's been an eventful couple of weeks for DayZ developer Bohemia Interactive, which has provided a state of the union update on the Early Access build. After launching on December 16, DayZ has sold over 400,000 copies on Steam and saw a peak concurrent user count top out at over 40,000 players. Bohemia Interactive issued three updates to the game so far and creator Dean "Rocket" Hall even outlined plans for feature roll-outs throughout 2014. Plans are to eventually implement better anti-hacking security, introduce cooking mechanics and even give players the ability to hunt animals. In an update issued in early December, Hall called the standalone Alpha version "a platform for future development" and stressed caution for those expecting a fully-realized product when buying the Early Access version. Hall has said he is considering Xbox One and PS4 ports, though nothing has been officially announced at this time.
Wolfire's Overgrowth plants itself on Steam Early Access
Wolfire Games, the indie outfit responsible for the pistol-reloading sim Receiver, is currently working on a 3D beat-em-up called Overgrowth. The game is now available on PC, Mac and Linux through Steam Early Access for $25 – 17% off its $30 asking price – until January 2. Overgrowth is the sequel to Lugaru: The Rabbit's Foot, the studio's first game release. In Lugaru, you play as Turner, an anthropomorphic rabbit with curiously advanced combat skills, who is on a quest of revenge against the band of raiders who murdered his family. A free demo for Lugaru is available for download through Wolfire's site. There is currently no official launch lined up for Overgrowth and it's clear there is still lots left to do before the game is close to being a fully-realized product. The Steam Early Access version allows early adopters access to the prototype's sandbox exploration mode and modding tools.
DayZ hits Steam Early Access right in the head
The zombies are finally here! Hooray! DayZ is now available for PC on Steam Early Access for $30. As always, those who buy the early version will get the final build when it launches – and developer Bohemia Interactive is certain to note that the current release is truly an unfinished version of the game: "DayZ Early Access is your chance to experience DayZ as it evolves throughout its development process. Be aware that our Early Access offer is a representation of our core pillars, and the framework we have created around them. It is a work in progress and therefore contains a variety of bugs. We strongly advise you not to buy and play the game at this stage unless you clearly understand what Early Access means and are interested in participating in the ongoing development cycle." This echoes the sentiment from DayZ creator Dean Hall earlier this month, when he cautioned potential players that the Early Access version would be "barebones." Still, YouTubers are encouraged to show the world what DayZ's bones look like, Hall says on Twitter. DayZ hit Early Access with a launch trailer, but that was pulled from Steam for being too graphic. YouTube has a stronger stomach than Steam (but the video embedded above contains a fairly intense depiction of suicide).
Steam Early Access adds Secrets of Raetikon on January 7
Secrets of Raetikon, an adorably vectorized indie game focused on the joy of flight and the horrors of life in the animal kingdom, joins Steam Early Access on January 7. If you've missed our earlier coverage of Secrets of Raetikon, know that it's an exploratory game first and foremost. You play the role of bird capable of flying all over the game world, but only by interacting with objects on the ground can you discover those titular secrets. That's not as simple as landing and tapping an object though, as the world of Secrets of Raetikon is populated by other critters who interact with you and one another according to their real-world behaviors. "Hostile animals protect their habitats and interact with the player as well as each other, forming a complex ecosystem: drag a bird of prey to another predator and they attack each other; grab a robin and feed it to a buzzard – it will attack the poor bird instead of you; defend yourself by wielding spiked plants or by pushing foes into thornbushes," reads the game's description. While not yet complete, the version of Secrets of Raetikon that enters Steam Early Access will include the game's campaign and level editor, though not its "grand finale." Given that the level editor offers Steam Workshop support you should be able to find ample user-created maps to tide you over until developer Broken Rules unveils the game's ending during the first part of 2014.
Wasteland 2 beta open to backers; Steam Early Access arrives tomorrow
If you threw at least $55 at inXile Entertainment's heavily-anticipated, crowdfunded Wasteland 2, your generosity is paying off: As of this morning, you have access to a playable beta test of the post-apocalyptic roleplaying game. Entering the beta is easy. If you backed Wasteland 2 to the tune of $55 or greater, you should have received log-in credentials for the Wasteland 2 Ranger Center. Visit that site, enter your information, and suddenly you're the owner of a Steam key redeemable for the beta. Keep in mind, though, this is only a limited portion of the game, including "the first four major areas ... and related minor maps, along with character creation, world map travel, and random encounters." Developer inXile Entertainment claims that new areas will be added to the beta as time goes by, but in the meantime it has offered a handy guide to all there is to see in the game's current incarnation. Those who didn't fund Wasteland 2 aren't going to be left out in the dusty, irradiated cold, however. Today's announcement also brings word that the Wasteland 2 beta will hit Steam Early Access on December 13. Access to the Steam Early Access beta won't be free, though by paying for the chance to play Wasteland 2 before its public release, you're helping to fund the game's development. That said, there's currently no word on the price point attached to the Wasteland 2 Steam Early Access beta.
Get early access to Endless Space developer's roguelike Dungeon of the Endless
Amplitude Studios launched its dungeon defense game Dungeon of the Endless on Steam today. The alpha version of the game is available through Steam Early Access through two packs, both currently 25 percent off. The base-level Pixel Pack version is currently $9.74, whereas the Founder Pack is $14.99 and grants players access to additional ships, heroes and 50 percent off coupons for Endless Space and its Disharmony expansion. Dungeon of the Endless, billed as a roguelike dungeon defense game, is set in the Endless Space universe and has players opening doors, gathering goods and decimating enemies before their equipment is destroyed. Amplitude Studios divulged the game's inception, which occurred during a late-night, drunken brain-storming session, at Gamescom.
4X strategy game Star Lords available now on Early Access
Iceberg Interactive launched its 4X strategy game Star Lords on Steam via Early Access. Star Lords promises "deep and complex gameplay" set in a large universe, in which players take part in turn-based space battles involving eight separate races. The studio behind Star Lords is Portuguese developer Arkavi Studios, who created diplomacy, trade and intelligence tools that players use to weaken enemies and build an empire. Players can colonize worlds in the game, which includes a "randomly generated universe, tech tree and units." The alpha version of Star Lords costs $19.99 for PC players to check out, and does not include features like "multiplayer, huge galaxies and domestic policies" at the moment.
Double Fine's Spacebase DF-9 makes up $400K Indie Fund investment in 2 weeks
Double Fine's sci-fi social sim Spacebase DF-9 has recouped its initial Indie Fund investment, earning over $400,000 within two weeks of joining Steam's Early Access program. The investment marks Indie Fund's most expensive venture to date, requiring assistance from Humble Bundle, The Behemoth, and other outside sources. "A typical project for us has been in the range of $50k - $150k," organizers note. "We've also funded a few projects for smaller amounts, but never a project the size of Spacebase DF-9." Headed up by indie luminaries like Jonathan Blow and Ron Carmel, Indie Fund supplies promising game projects with flexible-budget funding, helping developers stay financially independent without seeking the aid of publishers. Other recent Indie Fund success stories include Pocketwatch Games' Monaco and The Swapper, both of which earned back their investment within days of their initial release.
The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot arrives on Steam
The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, the game with the cheeky title that turns into a monstrosity of an acronym, has arrived on Steam. Ubisoft Montreal's free-to-play game is available as part of Steam's Early Access program, and while it's free, there are several bundled packages for sale. The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot is a multiplayer action game that incorporates castle-building (and pillaging) and is currently in closed beta. Massively will be taking a closer look at this game in the near future, but in the meanwhile, why not give it a whirl and sound off in the comments?
Piracy inspires No Time To Explain developer to publish next game free
"I am pirating Battlefield 4 right now," an email from Tiny Build Games' Alex Nichiporchik began. That may seem a strange way to introduce a discussion about piracy - and it is - but Nichiporchik wanted to make a point: piracy, he argues, is not a black-and-white issue. In fact, it's because of piracy that Tiny Build Games will be publishing a version of SpeedRunners, a multiplayer-focused game developed by DoubleDutch Games where you play as a superhero racing other heroes to the scene of a crime, for free. Nichiporchik explained that the decision to release a version of SpeedRunners for free was due to the pirating community's reaction to their last game. "During the pre-Steam release of No Time To Explain, we simply created a version with pirate hats and put it on The Pirate Bay. Did it hurt us? Probably not. We got dozens of e-mails from people who found it via TPB and bought it afterwards, sending really positive comments about how funny the joke was. ... The press coverage spiked our sales. Don't buy into developers blaming piracy for lost sales, it's just silly." The free version of SpeedRunners that Tiny Build plans to launch won't be the full game, mind you. Nichiporchik wrote that he believes players will spend money - sometimes eagerly so - as long as they see value in a service being provided. In the case of Battlefield 4, the service is multiplayer. Nichiporchik wrote that he's pirating the game to see if it runs on his computer, and if it does, he'll "happily" buy the game off Origin. In the case of SpeedRunners, that service is online multiplayer. The free version will only support local multiplayer and offline bots. SpeedRunners is on Steam Early Access right now, so if you'd like, you can put your money down now, later, or, should you choose the free version, never. The choice is yours. Update: A sentence from an earlier draft of this story that further clarified Nichiporchik's reasons for piracy was accidentally omitted. It has been re-added to the post body.
Award-winning Epigenesis plays sports in the sky with gravity guns
Epigenesis, winner of the Make Something Unreal Live 2013 competition and Game of the Year from the Swedish Game Awards 2013, is hosting five-on-five ball games in the skies of Steam Early Access. Epigenesis is in late Alpha and only plays with kids that have the Windows platform and $9.99, or $29.99 to get themselves and three of their friends in. Outliers can take their ball and go home. In Epigenesis, crossing the playing field to score points on the opposing team's goal is essential to victory. With jetpacks and gravity cannons at each player's disposal, however, it's simple only in concept. Players can leap over gaps with well-timed boost jumps, but opponents (or teammates) can ruin their day by shifting a player's arc with a well-placed shove from a gravity cannon. The related Steam page notes that scoring a point gifts a player with a "genetically modified super-seed," which can be planted on skyscrapers to "capture" the platform. In order to win a match, a team needs to plant a series of seeds leading from their own goal post to the opposing team's. Aside from leading to victory, planted seeds can boost a player's stats or affect the arena with smokescreens and force shields. There are currently four playable maps and types of seeds available, but two additional seed-types are "in the making."
Space Engineers touches down on Steam Early Access
Space Engineers, the sandbox engineering simulator dedicated to living out your "what if?" scenarios in space, has made contact with Steam Early Access. Players who dive in now will be able to suggest improvements as developer Keen Software House approaches the game's official liftoff. Exploring Space Engineers is a lot like exploring space, in that you're not really sure how things work until you watch a terrifying movie see for yourself. Players take on daring missions like the maintaining of space stations, constructing ships, and generally trying not to blow everything up. When frustrations peak, the game can also be played as a tactical shooter, but Keen Software expects players "to avoid engaging in direct man-to-man combat and instead use their creativity and engineering skills to build war machines and fortifications." So in other words, if you're going to fight, do it once you figure out how to build an awesome weapon. The forces of gravity and electricity are realistically implemented while building with the game's provided blocks, so it seems like you'll need to think your crafts through instead of just building shoddy abominations. PC owners can currently launch themselves into Space Engineers' universe for $14.99 and will gain access to the full version once it's released.
Double Fine plants sci-fi seed in Spacebase DF-9 management sim
Double Fine launched its sci-fi management sim, Spacebase DF-9, on Steam Early Access today. The game, compatible with PC, Mac and Linux, is available for $25, or $30 with the soundtrack. In Spacebase DF-9, players construct a space station and nurture its growth. Spacebase DF-9 is played from a three-quarters top-down perspective and challenges players with finding and collecting resources, dispatching enemy invaders, keeping citizens happy and providing for them, and handling any malfunctions that may pop up. As with other Early Access games, buying into this Alpha version of Spacebase DF-9 contributes to its continued development. Double Fine has opened up an area on the official game's website, as well as the requisite Steam community section, where players can leave feedback. Head past the break for a Double Fine tutorial video that provides some tips for new players as well as an overview of the mechanics.
