Survival games are a dime a dozen, but with the Unreal Engine 5 as the technical basis, they are (still) something special. Derelicts is the name of one such pioneer, and yet hardly anyone knows the project by the French solo developer Romain.
Thanks to UE5, Derelicts not only wants to look progressive, but also to function as such. The survival game combines the virtues of The Forest and Satisfactory (yes, really) – and adds its own impulses with a physics simulation and dangerous bettors.
on Steam There is already a Derelicts page. The gameplay trailer also gives you an overview of many game mechanics, physics elements and the gloomy ambience:
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Derelicts: New Survival Game shows its physics gameplay in the trailer
That’s what Derelicts wants to offer
Derelicts takes the classic survival ingredients that made The Forest a hit, but spices them up with new things. And the new Unreal Engine 5 is just one of them. Note that the material shown so far is a pre-alpha, which is graphically and technically still a long way from the final product.
Mysterious Story: The world was taken over by an ominous defense mechanism
almost completely irradiated. Those who could afford it escaped to a space station. As a player, you (if desired with up to three friends in co-op) have just crashed with your shuttle and now have to fight for survival in the hostile world.
Lots of crafting and base building: In Derelicts you can count on the survival basics (hoo). You cut down trees, build a hut, try not to starve and craft tools and weapons. You can also – and now it’s getting unusual – even automate the production! In early videos from 2021, developer Romain showed long water slides that carry logs to your sawmill. The associated water pumps convey the cool water, which even helps to generate energy with the help of hydroelectric power plants.
link to Reddit content
Changing conditions: You should have to adapt to changing weather and seasons. If, for example, a body of water freezes over in winter or the solar systems do not generate any energy at night, you should have properly diversified your energy production. Stupid only when a blizzard or other forces of nature turn everything into pieces.
Fight against mutants: A whiff of the restricted zone wafts through Derelicts, getting Stalker fans’ inner Geiger counters crackling. Due to the radiation, many animals have mutated into monsters, which you have to fight back with some self-made and some high-tech weapons.
In the course of the story you should unravel the secret of the defense mechanism, lift a large, pulsating base out of the irradiated peat alone or with your friends and even win a faithful four-legged friend as a companion on the way there. You can also see the dear shepherd in the screenshots of Derelicts:
Derelicts – View screenshots
Release: When can I play this?
Developer Romain wants no definite dates yet call for the release of Derelicts. On the official Discord-Channel however, he states that he hopes to test an alpha and ideally a beta in 2022. At some point, a release on Steam Early Access is on the agenda.
At the same time, the developer emphasizes that he only wants to publish when the game meets his requirements. But don’t despair, we will of course keep you up to date as usual if there is any news in this regard.
Do you already feel like surviving alone or in co-op with friends? There’s a lot going on with the Steam hit Raft:
Raft
In the survival hit it was quiet for the longest time
What do you think of Derelicts? Are you interested in the setting and the physics aspect or does the game not meet your taste at all? Write us your opinion in the comments!
