In 2015, Sony Online Entertainment, which was mostly known for its work on games like Everquest and most recently the survival Zombie game H1Z1 was sold off to an investment firm as part of the extensive restructuring efforts by Sony during that time. Shortly after, the studio was rebranded to Daybreak Game Company and started functioning independently.
Yesterday, the developer announced the game would be rebranded to Just Survive. That's also alongside an extensive update coming to the product, currently in Early Access, which changes the narrative and adds a more expansive gaming experience. The new title was also split from the H1Z1: King of the Hill development project earlier this year.
Ben Jones, the Creative director for the newly rebranded game discussed the studio's vision for the game in the future, in a press release:
“Our new logo and key art highlight all the aspects of the game that players know and love—from base building and defending, to looting and exploring, and also reflects how Just Survive is developing into a more mature and polished game. Just Survive is about more than just killing zombies, it’s about the player’s survival journey. Re-establishing society isn’t an easy task, and this update introduces a variety of features, like Strongholds, that encourage players to band together through the dangers and tension of post-apocalyptic life while striving to reclaim their world from the zombie hordes.”
The update as mentioned will include new game modes and a completely new map; and what might be unfortunate for some, an in-game currency that can be exchanged for items in the game, including Stronghold locations. However, the currency was introduced as a way to limit 'item hoarding' as the developer points out, giving users the ability to exchange items they find for the currency. It remains to be seen if this currency can be purchased with real-world money, and to what extent the trading system benefits those who do purchase more of it.
Key Features of the update are as follows, and the full changelog can be viewed at the link below:
- Badwater Canyon: A completely new world map designed with multiple styles of gameplay in mind and featuring targeted loot distribution, strategic verticality, exploration opportunities, and hundreds of easily identifiable base pads for Stronghold construction. Badwater Canyon will be rolled out steadily over time, region by region, as it is created in order to give appropriate focus to each aspect of its overall design. It has replaced the game’s original map.
- Stronghold: A new system where players can build robust structures and fortify them with an array of defenses and traps to fend off coordinated attacks. Challenging players with opportunities to attack and defend, Strongholds encourage creative problem-solving. In addition, these bases can be customized by players to make their in-game homes unique.
- Weapon Revamp: All weapons have been rebuilt from scratch, introducing tiers to each weapon type while fine-tuning them to look and feel unique. In addition, we’ve improved melee combat with a new hit registration system and attack animation overhaul.
- Golden Eagle Coins: Items found in the world can be exchanged for a new in-game currency tied to individual characters. These aim to create true value for each item in the world, tackling the problem of item hoarding. Golden Eagle Coins are required to purchase new Stronghold locations, and this currency’s usage will continue to be expanded in the future.
Just Survive is currently available on Steam Early Access for $19.99, and was expected to launch on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as well; however, the developer announced that versions for those platforms were 'on pause' since the studio was 'spread too thin'.
Source: Just Survive | Image via Survive News
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