Announced today on Xbox Wire, Paradox Interactive and Haemimont Games are working on an all-new city builder dubbed Surviving Mars, which revolves around establishing a colony in the harsh landscapes of the Red Planet.
Here is everything we know so far, including screenshots and the game's announcement trailer.
Main Features
Building a sustainable colony in space: Building on a planet not fit for human life challenges you to build a smart, functional colony. Bad planning isn't about traffic jams, it's about survival of your colonists. You really don't want rolling blackouts in a city constructed in a place without oxygen.
Individually simulated colonists: Each colonist is a unique individual with problems and strengths that influence the needs and behavior of the other colonists. Things can get really interesting if your chief scientists develops alcoholism after one too many long nights in the lab.
Futuristic Space Dome construction: Retro-futuristic super structures housing colonists, factories and commercial buildings with their own "neighborhood personality." Create colonies that value science over everything else, while tired workers drink their pay away at a local bar, or attempt a utopia among the stars.Exploration of Mars' secrets: Inspired by the classic sci-fi of Asimov and Clarke, Surviving Mars holds many secrets. During each playthrough, players may encounter one of Mars' individually crafted mysteries. Uncovering these secrets might bring your colony great fortune, or terrible ruin. What is that sphere that manifested itself outside colony HUB B, and is it friendly?Randomized research tree: Combine static and random research through experimentation, which allows for a different experience for each journey through the game. Attain new scientific breakthroughs by exploring the uncharted terrain of Mars's surface.Unique retro-futuristic aesthetic: A sleek, modern take on the bright futurism of the 1960s. A time of exploration and adventure.Expansive mod support (PC): Craft your own fantastic buildings, parks or even a mystery to share through Surviving Mars's extensive and convenient modding tools. Share your finest creations with the community to build the perfect society.
Unlike Cities: Skylines, Surviving Mars has a "hardcore" designation. Your colonists will die if they're not adequately supplied. For example, power outages can lead to asphyxiation, Total Recall style.
Similarly to Paradox Interactive's Stellaris, it looks as though the personality of your inhabitants will have an affect on gameplay too. In Stellaris, your leaders can develop traits, both negative and positive, such as drug addiction, and the same is true in Surviving Mars.
When's it coming out?
Surviving Mars is coming to Xbox One, PC, and PS4 in 2018. It will be hitting Xbox under ID@Xbox, similarly to Paradox Interactive's Cities: Skylines.
PC specs
Minimum: OS: Windows 7 64-bit or newer, Processor: Dual-core CPU, Memory: 4 GB RAM, Graphics: 1 GB video RAM, Intel integrated video HD 4000 or higher
Recommended: OS: Windows 7 64-bit or newer, Processor: Fast quad-core CPUs, Memory: 8 GB RAM, Graphics: 4 GB video RAM, GeForce 970-level GPU
Paradox Interactive are known for consistent quality and post-launch support across all of their games. Europa Universalis IV is still getting fresh expansion packs years after launch, with Stellaris and Cities: Skylines also seeing the same treatment. Cities: Skylines already has several expansions on PC, with a new one, "Mass Transit" planned for launch in the near future.
For more on our Paradox Interactive coverage, see the links below, and let us know if you're interested in Surviving Mars in the comments!
