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We’re certainly in the era of extraction shooters right now, but so many of the emerging and newly-announced projects look and feel frustratingly similar. Upcoming extraction FPS Sand, however, can’t be accused of that as it takes an Escape From Tarkov gameplay loop, throws in massive mechs, and sets it all in a Dune-esque alien desert. Want a slice of that? Well you’ll be happy to learn that Sand is getting a Steam demo this weekend, so you can give it a spin for yourself.
Sand takes place in an alternate, space-faring future on the planet of Sophie, which has been ravaged by a natural disaster that has turned its surface into a desolate desert. In this FPS game survivors fight for loot not only with guns in hand but also with enormous, modular mechs. We say mechs – they’re basically walking fortresses.
Before heading into the PvPvE open world arena of Sophie, you can choose from either pre-made mechs (known as Tramplers in Sand) or build your own. Craft a seamless layout that lets you and your team of up to six players move between storage rooms, control rooms, watchtowers, and mounted weapons with ease so that you can defend yourselves from (or instigate fights with) other teams’ Tramplers and AI-controlled enemies too.
However, as you burden your Trampler with more and more weapons and rooms, it becomes slower and less agile, so there is a trade off for just sticking a dozen cannons on it.
While it’s not the most graphically-impressive shooter I’ve ever set eyes upon, the aesthetic of Sand is still really cool. Despite this being set in the future on an alien planet, it harnesses an industrial, diesel-punk look that is a stark but interesting contrast to your sandy surroundings. I love it when futuristic settings still have retro or analog vibes to them – it’s something the likes of Fallout and Bioshock really nail.
Sadly, Sand hasn’t yet revealed a release date or approximate release window. But, if it sounds like a bit of you, you’ll be able to try the game out for free extremely soon.
A demo for Sand is hitting Steam this Friday, October 11 ahead of Steam Next Fest. If you want to learn more about it or pop it on your wishlist, head over to its game page here.
For more experiences like this, you should definitely consult our best multiplayer games guide. Or, to see what else is coming up in the near future, our upcoming PC games guide is the place to be.
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