Though the industry has been flooded with survival games in recent years, the one-person team behind Unearthed aims to provide a world beyond the stars that is as deadly as it is beautiful.
Humans have been abducted from the earth and awaken in a place known as The Root, a gigantic citadel. Outside its walls are vast environments separated into sectors, each containing a variety of habitats, creatures and resources to gather. As explorer’s venture deeper into each sector, the environment changes and become progressively more dangerous and alien. For the bravest explorers, the Shadow Lands provides the rarest of materials, but at the greatest risk. Besides the dangerous creatures that stalk the area, it also acts as a PVP zone, so explorers best come prepared for a fight. Once explorers have enough materials, they can either trade for cash via the many outposts scattered throughout the world. Or, they can buy a plot of land and create their own sanctuary in any way, shape, or form they desire.
A project of this scale and ambition is usually developed by a team of developers, each focusing on specific aspects of the game and spreading out the workload. In the case of Unearthed, it is being developed by one person, which is pretty crazy considering the scope of the title. A self-taught developer, Ragel Alheit, founder and single developer of Mad Matter Studio, has been working on the title for over a year and has reached the Pre-Alpha stage. Due to how much time and resources go into developing a game of this nature, Ragel wants to expand the development team and is using fundraising site, Indiegogo. Using this site provides Ragel with the ability to finance a team of developers to work on the title, implement all the features and areas needed, and complete it in a timely manner.
If the project can achieve funding, one of the biggest features that will be implemented in Unearthed is a dynamic world. Each explorer becomes part of the world and as a result, a part of the story. In an instant, events such as natural disasters or large-scale incursions from hostile entities can drastically alter the world. Smaller scale events such as snow storms, forest fires, flash floods and fluctuating gravity will force players to adapt to the situation and environment as it changes, allowing for a dynamic and fluid player experience. Each of these events can provide new areas to explore, or storylines to discover that expand the world of Unearthed.
Though no exact count has been confirmed, players can expect no fewer than 100 players per server. This large population means that you will probably encounter of few not-so-friendly types while exploring. Luckily, explorers have a wide variety of weapons and tactics at their disposal, one of which is the stealth system. Players will be able to use natural stealth, such as sneaking and using the environment to hide their presence or utilise a cloaking mechanism and cosplay as The Predator. Since other explorers can creep up behind you, you may need someone to watch your back. Players can meet up and explore together, working as a team and taking down any enemies unlucky enough to cross their path.
Considering the scope of the project, low-end PC’s may not be able to run it with ease. The minimum required specs are:
- Dual CPU, Intel i-5 3.0GHz or better processor.
- 8 Gb of system RAM.
- 64 bit Microsoft Windows Operating System 7.0 or higher.
- GeForce 600 series or better.
- AMD Radeon HD 6970 or better.
- DirectX 11.
- 54Gb of disk space (estimated).
If Unearthed sounds like something you may be interested in, you can check out its Indiegogo page, which provides further detail about the game and the reward tiers for pledges. Or, you can visit the official website for more information about the project and the developer.
