Asteroids: Outpost is now available for purchase on Steam in the form of Early Access. The sandbox, open world, multiplayer shooter is a dramatic reboot of the 1979 arcade classic.
Set in the distant future,Asteroids: Outpost updates the asteroid-blasting action of the original by putting players in the role of deep-space miners, harvesting rare ore and expanding their bases, while protecting themselves from deadly asteroid showers and claim jumpers.
“Asteroids: Outpost is bringing a completely new premise to the world-renowned Asteroids arcade shooter by combining survival and crafting gameplay mechanics in a multiplayer intergalactic setting,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari. “During the Early Access period, Asteroids: Outpost will build on the current gameplay while adding compelling new elements and expanding on the open world.”
Key gameplay features available at the Early Access launch include:
- Tool & Weapon Crafting – Using tech and ore, gamers craft upgrades to their tools to create advanced weapons.
- Base-Building & Degradation – Serving as both a player’s mining headquarters and home, bases are easily built in a square grid pattern by crafting and connecting modular pieces.
- Asteroid Showers – Recurring showers of smaller asteroids represent both a source of wealth and a deadly threat, as players must shoot down incoming projectiles to defend their claims and harvest components from the fallen rock.
- Resource Gathering – Mine the asteroid’s surface or scavenge bases and crash sites to gather resources required to craft and upgrade materials.
- Terrain Exploration – Utilize in-game suits and vehicles to explore the lunar terrain and search complex landscapes featuring craters, boulders, cliffs and valleys, crystal formations, lava flows, gas plumes, and more.
- Attacking & Looting –Bases include resource refining equipment and storage areas that are susceptible to looting, meaning players not only need to protect the precious resources they’ve collected but they also have the opportunity to seek out and loot nearby bases.
“This is part of our new strategy. We are going to be teaming up with young and innovative studios to take a refreshing look at each game from our extensive portfolio,” said Todd Shallbetter, Chief Operating Officer, Atari.
Are you a huge fan of the classic? Do you think a sandbox reboot is really a good move? Let us know in the comments below.