Fractured Veil, a multiplayer survival game by first-time developer Paddle Creek Games, has met its initial Kickstarter funding goal and is set to release on Steam Early Access in 2022. The Kickstarter will continue until October 7, 2021, and the developer plans to announce more stretch goals shortly. Set on the island of Maui 100 years in the future, Fractured Veil will have up to 500 players on a single map.
The unique setting helps the game stand among its competitors. The "veil" referenced in the title refers to a teleportation system that failed catastrophically 50 years in the past and opened portals to other dimensions. Many of the enemies in the game will be humans and animals from these alternate worlds, along with cannibalistic mutants that appeared across Hawaii in the years following the fracture, as the catastrophe is known in the game world. Crafting, base-building, and both PvP and PvE combat will be present within the game, and like other recent survival titles, players will be able to team up with other survivors at any time.
According to Gamespress, Paddle Creek Games has already met its initial goal of $100,000 and will soon add more stretch goals to its campaign. Currently, the only goals past the initial funding of the game are for furniture and decorations at $110,000 and a totem spear gun weapon at $120,000. Backers who have already donated to the project have secured rewards like exclusive skins, wallpapers, and Steam Keys to be used for the game when it releases in Early Access.
Although the developer refers to the game as an MMO, it has stated that PvP will not be a requirement in the game, and there will be zones where players are unable to fight each other. Fractured Veil will also feature cross-server travel, explained in-game as transportation between multiverses, that will allow players to find new items and experience unique biomes and weather patterns. The final release will include an AI drone that will stream the game live to Twitch and Youtube 24 hours per day, allowing fans to see what is happening on the island at any time.
Survival games have proven to be popular, to the point that older games like Skyrim have been modded into the genre. Fractured Veil will not be the first game of its type to come out, but it appears to refine many of the mechanics that have contributed to the success of its predecessors. If it can solve common complaints of the genre like unhealthy player interactions and unintuitive, frustrating combat, Fractured Veil has great potential to draw in a wide range of players. The inclusion of its fascinating lore and deep worldbuilding makes it easy to see why it already reached its initial funding goal, and indicate that the title has a bright future ahead of it.
Fractured Veil will release for PC in 2022
Source: Gamespress