CM Games, the developer behind the single-player survival shooter Into the Radius (2020), have released its long-awaited sequel via Steam Early Access today, bringing us back to the deadly Pechorsk Security Zone.
Like the original, Into the Radius 2 is an immersive VR survival shooter set in a surreal landscape filled with deadly anomalies. Serving up both single-player and two-player co-op (four-player to be added at a later date), you arm yourself with realistic weapons and venture deeper into the mysteries that lie within the Pechorsk Security Zone.
CM Games says the sequel retains some beloved features from the original, including “meticulously crafted weapons and attachments, a sophisticated loot-management system, and the freedom to explore the secrets of the dangerous locations teeming with anomalies and haunting enemies.”
Check out the trailer below:
Tempering some justifiably high expectations coming from the original Into the Radius, the team released this statement in a recent news update on Steam:
First, let’s address an obvious point – even the full release version of ITR2 cannot contain as much functionality and content as ITR1 currently has. Sad but true. The original has undergone a long development journey with numerous major and minor updates, both in EA and even after release. It will take time for ITR2 to reach the same level of content, and it’s simply impossible until full release at the earliest.
The EA version of ITR2 won’t be anywhere near comparable to the current state of ITR1 (i.e. expect a lot of bugs). However, it’s crucial for us to develop with player feedback, as this approach has proven successful with ITR1’s updates. This is the same principle we follow by launching ITR2 in EA.
The studio says starting today the early access version will include a tutorial location, a base, and its first large gameplay area, but it will lack the full narrative which is slated to arrive at some point.
The so-called “small location”, offering a few hours of gameplay, will be the setting for the first missions and later an area for side quests, the studio says.
The first main ‘Radius’ location however is said to be “significantly larger and more complex than the previous one,” noting it’s larger than any location in the original, and will offer 5 – 10 hours of gameplay in its current form.
The “fully revamped, next-generation” Explorer Base is said to make the gameplay experience more convenient, interesting, and revealing storyline changes that will unfold in the future.
The studio also listed things not to expect right away from its initial release:
- Any story moments or episodes. Gameplay first; narrative elements are already present in the visual design and individual details. The story will be expanded in updates.
- Wear, cleaning, repair, and any customization of weapons.
- Hunger and its recovery.
- Armor and helmets.
- Completely new enemy types.
- Full implementation of the Tide (only the most basic version will be present).
- Laboratory at the Base, artifacts with perks, and their processing.
- Difficulty settings.
- A stable co-op mode with fully functional radios. As mentioned in the previous dev diary, this is the biggest technical challenge for us, and work on co-op reliability will continue until the game’s full release.
Make sure to check out the full news post for minimum and recommended specs, and more about what to expect starting today.
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The game is set to release today at 12:00 PM ET (local time here). You can grab it in early access over on Steam, priced at $40.
