Hello everyone!
It's been a little since our last major update. During that time, we've done a tremendous amount of work to improve how the game feels to play. But all of that was preparation for the continuation of the story.
This is our biggest update since the game entered Early Access.
Key Features
World Updates
We've revisited and improved every location currently in the game. Assets that required additional work have been changed, the desert has received a visual overhaul to make it more appealing, and many points of interest have been updated.
Water has also been replaced across all locations and now looks far more natural.
VR Interaction
The virtual body system has been improved, resulting in smoother movement and climbing.
We've also added ziplines, replacing the teleport transitions previously used to move players across large rifts or descend from high elevations.
Interlude Episodes
Short interlude episodes have been added between in-game days. These moments give players a chance to sit down, relax, and take a brief break before the next chapter begins.
Shotgun
A new weapon has been added: a single-shot shotgun.
At close range, a single blast can stop almost anything, but ammunition is scarce. As the story progresses, upgrades for the shotgun will become available.
One of these upgrades, Alolfs, transforms the weapon from a standard break-action shotgun into a semi-automatic platform while still allowing comfortable one-handed operation.
Shotgun shells are stored in the same pouch as pistol magazines, so players won't need to learn a new reload workflow.
New Location
Now for the bigger additions.
The new location introduces an entirely new out of this world, unsettling, and unlike anything found elsewhere in the world.
You'll also discover traces of a group that was here before you. Their story continues through a series of audio logs scattered throughout the area.
Enemies
Phantoms
Phantoms are anomalous entities that inhabit the new location.
They possess excellent hearing and vision, but remain confined to a relatively small region. While traversing their territory, extreme caution is advised. They're easy to avoid if you're careful, but once a hunt begins they emit a distinctive scream.
As creatures tied directly to the anomalous world, they can be easily detected using the Detector.
Anomalies
The new location is filled with dangerous anomalies.
Bubble
A translucent anomaly that violently expels anything that enters its field
Geyser
Clusters of anomalous vents that release large amounts of boiling water and steam when approached.
They can also be safely activated from a distance using the detector.
Ball Lightning
A spherical mass of electrical energy that travels along a fixed route.
Additional Changes
[Optimization] Added shader precompilation at game startup.
[Detector] Added zoom functionality to the Detector using the Upper/Lower buttons on the controllers.
[Detector] Improved camera UI.
[Economy] Reworked the upgrade component economy.
[Visual] Updated the appearance of upgrade component containers.
[Feature] Added a head-mounted flashlight.
[Visual] Improved the appearance of water and oil.
[Visual] Improved lighting at the outpost.
[Gameplay] Added new loot locations.
[Player] Updated controls:
Menu: Right Stick Click
Crouch: Right Stick Down
Stand Up: Right Stick Up
[Optimization] Optimized the cave in Chapter 2.
[Optimization] Optimized the Shore location.
[Visual] Updated the visual design of the Shore location in Chapter 2.
[Visual] Updated the loading screen visuals.
[Visual] Improved flashlight rendering on the player character.
[Visual] Improved radio texture quality.
[Player] The waist pouch now raises slightly while crouching for easier access.