NetEase’s freshly launched survival game, Once Human, has now entered the gaming arena on PC, ready for installation via Steam or the Epic Games Store. This title first caught our attention during the 2023 Preview of the PC Gaming Show back in late 2022. Slowly but surely, Once Human amassed a dedicated fan base, ascending to become the fifth most desired game on Steam’s wish list and dominating as the most-played demo during the recent Steam Next Fest.
Although it may be premature to gauge its triumph, Once Human has already successfully secured a spot in Steam’s prestigious Top 10 list with a staggering 131K concurrent players. It remains imperative to await the forthcoming weekend to assess its pinnacle potential. In the meantime, let’s delve into what this gripping tale has to offer. Immersed in the realm of the ‘New Weird’ genre, the game draws inspiration from sources like the SCP Foundation, Lovecraftian Horror, and the overarching essence of a post-apocalyptic world.
The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a mysterious extraterrestrial element dubbed Stardust, which has tainted Earth, plunging the planet into a post-apocalyptic dystopia and transmuting existence into a macabre phantasmagoria. Players embody the essence of Metahumans, endowed with the ability to withstand the contamination and harness the power of Stardust for self-empowerment. Nonetheless, being a survival game, one must exercise caution in avoiding consumption of contaminated sustenance or water, for such consumption would precipitate a decline in one’s Sanity level. A decrement in Sanity results in a corresponding reduction in maximum Health.
Upon its inception, the immersive universe of Once Human encompasses five distinct regions, five factions, and an array of over fifty diverse Deviants scattered across more than one hundred Strongholds. Veterans of the prior test rounds will seamlessly progress through the core narrative within the novel “Blackheart” region, navigating encounters with fresh adversaries and uncovering deeper enigmas of the apocalypse. This new terrain introduces an assortment of additional open-world side quests and diverse Deviant challenges from the Identity V and Paper Doll sagas within the Onmyoji series.
Central to the gameplay experience of Once Human is the creation of personalized Sanctuaries. These havens can be erected anywhere in the wilderness, tailored to individual preferences. Venturers have the liberty to shield cherished possessions behind fortified walls and fortify them with an arsenal of defensive armaments.
The servers are equipped to accommodate up to 4000 denizens, a substantial augmentation compared to standard survival games. This capacity enables players to forge alliances or engage in conflict with one another. Notably, a new PvP mode christened Highway Pursuit has been integrated into the gameplay, offering coveted reward vehicles and tempting marauding players with valuable spoils if they dare to pursue it. However, triggering PvP incurs upon nearing each vehicle, hence players are urged to exercise vigilance when navigating the vicinity of others.
Commencing the festivities in honor of Once Human’s grand premiere, loyal followers who pre-registered can lay claim to the AKM skin “The Call of the Giant Octopus,” a Meta’s Cap, a signature piece of furniture, and a pair of Dragon Fist gloves. Fresh entrants can partake in missions or extend invitations to comrades to partake in the adventure, thereby receiving an array of valuable gifts encompassing cosmetic items and accessories.
[source: https://wccftech.com/once-human-the-new-weird-survival-game-is-out-now-and-already-in-steams-top-10/]
