Frostrail is an interesting looking survival shooter slated for release next year. Lead game designer from FakeFish, Ez Jämsen, was kind enough to answer some of our questions about the upcoming title, such the role the player’s train will play over the course of general gameplay, its creepy atmosphere, and the balance between gameplay and story that Frostrail hopes to hit.
Since the train acts as the player’s home base, how big of a role will we see it play in general gameplay?
The train is a pretty big part of the game, it’s where you spend your time when you’re not out in the world exploring and scavenging. Beyond that, it needs to be fueled and driven, maintained, and defended at times too – and if it gets destroyed, it’s game over for you.
How crazy will the train upgrades get? Can players end up with multi-storey trains?
Train construction doesn’t get too crazy, as you are fundamentally the underdog in this game, trying to make do and stay alive.You acquire additional carriages as the game progresses, and then craft walls of various types on those carriages. Everything snaps to a grid nice and neat, to keep things manageable even in singleplayer where the player will have more moving parts to stay on top of at all times.
"The train is a pretty big part of the game, it’s where you spend your time when you’re not out in the world exploring and scavenging."
Since survival games often tend to dabble in a bit of horror, how will Frostrail balance out its overall action gameplay with some of the creepier environments?
I wouldn’t say we’re exactly a horror game, but we have aesthetic elements that point to something a bit more creepy. It’s often a bit difficult to get horror right in a more action-based multiplayer game, so in our case, the horror elements are kept quite light, much as with Barotrauma. Of course, Frostrail will offer those moments where something leaps at you from a dark corner, or looms menacingly over the horizon. So let’s say, there is tension, rather than horror, and the focus of the game is definitely on the action.
What can we expect in terms of enemy variety in Frostrail?
We are planning two enemy “factions”: the revenants, which are a bit more zombified, typically melee based, and tend to occur in larger numbers, and these corrupted soldier enemies, who typically rely on ranged weapons, are a little smarter, and tend to occur in smaller numbers. Then within those two factions we have a number of different classes and varieties to mix things up a bit, so you can look forward to a fair bit of variety, both visually and in terms of gameplay, at latest as we wrap things up during Early Access.
Will there be an overarching narrative driving players forward or will players be propelled forward more for the sake of survival in gameplay terms?
There is a broader background narrative and a bunch of lore present, but I wouldn’t say story is the gameplay driver for us here, but rather it’s the more traditional survival mechanics that push (and pull) the players.
"It’s often a bit difficult to get horror right in a more action-based multiplayer game, so in our case, the horror elements are kept quite light, much as with Barotrauma."
What kind of weapon variety will we see in Frostrail?
A classic lineup of (WW1-esque!) firearm archetypes – pistols, shotguns, rifles, machineguns, etc. – as well as, initially, a handful of basic melee weapons. All the guns are also craftable, and the modular crafting system gives you ways to enhance your weapons.
While there will be plenty of guns, how viable is a melee-centric character?
We’ve wanted to emphasize “guns first” with Frostrail. There are some melee weapons you’ll have access to in the early game in particular, but the real meat of the combat is in ranged weaponry. Having said that, all ranged weapons have a secondary melee attack for those close-up, last resort moments.
How strong of a role will the survival elements (hunger, thirst, protection from the elements) play in Frostrail?
As the name of the game suggests, cold is a big deal, and it’s something players should keep in mind when out and about. The effects are mitigated by warmer clothing and certain foods, but in general, wandering too far from your train isn’t a good idea, nor is lingering for too long outdoors when the temperature is particularly low.
Food items, on the other hand, buff your stats – so eating isn’t a must-do activity in theory, but you’ll want to eat well whenever you can to improve your chances of survival.
"We’ve wanted to emphasize “guns first” with Frostrail."
Do you have any plans to launch the game on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2?
Frostrail will be released first in Early Access on PC-Steam. We will evaluate possible console ports for 1.0 and beyond.
