Muse Games’ Wildmender is somewhat similar, set in a desolate world where the sea has dried up and there’s desert for miles. You’re an unknown quantity, meeting a Guide Spirit and trying to understand what’s happening. There are hints of your character having lost much from whatever did all this, but for the most part, you’re alone.

"It’s also one of the initially engrossing parts of Wildmender – that feeling of discovery as you explore various environments and try to make sense of what happened to the world."

You start in a spring with a destitute tree and learn the basics of the crafting system while planting a few seeds and filling up your bottle with water. A stave and sickle are used for digging and chopping wood, but there’s also the magic mirror. This charm allows for firing projectiles from a distance and reflecting long-range shots at enemies.

From there, you set off to discover the origins of the various meteors in the sky, and while it’s all pretty mysterious at first, one thing is quickly apparent – water is everything. You need it to survive the scorching sun rays, craft potions and other items, use it as an offering, and farm and sing to plants to cut down on their harvesting period.

Because the sun is so oppressive, staying in the shadows and conserving water is important (otherwise, you die). Of course, you only have a set amount in your bottle, which means returning to the spring regularly to refill it. At first, this means a fair amount of backtracking, but you soon unlock various teleportation pads which can return you home (and even be repaired to act as fast travel points).

Food is also necessary, and some of it can reduce your water meter, so you need to think carefully about what to consume. Carefully navigating the world while taking shelter in abandoned houses and structures to seek shade while scrounging for materials helps improve your survival rate. It’s also one of the initially engrossing parts of Wildmender – that feeling of discovery as you explore various environments and try to make sense of what happened to the world. Movement may appear somewhat janky at times, especially when trying to jump while climbing up a cliff face, but it feels responsive and on point most of the time.

"Eventually, you have to investigate other regions and discover what happened to the other gods. It’s here where the wonder of discovery starts to fade."

The so-called “meteors” lead to malevolent structures that must be destroyed. Doing so awards shards, and upon returning them to the Guide, they remember they’re called Vidyas. This is where the game begins in earnest, as you’re directed to the temple of Naia, the Goddess of Rivers, to seek help in rejuvenating the world.

Before and after that, several other tasks emerge, from learning how to slide down slopes to acquiring and using new tools like the Memory Seed. They’re nothing crazy but help expand your exploration of the world in various ways. Eventually, you have to investigate other regions and discover what happened to the other gods.

It’s here where the wonder of discovery starts to fade. You venture to other locations with harsh conditions – like Desiccation in the Salt Flats draining your water faster – but nothing that fundamentally changes the game or asks anything beyond “gather X material” or “craft Y potion.”

Even the points of interest you discover don’t offer much more beyond some chests with scant materials or a grave whose spirit you could visit at night to obtain Memories (which unlock new Skills in the Survival, Arcane and Spiritual trees). I did like meeting the frog, who could gather materials without my assistance, and the Spirit Darter, who provides Life Sparks to revive plants.

"It’s not like it has to compete with the Valheims and V Risings of the world, but some more enemy variety would go a long way."

It’s also where a fundamental part of your adventure will go into building and maintaining your base. Unlocking new recipes and buildings is fun, but a fair amount of time goes into ensuring your crops stay safe from Wraith attacks and the walls around the spring are still standing. While there are other water sources in the world, this is the cleanest and most bountiful.

As such, trying to establish a base in other parts of the world feels difficult and less rewarding, which only makes the backtracking to the spring that much more cumbersome. If that weren’t enough, digging ditches and redirecting water around the location is a chore rather than intuitive or enjoyable.

While you can create trinkets that regenerate mana (at the cost of wearing out) or increase inventory space, the gear feels incredibly underwhelming. One of the nicer gameplay loops in titles like Valheim and Terraria is obtaining better gear, becoming more powerful and engaging with tougher threats. Wildmender’s equipment is far from that, sadly.

Then again, it’s somewhat understandable, given how combat works in this game. You can fire with the mirror or reflect projectiles at enemies. Some will have telegraphed melee attacks to avoid, but that’s more or less it. Other items like Blazing Seeds can deal damage, and you can upgrade the sickle to reflect attacks, but mechanically, there isn’t much that the combat has to offer. It’s not like it has to compete with the Valheims and V Risings of the world, but some more enemy variety would go a long way.

"If you’re keen on a new setting and don’t mind the performance issues that come with it, Wildmender may be worth checking out while taking a break from other titles."

Wildmender does have a decent aesthetic, as the world’s architecture stands out. The lighting and shadows, not to mention phenomena like the Aurora Borealis in the sky, are also done well. The only downside is that some textures, like when heading to the Salt Flats, feel ugly and low-detailed. Also, despite the visuals not being high in fidelity, they definitely require more optimization. Even on medium settings, the frame rate feels like it’s tanking even when nothing is happening. At least the music suits the atmosphere of isolation, even if it can cut in and out at odd times.

Overall, Wildmender has an interesting premise that needs more time to grow into its own. Some aspects, like the construction and terraforming, can be improved over time. However, in terms of progression, combat, exploration and immersion, it’s competent enough without breaking the mold or drastically changing things up, even a few hours in.

If you’re keen on a new setting and don’t mind the performance issues that come with it, Wildmender may be worth checking out while taking a break from other titles. Otherwise, it’s a serviceable but ultimately forgettable sandbox experience.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Embr is a co-op survival shooter where a group of players are tasked with rescue operations for civilians trapped in fire-infested buildings. The game has a cartoony art style, that is in many ways reminiscent of Valve’s Team Fortress 2. Players must work together to overcome obstacles, which is a fun concept that has received very positive ratings on Steam.

In addition to this, players can take up a number of side-jobs such as deliveries and robberies in order to get cash. This cash can then be used to buy a number of cosmetics for your characters. Embr is priced at $20 on Steam, and should release at a similar price point for consoles.

We spoke to  Howard Tsao, CEO of Muse Games, the developers behind Guns of Icarus Online and got a chance to ask about the PS4 version of the game, the technology powering the title and how the next generation version stacks up against the one on PC.

Ravi Sinha: Guns of Icarus Online is a multiplayer online title that focuses on airship combat with each player taking on a unique role. But what motivated the decision to go from a turret defense format to a multiplayer FPS?

Howard Tsao: We wanted to take the thrilling moments of using the big mounted turret guns, which were always fleeting in games, and make it a core of the game. We wanted to create the thrill of blowing stuff up with mammoth artillery. To complement the offensive element, we referenced time management games to create a frantic and intense repair-centered defensive component. To make teamwork really work, we decided to place players as a crew in an enclosed space.

The crew triumphs and perishes together as a single entity. The crew,being a single unit in combat, needs to coordinate which guns to man and what needs repairs with all hell breaking loose on deck as other ships are torn apart. We’ve planned the the core combat mechanics and the focus on teamwork from the beginning of the gamebut it has taken us quite a while and numerous iterations to realize them and get the game to this point.

"We have a great relationship working with Sony thus far, and we’ll be an exclusive title on PS4. I think the decision for us is as much about the people as it is about anything specifically. PS4 seems to have better integration with Steam’s account system, and it allows us to host our own backend, so that helps."

Ravi Sinha: Guns of Icarus Online has been released for almost a year and will now be heading to the PlayStation 4. How will it differ from the PC version and what improvements will be made in terms of gameplay features?

Howard Tsao: By the time we are ready for PS4 next year, we should be well on our way with the co-op and Adventure Mode DLCs. Because we use Unity3D, new updates and contents we create we will aim to make all of it available to PS4 players. We aim to have desktop and PS4 sky pirates play together and make sure things are as balanced as possible. So what we do from now on will have to take into account console players.

However, we may be able to do something special for PS4 players as well like taking advantage of their unique controller. As for cross-platform play, there are a few challenges we’ll need to overcome, such as cross-platform in match voice communications, so we’ll be looking to solve these puzzles to make the in game experience as great as possible for both PS4 and PC players.

Rashid Sayed: Guns of Icarus Online is not coming to the Xbox One. Is there any specific reason why it won’t be available on that platform?

Howard Tsao: We have a great relationship working with Sony thus far, and we’ll be an exclusive title on PS4. I think the decision for us is as much about the people as it is about anything specifically. PS4 seems to have better integration with Steam’s account system, and it allows us to host our own backend, so that helps.

Ravi Sinha: Furthermore do you think the ID@Xbox Program will be successful enough to get more indie developers under Microsoft’s banner?

Howard Tsao: I think if there are great opportunities for indie developers, we will explore them. And really the merit of the program and the word of mouth from developers will determine and shape the level of support among developers.

"With the game in general, we are continuing to update and add new content.By the time we release to PS4, we’ll definitely have a lot more contentfor PS4 players."

Ravi Sinha: We’ve seen many comments about the “developer friendly nature” of the PS4. How many months did it took you guys to port over the game to the PS4?

HT: We are just getting started, but so far everything know about PS4 and everyone we’ve worked with at Sony made us really excited about the platform.

Ravi Sinha: Will we see any new content coming to the PS4 version, perhaps in the form of new classes, ships and tools?

Howard Tsao: With the game in general, we are continuing to update and add new content.By the time we release to PS4, we’ll definitely have a lot more contentfor PS4 players. When we release the Co-op and Adventure Mode DLCs, they will be available for PS4 players as well. For PS4 exclusive content, we’ll need to keep over balance in mind as we roll out cross-platform play, but we’ll definitely try to do something special for PS4 players as well.

Ravi Sinha: How will Guns of Icarus Online take advantage of the PS4’s features, including Cloud computing and DualShock 4’s touch pad?

Howard Tsao: We’re really excited to work with the PS4 hardware. To be able to develop for one set of specs is a nice change. We’re excited to play with DualShock4 as well. Specifically how we will take advantage of DualShock4, I’m not sure yet but it’ll be a lot of fun for us to figure that out.

"I think with free to play multiplayer titles it’s as much of a design choice as it is a revenue model choice. While there are more and more free to play titles, I think pay to download and free to play titles can co-exist."

Rashid Sayed: 1080p resolution and sixty frames per second is one of the most wanted feature from next generation of gaming. Are you guys targeting the same for the PS4?

Howard Tsao: Yeah definitely, with PS4’s specs, the doors are open for a lot of pretty things. We’ll obviously have to do a lot of benchmarking work, but we are definitely excited about PS4’s specs.

Rashid Sayed: Unlike the PC, the developer is guaranteed to receive 8GB of GDDR5 RAM with every PS4. How is that extra fast memory helping you guys develop the game on the PS4? Does it remove the memory hog issues and frees up space to do more stuff?

Howard Tsao: We can benchmark for much higher graphical settings and to ensure the players enjoy as nice of a graphical experience as we can deliver. It’s nice to be able to dedicate to supporting and optimizing high-end specs for a change.

Ravi Sinha: There are many free to play titles that will releasing for the PlayStation 4, including War Thunder, Warframe and PlanetSide 2. What are your thoughts on the current market for such free multiplayer titles coming to consoles in comparison to the reception for the same on the current generation consoles, which have had a dearth of free to play titles?

Howard Tsao: I think with free to play multiplayer titles it’s as much of a design choice as it is a revenue model choice. While there are more and more free to play titles, I think pay to download and free to play titles can co-exist. Ultimately, the quality, creativity, and fun factor of an individual title will decide on its success.

"With PS4, we will still be hosting our own servers, and PSN accounts integrate with Steam accounts, so there are already advantages in going with PS4 with respect to cross-platform play."

Ravi Sinha: How will Guns of Icarus Online compare to other free to play titles that will be releasing with the PS4?

Howard Tsao: We aim for the design of the game and the core combat experience to be inherently balanced, so there is no pay to win in Guns of Icarus Online. And while there is an in game store for cosmetics, the game is not a free to play. I think, ultimately, it’ll come down to whether or not someone, or a group of friends, is going to enjoy crewing an airship in the skies together, performing individual roles, and working together as a team in the Steampunk world that we create. In other words, I think the merit of the gameplay and artistic experience itself will be the primary point of differentiation for us.

Ravi Sinha: Will Guns of Icarus Online support cross play between the PS4 and PC versions? If not, how will you be looking to attract PC gamers to make the jump to the PS4 version?

Howard Tsao: With PS4, we will still be hosting our own servers, and PSN accounts integrate with Steam accounts, so there are already advantages in going with PS4 with respect to cross-platform play. We’ll be exploring cross-platform solutions for in game voice communications, so the idea is to facilitate PC and PS4 players to play together as much as we possibly can.

Rashid Sayed: From a developer perspective, the Xbox One comes in with DDR3 RAM and a GPU that is reportedly slower than the PS4. Some developers have even claimed that the PS4’s GPU is 40% more powerful than the Xbox One’s. What is your take on the situation and how does this affect your [future] decision on bringing games to the Xbox One?

Howard Tsao: Right now we are an exclusive PS4 title, and Sony’s been awesome to work with. If the opportunity arises with Xbox One, we’ll explore it. We haven’t tested with the Xbox One, so I can’t say for sure, but we made the decision to go with PS4 as much because of the people we get to work with as anything.

Rashid Sayed: One thing we don’t know about the PS4 version is the release date. Is it finalized yet?

Howard Tsao: Not yet! There are a number of things we are doing for the first time, so we are still trying to figure things out as we go.

Thank you for your time!

How does the PS4’s 8 GB GDDR5 RAM help in developing for the console, especially since every unit is uniform in design as compared to PC? “We can benchmark for much higher graphical settings and to ensure the players enjoy as nice of a graphical experience as we can deliver. It’s nice to be able to dedicate to supporting and optimizing high-end specs for a change.”

Finally, regarding new content coming to the PS4 version of Guns of Icarus Online, Tsao stated that, “With the game in general, we are continuing to update and add new content.By the time we release to PS4, we’ll definitely have a lot more content for PS4 players. When we release the Co-op and Adventure Mode DLCs, they will be available for PS4 players as well. For PS4 exclusive content, we’ll need to keep over balance in mind as we roll out cross-platform play, but we’ll definitely try to do something special for PS4 players as well.”

Excited even more for the PlayStation 4 which launches on November 15th in North America and November 29th in Europe? Let us know in the comments below.

GamingBolt was able to get in touch with Howard Tsao, CEO of Muse Games. They are currently developing Guns of Icarus Online for the PlayStation 4. The game has already been released on the PC with the PS4 version expected to be released in 2014.

We asked Howard about their decision to go from a turret defense format to a multiplayer FPS, to which he replied:

“We wanted to take the thrilling moments of using the big mounted turret guns, which were always fleeting in games, and make it a core of the game. We wanted to create the thrill of blowing stuff up with mammoth artillery.  To complement the offensive element, we referenced time management games to create a frantic and intense repair-centered defensive component.  To make teamwork really work, we decided to place players as a crew in an enclosed space.

The crew triumphs and perishes together as a single entity.  The crew,being a single unit in combat, needs to coordinate which guns to man and what needs repairs with all hell breaking loose on deck as other ships are torn apart.  We’ve planned the the core combat mechanics and the focus on teamwork from the beginning of the game but it has taken us quite a while and numerous iterations to realize them and get the game to this point.”

With the influx of free to play games over the last few years, one can’t help but wonder how Guns of Icarus Online will compare to them that will be releasing on the PS4.

“We aim for the design of the game and the core combat experience to be inherently balanced, so there is no pay to win in Guns of Icarus Online. And while there is an in game store for cosmetics, the game is not a free to play. I think, ultimately, it’ll come down to whether or not someone, or a group of friends, is going to enjoy crewing an airship in the skies together, performing individual roles, and working together as a team in the Steampunk world that we create. In other words, I think the merit of the gameplay and artistic experience itself will be the primary point of differentiation for us.”

Stay tuned for more Guns of Icarus Online news later this week.

For more on Guns of Icarus, click here

Guns of Icarus Online is a multiplayer airship combat game where you will attempt to survive and thrive in the post apocalyptic wasteland, moving from town to town, trading and collecting resources, outfitting your ship, and battling deadly pirates.Visit the website for a look at our beautiful teaser and find out more about the game.

The wasteland is a tough place, but you won’t be alone. Every ship can have multiple human or NPC crew members.With a flexible skill and leveling system, every crewman brings something unique to the ship. No one sits idly during a firefight. Expect to find your pilot putting out a fire or your mechanic manning the guns at any moment. With many airships to outfit, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, it will take a competent captain to make the most out of each trip. Dangers will be lurking everywhere and they won’t just be pirate ambushes; expect to find opposing players out hunting for your cargo as well.

Each town competes and trades with its neighbors to survive in the wasteland. Your reputation will rise and fall with your actions in each town, opening and closing new options elsewhere for profit. Don’t like how the towns run things? Soar into the unknown and find new resources to establish a town of your own. Join other players to make your town prosper while defending it from raiders who want to plunder your riches.