New Zealand developer RocketWerkz have announced a release date for their upcoming sci-fi open world survival co-op, Icarus.

December 5.

They say that they've been in the top 10 of Steam's wishlisted games since August when they originally planned to launch. In the interim they have been beta testing.

Icarus offers a novel twist on survival.

Instead of dropping players onto an alien planet and letting them get on with the business of surviving, Icarus sees players dropped onto a planet in drop pods which are on a timer to return to orbit.

In the orbital station is where players progress their character and learn new things, eg. crafting blueprints.

What happens if you don't return to the pod in time?

Those that get left behind... are lost forever.

Sound a bit harsh?

There also looks to be a softer option - outposts - for the tardy Tims and Tinas.

The orbital space station waits for no one. If you fail to return to your dropship in time, there is no rescue. Your character’s progress and tech is lost to planet Icarus. Choose between sessions that can last from hours to days to weeks. Or play on the side of caution and build a permanent outpost. Every drop has a clear goal, but how you overcome its challenges... is up to you.

Looking at an earlier version of this, it doesn't mention outposts. Maybe there were lots of tardy Tims and Tinas in the beta weekends.

References

RocketWerkz. Icarus. Steam. (viewed November 20, 2021)