MeinMMO editor and survival expert Benedict Grothaus had a lot of fun with survival games last year. And that, even though they were completely different from what has been on the market so far. But that’s exactly what is good about it – for players and the genre in general.
2021 brought us several new survival games, including little gems like Tribes of Midgard and big surprise hits like Valheim. Both are survival games, but are completely different from classics like ARK: Survival Evolved or Rust.
But that’s exactly what is special about these games: they dare to try new things while still remaining survival games. Valheim, for instance, even made it directly onto my list of the best survival games ever.
What I saw in 2021 in new games, however, differed enormously from classic survival. There was a small revolution, and nobody noticed it.
Benedict has been playing survival games since 2003, and they are still his favorite genre – despite various other interests.
He invested over 600 hours alone in the then-new releases like Conan Exiles and Fallout 76.
He also loves to try out new titles and indie games in the genre to look for hidden gems and insider tips.
He especially values a beautiful environment where exploration is worthwhile and a sophisticated crafting system. In 2021, Valheim was his great survival love. In 2022, he is particularly looking forward to V Rising and Nightingale.
3 Games Set the New Tone
Out of all the new games from last year, 3 stood out in my memory. The 3 survival games each brought their own unique twist to the genre:
- Valheim has survival elements that are not deadly. You need to eat to get stronger, but don’t die from fasting. You will only become very, very weak.
- Icarus is played in sessions, similar to The Forest, but shorter. If you want to craft and build more, there is a sort of free mode.
- Tribes of Midgard is also session-based and is an action RPG – ideal for anyone who wants to try survival but usually prefers other genres.
Actually, it’s even 4 games. But the fourth, GTFO, is an exception. The new co-op game is just brutally hard and belongs only secondarily to the survival genre, even though it plays excellently.
All three games make getting into the genre easier by being different. Do you have little time? Try Icarus. Coming from another gaming corner? Tribes of Midgard brings you closer to survival. Don’t want it to be too harsh? Valheim forgives you mistakes that other survival games would mercilessly punish.
New Ideas Are Good for the Genre
Sure, games like ARK and Rust have a huge player base that has been loyal for years. However, this is both a blessing and a curse, as it means that new players are rarely gained. Those who are not already interested in the genre find it difficult to access.
Conan Exiles already showed this at the time. While the game was extremely successful, it also more or less siphoned players off from the pool of survival fans. Despite decent numbers and new innovations like an integrated story, it never became as big as the competition.
If new games now try to expand the genre, suddenly many more players are attracted. Those who usually play Diablo or Path of Exile might find themselves drawn to Tribes of Midgard and then to Valheim.
Science fiction fans who usually hang out in EVE Online might find Icarus intriguing. From there, interest can continue. And suddenly, DayZ or ARK have caught them. And suddenly, there is fresh meat among the survival gamers.
Of course, this won’t happen with all players. But fishing in foreign ponds has always been a reliable way to grow one’s fan base. More games should dare to do that.
Evolution Is Completely Normal, but Extremely Important
It has always been the case in gaming that a genre evolves if it wants to survive. New features bring fresh air into the games or even create entirely new genres. For instance, the popular MOBAs emerged from strategy games, and first-person shooters split into arena and hero shooters as well as battle royale.
Such developments are often a reaction to the needs of the players and cater to a current trend. The art is to recognize this trend early or even set it oneself without overdoing an idea. This is how the now successful games have mostly managed to become so big.
As Valheim alone shows, trying something new can pay off. However, such attempts also carry the risk of flopping hard. The survival game Last Oasis from 2020, for instance, failed with its experimental approach, even though the premise sounded exciting. A reorientation briefly brought improvement, but the game never became really big again.
Last Oasis had players constantly fleeing from an all-consuming catastrophe. Basically, an exciting idea, but the combination with hardcore PvP could not retain enough players.
This shows that it’s important to hit the right dosage and then offer the right mix. In 2022, several games are coming our way that could achieve just that.
Here’s a little glimpse of what 2022 has to offer:
2022 Has Many New Ideas in Store
2022 will be a really good year for all survival fans and those who want to become one. And not just because the big players will get even bigger, but because a ton of new stuff is coming.
Just 5 new games I would always mention if it comes to convincing someone of the genre with new games:
- V Rising turns you into a vampire and plays more like an arena brawler with a good combat system. The closed beta is set to start in 2022.
- Dying Light 2 is more of an RPG than a pure survival game and demands tough decisions for the story. It comes out on February 4.
- Nightingale comes from former members of the legendary RPG studio BioWare and brings survival into a unique, Victorian fantasy world. It is expected to release in 2022.
- Sons of the Forest continues the story of The Forest and hopefully brings boss fights and different endings just like the first part. Ideal for story fans. Sons of the Forest releases on May 20.
- Pioner is part shooter, survival game, and MMORPG and resembles a mix of STALKER and Rust. It is expected to release in the first quarter of 2022.
Nightingale looks particularly exciting – Here is the trailer:
These games are probably not yet drawing from my insight that 2021 changed the genre. The development certainly started long before the shift in survival games. However, they definitely contribute to the evolution of survival games shifting even further in this direction in the future.
If such ideas are implemented correctly, they can attract a lot of people and even retain them permanently. Even if they are just small indie projects:
2 “small” indie games on Steam do one thing much better than big AAA titles
What do you think? Was the change in the survival genre noticeable? Did you find it good or not? Leave a comment!
