Last Oasis was an ambitious project that was supposed to demand everything from a survival gamer. However, the PvP approach led to downfall and too many toxic players. Now the creators want to try something completely different with Bellwright. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus has seen the new game at gamescom 2023 and clearly recognizes more potential than with Last Oasis.
What kind of game is it?
- Last Oasis was released in 2020 on Steam as a survival game focused on hardcore PvP. Every player is supposed to fight for their survival and any means should be acceptable.
- The idea: the Earth no longer rotates, the sun burns every land area and only oases are safe.
- Cool features like power armors and huge wooden walkers were used. But it was still not enough for success. The latest update was released in 2022.
How it went for Last Oasis: Last Oasis started as a promising survival game with innovative approaches but also big ambitions on Steam. The idea was well received, but it did not last long.
From the originally peak of 33,000 players, only 100 are left now (via steamcharts). Ratings have fallen to 22%, and hardly anyone is interested in the game anymore. The reason was constant PvP, just as I predicted.
I had already spoken with the creative director Florian Hofreither back then, when he still hoped that Last Oasis could be saved. But it turned out differently: in 2022, Florian himself considered his game a poor experience.
A major problem was toxic players who wanted to ruin the fun for others, especially new players. For no other reason than that they could. Now the development team Donkey Crew is working on a new project, and it looks much better.
“We have learned from our mistakes”
At gamescom 2023, I met Florian again – more or less by chance. A meeting for the Bellwright project materialized just shortly before. I was very happy to see the Austrian again, especially with his new game.
Bellwright is the new game of the studio, which is now completely reorienting itself after Last Oasis. Instead of in a post-apocalyptic desert world, it goes into a European-inspired medieval setting:
- you play as a warrior who wants to rise against the tyranny of his king and incite a revolution
- like in Medieval Dynasty, you recruit more and more people to slowly build a resistance
- through a building system, you can set up your own village and even expand it into a fortress with walls
- opposing NPCs will try to hinder you. The attacks become stronger the further you advance
The idea, according to Florian, is a mix of Medieval Dynasty, Chivalry, and Rimworld, and I could also see elements of Valheim. You manage inhabitants indirectly through a task system, but you can also intervene anywhere yourself: crafting, hunting, and building is always more efficient when you do it yourself.
This should lead to you focusing entirely on the gameplay that is most fun for you. If you want to micromanage, you’ll find ways to perfect every production. If you prefer to play comfortably, you let the NPCs handle everything and do your thing.
The focus is entirely on PvE. When asked, the boss said: The team has learned from the mistakes of Last Oasis. Making Bellwright is also much more enjoyable. No toxic players, joy in development again, and something that all employees really want to do.
At the moment, the focus is still on the single-player experience, but a co-op mode is already planned. Bellwright is already “feature complete,” meaning it is close to a state that can be shown to the public. Early access is supposed to start in December 2023. However, there is still no release date.
Another promising survival game that I was able to see at gamescom 2023 is Return to Moria. You will also be able to see it yourself soon:
New “Lord of the Rings” game lets dwarves fight for survival: Looks fantastic at gamescom
