It’s a complete and utter mystery as to when the next mainline instalments in both the Fallout and Far Cry franchises will land.
As such, you can understand why fans are looking for a fix of both formulas elsewhere, with the upcoming Pioner seemingly offering the best of both worlds.
Developed by GFAGames, Pioner is an upcoming online RPG that incorporates FPS elements set within a Soviet-era locale.
“Pioner drops players into a vast, grim world, where survival hinges on exploration, crafting, and smart resource management,” teases the synopsis.
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“As an MMO FPS, it offers both PvE missions and intense PvP zones, with unique crafting mechanics, hundreds of weapons and a deep story to explore.”
Players will inhabit a “haunted, alternative-reality where Soviet-era structures lie abandoned on a desolate, post-apocalyptic island”.
It’s a game where “realism takes priority over traditional health bars or character levels”, as you explore a rich world, filled with story quests, faction missions, and both influence and loyalty opportunities.
You’ll participate in plenty of combat against fellow players in areas known as Shadowlands, but there are also PvE missions available too.
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Shadowlands is described as an “extraction shooter mode”, perfect for those who enjoy high-stakes treasure hunting.
Before you dive into that mode, you’ll want to customise your weapon, for which it seems there are many options.
The game’s story is being kept largely under wraps but it teases to be player-driven, and players will need to control their character’s hunger and rest levels as well as general resources.
There’s an in-depth crafting system, raid missions, and “clan-based social gameplay”.
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Oh, and if you need to lower the intensity for a while, Pioner boasts a variety of mini-games including fishing and casino-related options.
All in all, it sounds like there’s plenty of meat on the bone within Pioner.
Visually, it very much shares a kinship with Fallout; desolate landscapes are broken up by remnants of a bygone era.
The FPS action though? That’s got to be of appeal to Far Cry fans.
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While Pioner hasn’t confirmed its release date, we do now know that a free beta test is happening next month.
From what I can see, the beta is for PC users only, although the full game is coming to Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 too.
You can sign up for the beta via the game’s official website or via its Steam store listing.
The beta will then take place in October, with specific dates to be announced in due course.
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Get your application in while you can.