Population Zero – Impressions (PC)

Within minutes of taking my first steps in the vibrant alien planet of Kepler-438b, I had to insatiable urge to re-watch Interstellar. This is because Population Zero sets up as almost a sequel to Chris Nolan’s sci-fi epic. As part of the Artmeis Project to make alien worlds habitable, you take control of a lone astronaut turned explorer. This brand new MMO-style adventure survival game enters early access on May 5th on Steam.

Population Zero will feel immediately familiar to anyone who has played a modern MMO. Control takes place from the third-person perspective with collectibles, quest givers and enemies strewn throughout gargantuan unfamiliar environments. However there are several aspects that expertly separate the game from other titles in the massively online genre.

For one, the focus revolves primarily around exploration, research, and crafting rather than combat – at least initially. Players will gain Theory Points for interacting with fauna, floral and many other exotic aspects of Kepler-438b. These points can be spent on a wide variety of research items including recipes for new tools like hammers, spears or a water canteen or even fire pits for cooking and leather presses for crafting new gear. A Tech Tree is wide open from the beginning and new areas can be freely researched however the player chooses.

Further differentiating the game from other MMOs is the ever present threat of transformation into an alien. Players can suffer the dire fate of turning into Void Creatures if they aren’t careful. This can come by way of being caught outside of safe zones called Hubs after night fall. This can also happen if a player respawns too many times. A Mutation Meter displayed on the hud constantly reminds players of how close they are to turning and forces you to balance the risk and reward of exploration.

Explorers of Kepler will also need to play close attention to attrition mechanics in the form of hunger and thirst. Vegetation and animal remains can be collected and cooked to stave off starvation, and water can be collected from both clean and toxic sources to satiate hydration. Toxicity acts as a debuff and can affect both stamina and health regeneration.

Rounding out all the aspects of this new world trying to kill you is The Long Night. This doomsday clock mechanic has a single play session last 168 hours of in game time. Once this time expires, The Long Night begins. If certain parameters aren’t met such as powering up a Hub Reactor or getting your hibernation pod online, you will succumb to the Void and fail the play session. However successfully surviving the oncoming Long Night will grant account XP and progression to further explore Kepler-438b.

The majority of our time in the pre-release version of Population Zero was spent in PVE servers. However, PVP will be available at some point in early access. In this mode, players can chose to work together in exploring Kepler or hunt each other down to steel gear and resources.

Population Zero has potential to be the space opera entry into the MMO genre that we so desperately need. Sporting unique attrition, exploration and zero hour based mechanics, players are sure to have a lot to keep them busy in the scary new world of Kepler.

Population Zero launches in early access on Steam on May 5th.