First look at SAND: how Galicians conquered space

Many people compare SAND to Sea of Thieves, some joke about Galicians in space, but I will say this: it's great that our domestic developers surprise with original concepts. Because an extraction shooter on giant platforms walking in the middle of the sands is something we haven't seen before, you must admit.

I'm not a big fan of describing fictional worlds in games where it doesn't really matter. Although it's worth paying tribute to Hologryph studio. Because it's not every day that you come across an epic universe based on an alternative history of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The frantic technological progress of the twentieth century allowed humanity to colonize distant worlds, and one of them was the exoplanet Sofia. The Austro-Hungarians used Galicians and Poles to build cities on the surface, but then Sofia suffered an environmental disaster, as a result of which all the seas and oceans disappeared from the surface. However, the former workers, having received nothing of what they were promised for their work, returned on huge metal monsters to take away at least some of what remained on the surface from the old days.

It seems to me that for a genre that has no place for verbose NPCs and multi-step quests with a story, such detail may be unnecessary. Most players, especially foreigners who are not familiar with the history of Austria-Hungary's relations with Ukrainians, will skip all Hologryph's efforts and perceive SAND as just an atmospheric extraction shooter with strange costumes, architecture, and antique weapons.

But let's get to the point. As of now, SAND is still a techno demo that was launched recently for a limited number of players. But almost immediately, it was unexpectedly opened as a demo for everyone. The change of status happened so quickly that this time was clearly not enough to fix some bugs and add new mechanics. For example, SAND doesn't have a PvE part yet, and it's unknown what it will be like. That's why I see the game now as a technical demo that allows me to test some of the mechanics and see how well it all works with real people. And that's why there will be no ratings here - only impressions and wishes.

So, SAND is an extraction shooter in which players find themselves for a limited time on the surface of the planet Sofia, searching for useful resources, weapons and ammunition, and then evacuate with the help of a space tug. The fact that players move around on huge robot bases changes everything. Each of these robots can accommodate a group of players, serve as a resting point for them, a storage facility, a weapon, and a vehicle. They are like battleships on metal legs. The most interesting thing is that Sand has a constructor that allows you to design your own jumpers for your specific needs and style of play.

And the first issue is that the player is left to figure out what's what on his own. There are no training missions, no encyclopedias of items and weapons - everything will have to be learned in battle on their own experience. I'm not sure if this is the right strategy, because right now potential players are getting their first impressions of the game and a lot depends on their reaction.

There are plenty of items and non-obvious mechanics. For example, the player's revival after death depends on whether he has canned food in the fridge on the jumper (the name of the robots). The number of such cans is equal to the number of possible revivals. Or evacuation, which takes place separately for the jumper and the player who has to use the rope that is dropped from the space tug. There is another way to find hidden mechanics or find out about the possibility of performing actions that are not obvious at first glance - look at the key settings. And here we have another surprise - there is no such tab in SAND yet.

A typical match goes like this. A group or a single player (I'll talk about the disadvantages of playing alone later) gathers in a hangar, choosing a jumpers and equipment. There are three jumpers in the virtual garage, two of which are identical. A beginner will not be able to assemble something new, except to play with the construction set and see what resources they need to find to be able to build the trampoline of their dreams.

Next, you need to bring canned food, ammunition for the gun, personal weapons, and, if you have it, a stylish vest that acts as armor. Unfortunately, the mechanics now work in such a way that all the inventory is in a box on the jump, and the player starts with nothing. Therefore, in the first few minutes, everyone is fussing around looking for their own junk and loading their weapons. This moment, in my opinion, is the most dangerous, as the chance to appear on a server that has been around for some time is quite high. And other players' charged jumpers may already be roaming the planet in search of adventure.

Several towns on the map are the main sources of income, as they are where you can find resources, clothing, weapons, and ammunition. And also the keys to the boxes found on almost every wrecked ship, left to rot in the sands after the disaster. Everything they find is carefully placed in the cabinets on the jump, and then the team moves on. The procedure is repeated until the adventurers come across another jumpers. It is quite easy to find it - despite the fact that the jumpers use reactors powered by technological capsules as their energy source, each vehicle smells like a steam engine. And this smoke can be seen from a distance, so long before the shot is fired, you can take certain steps to prepare for the battle or avoid it by changing course.

There are several tactics of warfare. You can shoot at the enemy from a distance with guns mounted on a springboard. But the conditions don't always allow for long-range aimed fire. Moreover, it is sometimes difficult to hit even at point-blank range due to the constant change in terrain or ping. Let me remind you that stabilization for guns will be invented much later and in another universe.

The second option is obvious - close combat with crossfire, the winner can be a more armored or armed jumpers or a more experienced crew. Sniper rifles also work here - if the driver is dead, the jumpers don't go exactly where they were supposed to. The third option is not for the faint of heart - a boarding party with a landing on the deck of an enemy robot. Firearms are used in the battle, and the main goal is to capture the jumping machine, not to destroy it. Yes, SAND has already implemented the mechanics of hijacking someone else's vehicle, but it has not yet implemented the mechanics of its further use. We even once evacuated a hijacked jump rope in the hope that it would replenish a friend's empty hangar, but this did not happen. The robot also can't be disassembled for parts or sold - in fact, it's just an additional way to get around during one session, and it doesn't make sense to pay too much attention to it.

And now about the main nuance that should be taken into account by everyone who wants to have fun in SAND - if you are going to play alone, you will not get this pleasure. Each jumper is a steering wheel that cannot be let go for a long time, even in the deserts of Sofia, as there are still rocks and huge boulders to avoid. Each springboard is a cannon that someone has to fire. Your crew must consist of at least two players. One controls, the other shoots. One manages, the other repairs. This is the minimum. It is much more interesting when there are three or four of you. Then you can distribute responsibilities, use more than one gun at a time, and send a landing party to an enemy jump. It's even better to collect loot as part of a large group, so someone can stay on the transport and cover the infantry, protecting the precious robot from the raid.

And if you manage to gather your friends into a team that is ready to spend an hour or two in SAND, you are guaranteed to have fun. Each raid is different from the previous one, because the history here is written by the players. You can spend all your time chasing an unfamiliar jumpsuit, trying to destroy it. You may stumble upon an ambush of experienced players who have shut down the reactor and are waiting for you behind the next rock. You can take part in a battle between other jumpers, and who knows which side will have the advantage?

Yes, SAND currently has a lot of bugs and insufficient optimization, but the fact that the developers allowed us to try the game at such an early stage means that they understand that nothing good will come of it without the community. It is better to listen to all the suggestions at the very beginning and see how the mechanics work than to release an incomprehensible product later. And there will be optimization - patches have already begun to be released that fix some bugs and begin to solve problems with PC resource requirements. And this is just the beginning. I hope that the reaction of players around the world will be favorable, which will give a certain impetus and motivate Hologryph to bring SAND to its final state even more actively.

The article is illustrated with official screenshots and art from the game.