Many games enter early access for a few years to build a fanbase and receive community feedback with the additional eyes that come with it. During this time, updates can often be introduced that add features that were not present in the original planned version, expanding the amount of time needed for early access. One game that has kept a steady line of updates coming in its early access is Scrap Mechanic by Axolot Games, which has remained in early access for ten years. Recently the game announced that it would be receiving its newest update, titled “Drilling Thunder” alongside its official 1.0 release. Today, a trailer for that update dropped.
According to the game’s Steam page, the central premise follows a robot mechanic who has crashed on an alien planet filled with robots. From there, players will need to navigate the world by adventuring for new resources, fighting off hostile bots, and building bases to keep themselves and their resources safe. It is split into the standard Survival Mode, a trial-based series in Challenge Mode, and Creative Mode which gives access to the many tools of the game. The trailer starts with survival gameplay as the player character avoids enemies and builds up their farms and vehicles.
The second half of the trailer is dedicated to the new digging mechanics that give the latest update its name. Players will be able to create large caverns in the earth using drills, exploring the mining system on the new island area. The new gameplay depicts multiple new areas within the cave system, including a mechanical station with a green hue in the air and a glass cage.
With the release of the completed version of Scrap Mechanic, many fans have expressed interest in returning to the game through the comments on the latest trailer. The 1.0 release has been stated to be the biggest update of the game so far, and will be available on July 24th.