Survival games have the ability to recreate dire circumstances that instill a sense of connection between players and the character in the game. This is especially useful for games with a historical basis with real human experiences to draw from. Taking full advantage of this is the upcoming game, Westlanders. Developed by The Breach Studios, the game will allow players to take the role of a traveler using a wagon and trying to survive the American wilderness. Today the game received its first gameplay trailer, showing off some of the mechanics players can expect from the release.
The trailer begins by showing off some of the variable conditions present in the game, including cycling days and nights along with harsh weather conditions like snow. While driving their wagon forward, players will take control of their character in first person to complete the various tasks needed to survive. The first of these explored by the trailer is the need to make sure the player’s food supplies stay topped off, which they can do by hunting wildlife. The combat system uses damage values that appear while hunting, during defense against hostile animals, and while damaging a tree to harvest wood.
Players will also be able to craft items and temporary resting spots. This is tied to an experience points system expanded on in the game’s Steam page. The final moments of the trailer reveal a new dimension to the gameplay while building a series of settlements. Players are able to place houses, cabins, and silos to build up small towns and recruit fellow travelers to them. The final moments show a massive increase in scale, with the entire community working to build up the town.
Westlanders promises to be survival game with a strong sense of progression and ties to a unique time and place in history. Some of the comments on the trailer have even compared the game to the well-known Oregon Trail commonly seen in schools due to the shared setting. The final product is planned to be released in 2026 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.