Sand: Raiders of Sophie, back on mechs in the dunes after a sabbatical

Towards the end of March last year, Sand attempted to take its first steps on Steam. The original plan involved a private playtest, followed by a public one, before an early access release. However, things didn't go as planned, and the title disappeared from the radar. I talked about it in my preview at the time, where I highlighted a very intriguing premise, but plagued by serious technical shortcomings. The game wasn't stable. After months of updates from the developers, today the tinyBuild production is trying again, and this time it seems to have gotten into gear properly.

On paper, Sand, rebranded as Sand: Raiders of Sophie, hasn't changed much. If you want a more detailed overview, you can refer to the old article. Regarding the new features, simply launching the application is enough to breathe a sigh of relief. Loading times have shortened, there are many more active servers, and latency has been reduced to a minimum (in my case, between 15 and 20 milliseconds pretty much everywhere). The game chooses the optimal region for you, but you can switch to your preferred one, also because progress is tied to individual areas.

The Trampler editor seems more practical and detailed to me, and the unlock trees have been made more interesting with the addition of weapons and resources to purchase, as well as new compartments for your mech. The procedures for embarking on an expedition haven't changed, but now you can choose between two modes: the classic one, where you wander aimlessly and extract whenever you want, and a battle royale style one, with the map boundaries gradually shrinking, forcing players to be constantly on the move and engage more often. Rounds of the latter type last about an hour if you want to cash in relatively quickly (or explode badly and lose everything).

Sand's gameplay remains suitable for co-op sessions, say with at least three or four crew members. As before, you can travel solo, although alternating between the helm, turrets, boarding, and raiding is tiring and inefficient, as well as risky. On the other hand, the servers allow you to participate in rounds with a density similar to your group, from all-rounder captains to larger crews. I didn't encounter many people during my matches, but I suppose that's because the title isn't particularly popular as a single-player experience. Communities to find colleagues by sharing your session code are not lacking, but it would be nice to be able to do it directly in-game.

Once on the field, the improvements made since the beta are immediately noticeable. You move more agilely both on deck and up the stairs, the Trampler is more responsive, although it still doesn't handle tighter and more uneven spaces too well, but above all, the graphics engine is more performant. True, I've made some small upgrades to my machine since then, but optimization has definitely improved, with a consistently high frame rate and no drops. Stuttering episodes persist.

The more solid presentation allows for a better appreciation of Sophie's vistas, a truly atmospheric place despite the desolation, and enhances the gunplay, which is already commendable thanks to the excellent sound design. Mutants are more menacing and seem to interact more effectively with the terrain (or at least I haven't seen them unable to bypass an obstacle or stuck in low walls). Every now and then you might even encounter enormous mechanical spiders, eager to charge and blast you with cannons. A welcome addition that can catch you off guard, although sometimes they are found dazed and unresponsive to hits.

Personally, I haven't encountered major problems, however, by sifting through the reviews on Steam, quite a few players complain about disconnections, with consequent loss of loot, and cheaters who pop up inside your house and kick you out by passing through walls. Opinions on this are conflicting, but keep them in mind nonetheless. And keep an eye on the news.

In these two weeks since its debut, Sand has already been optimized with several patches, including fixes, improvements, and balancing, and more are in the pipeline. There is a well-defined roadmap and the will to carry it forward, sales are good, as is the in-game user count. An excellent start, in short, which bodes well for the future of the work. Early access is always a gamble, but the path taken seems to be the right one. As already reiterated in the past, if you have a couple of friends to share the experience with, strongly consider it.