Coming later this month, Core Keeper‘s next major update is an exciting one.
Along with adding a new biome, a new ore type, new enemies and new lore, there’s also one major change that we absolutely can’t wait to get our hands on: karting. No, that’s not a typo. Drivable go-karts are coming to Core Keeper. Why? Because the devs know how to have a good time, that’s why.
Before we talk about the karts in more detail, though, let’s talk about the more important stuff coming to Core Keeper‘s latest update, titled Desert of Beginnings. There’s a brand new desert biome – one so big that it even has a sub-biome: a molten quarry. New biomes of course mean a new type of ore (Galaxite), plenty of new items to collect, new decoration pieces, and new enemies.
Ore isn’t normally something we think of as beautiful, but Galaxite really is, and the devs have designed it purposefully to be as eye-catching and pretty as possible. As its name suggests, it’s somewhat space-age in appearance, sparkling like a galaxy full of stars. And like all ores that came before it, it can be used to craft new, better gear like weapons and armour. We can’t wait to get mining it.
The Desert of Beginnings update isn’t just concerned with the new biome, though. It brings game-wide changes across the board, including new music, better base-building options, new tools and more. A brand new bug net lets you catch those little bugs that pervade your screen, like fireflies and beetles which you can then display where you choose. You can also now fish from within a boat or minecart, and more world objects can simply be picked up and added to your inventory.
Being able to add just about anything to your inventory is something that the team at Pugstorm believe to be important. Base-building is a big part of the player experience in Core Keeper, and being able to pick up and move impossibly large structures with a click makes designing your own, personal world and safe space easier than ever. Because while Core Keeper does have clear gameplay progression for those who want it, a large part of the game is giving players freedom to use it as an open sandbox to do as they please.
And that segues very nicely into karting, Desert of Beginnings’ most random but perhaps most exciting update. Findable or craftable in the world, in practical terms, the karts provide a quicker way to get from A to B. But developers hope players use them for more than that. Look around, and you’ll find remains of an old go-karting track. Their hope is that players will use this inspiration to create their own tracks, racing through the world of Core Keeper in multiplayer.
It’s a bizarre concept that perhaps sounds out-of-touch with the rest of the game. But we love it because of that: it shows a glimpse of exactly what it seems Pugstorm have intended Core Keeper to be: a deep and rich world that can be explored and progressed through, but also one that’s designed for entertainment, engaging social activities and, quite simply, having a fun time. We love that, and it just makes us more excited to think about what Core Keeper‘s future holds in store.
Core Keeper‘s Desert of Beginnings update launches on 10th November, free for all players. It’s available on Steam via Early Access.
