The Sequel to the Exciting Top-Down Action Game, Crashlands 2, Has Been Announced

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Almost eight years have passed since the release of Crashlands, a top-down action-exploration game about an interstellar truck driver who crash-lands on an alien planet. There, he makes friends and enemies, builds things, and sets the world right in his relentless pursuit to get back to his job, and we will be able to experience all of this again in Crashlands 2.

At first glance, Crashlands 2 looks similar to its predecessor, enriched with sharper and brighter graphics. However, Sam Coster from the studio Butterscotch Shenanigans points out that there are significant changes that aren’t immediately visible. The biggest innovation lies in the fact that the entire world of Crashlands 2 is “hand-built,” in contrast to relying on procedural systems. Coster claims this change allows the studio to deliver a “richer experience with more to explore, deeper character relationships, and an abundance of surprises.”

Character interactions in Crashlands 2 have been expanded compared to the previous game. Instead of merely playing the role of quest-givers or passive figures, certain NPCs in Crashlands 2 seek friendship. You can now form bonds, hang out with them, invite them to stay with you, and gather useful advice from them. Of course, crafting remains crucial to the game, and for those who don’t prefer making friends, combat options are also available.

“The first two years of developing this game were spent building tools, testing systemic designs, experimenting with art styles and processes, essentially overhauling our studio’s overall gamedev approach so that we could actually pull this game off. A hand-built world with ecology, where creatures attack each other, plants react to the environment, and so on, was at the core of the whole project.”

Sam Coster for PC Gamer

Crashlands 2 is expected to be released in 2024 on Steam and on mobile devices via Netflix.