Kenshi - Released
 

Finally the sandbox RPG Kenshi has been released

More information.

Apparently it's a sandbox with no story or quests which means it's not for me nor those who need a story.
If this isn't correct, please gimme a nudge so I can buy it, I like the style.

I have Kenshi in my game library for a long time now - the Steam reviews are very positive - I have no excuses for not playing it anymore …

Yes, it would not fit you if a story is a mandatory point for you

I bought this game way way back before it was even a Steam release. Barely played it back then - seemed to be too little to do - but what I see now seems to be way more fleshed out and polished (which you'd expect, all these years later).

Might try it out again today and report back.

Looks interesting but I'm not completely sold on the idea of just going around creating my own story. Most of these games end up being pretty dull.

Mount&Blade certainly isn't dull, so of it's anything close to that experience I'll buy it.

This video tells you what to expect:

I still have version 0.65.1 installed. Time to install version 1.0 :) .

How's the performance? I've heard it had performance issues in beta, and I did download a demo to see how it runs a year ago and it had huge performance problems even with my 1060. If I remember correctly, shadows didn't work correctly and turning them on would tank the fps. I assume it's fixed by now.

@HiddenX, I'm allergic to videos. Any Watchers who've tried it out recently and want to give some impressions?

I'm on it bro :dance:

Installing it on Steam as I type.
Found the original (non-Steam) version I had 0.21.1 from 2012!

It's a game I follow since 2015. I was typing some text but actually just go to Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/233860/Kenshi/

The reviews say it all. It is a great great game, with some learning curve, but rewarding.

Seems to have TES vibe… but with more survival focus?

This one was on my list that I never actually thought would exit early access status. Good on them!!

Ok, first (well, not really, but might as well be after so long) impressions…

Graphical issue at start-up: wouldn't set to 1920x1080 properly in full-screen, no matter what I did, or after restarts. Setting it to borderless window worked fine though.

You control characters like you do in, say, NWN: RTwP; r-click to move anywhere; drag around multiple to move all at once (if you've hired anyone). Couldn't find a way of selecting all via their character portraits - might need to look that up.

It initially feels very empty, but after a couple of mins wandering aimlessly in the dusty city I start in, things start to happen.
First person I talk to tells me to mind my business. I have several dialog options, including "cracking my knuckles". I play it safe and mind my own business.

I find a local thieves' guild, but can’t afford the joining fee.
Luckily an opportunity for getting some cash presents itself!

All of a sudden a bunch of the thieves jump up and run for the city gates. I follow them and find a large melee occurring between denizens of the city and desert bandits. As people die around the fringes of the battle I raid their belongings, and take them to a nearby tavern to sell. Rinse and repeat several times (it was a BIG melee). Hmmm… still not enough money to join the guild…

I find some old geezer in the tavern who wants to go on an adventure to find some legendary something-a-rather. I say "why not?", after all, I can't afford the two other retainer-types I've talked to.

I wander out into the desert, straight into a band of bandits (in my defense, when everyone is dressed in rags and colours are variations of brown, it's hard to tell who are allies and who are not).
Fights are very passive, involved pausing and r-clicking on who you wanted to engage next, as per usual in RWtP games. It’s hard to tell what’s going on in the flailing about, other than we’re not doing too well. We don't last long.

I was expecting to see a "game over" screen, but apparently we are playing dead until the bandits move on.
My character is crippled in the legs, so can only drag himself along in the desert sand, trailing a pink bloody slug trail.
The old geezer came off better (interesting, considering he faked death well before I did - the cowardly/wiley bastard!). He gets up, dusts himself off, and laughs about playing dead. He follows after my bloody smear, chanting "KILL! KILL! KILL!".

WTF? :D

8/10, would die again.

Edit: Anyway, it's still a slightly clunky game, but looks like there might be plenty to do. Gonna play some more and see what I can get out of it over the next few hours. Haven't even looked at crafting yet.

I HAVE got to get this game! This looks like something I've been wanting to play for a very, very long time.

It might just be one of the best games ever made! My hopes for it are very high and the fact that it's single player and moddable is even more goodness.

Thank you so much for reporting on it :)

Just be prepared to die A LOT until you get the hang of things.
And wrestle with some clunkiness.

I'm really glad this game apparently turned out pretty well. I think it was here at the Watch I first read about it many years ago. The dev was crazy ambitious, so much so it just seemed wrong not to back it. By the way, the dev did an admirable job handling the transition to Steam for early backers. I've seen that go so much worse.

I think this one is up next for me. I'm such a sucker for sandboxes and especially ones with this kind of "emergent gameplay," as they like to call it these days.

Thanks @Shagnak! Your post and @ChatMiauleurs tip to browse some Steam reviews made up my mind. Buying this.