When you’re stuck on a blight-ridden island with no hope of survival, it’s understandable you’d feel a certain amount of desperation. In Serum that desperation manifests itself in the titular goo that you pump through your body. Normally, I’d be against putting untested scientific liquids in your veins, but in this game it’s the only way to stay alive. So I recommend loading up on green goo as this survival sim has just entered early access.
If you want to imagine what Serum is like, take a pinch of survival games like Sons Of The Forest and mix it in with some good FPS action from a game like BioShock, and you’ll be in the ballpark. Playing as a man named Adam, you’re stranded on an island filled with terrifying beasts and the only way to keep blood pumping through your veins is to mix up some of the mysterious Serum the game takes its name from. Sometimes this’ll give you superpowers, sometimes it’ll make survival all but impossible, but you need it to keep the ever-present Blight from killing you.
Along with the central Serum mechanic, you’ll also be indulging yourself in trying to stay alive through more traditional survival sim methods. You’ll craft weapons, hunt down enemies, gather resources, and slowly learn how to survive as you try to learn the secret at the core of this misbegotten island.
Released today into early access, Serum also unleashed a content roadmap for the following months. This should give players an idea of what to expect as the game proceeds to its full launch, as well as an indication of the developer’s priorities. Firstly quality of life fixes are under the microscope, with achievements and a full UI revamp on the cards. A new biome is coming, the canyon promises to be a dry zone unlike anything else seen in the game. Finally, co-op mode is coming, allowing for up to four players to work together against the worst Serum can throw at you.
If you’d like to learn more about the upcoming year, head over to the Steam page to get the full content roadmap lowdown. Should you want to head to this mysterious island in search of survival, Serum is out now in Steam Early Access and you can save 20% as an introductory offer until Thursday, June 6.
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