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Get your backhoe to Mars in JCB Pioneer: Mars

by: Randy -
More On: JCB Pioneer: Mars

You want a survival sim? I've got one for you. JCB Pioneer: Mars. It heads into Steam Early Access sometime this summer.

First of all, getting stripped down to your skivvies to survive anyplace on Earth still sounds less dangerous than having a full astronaut suit on Mars. Unless you're Matt Damon in The Martian, survival is by no means guaranteed.

Second of all, what is the "JCB" in JCB Pioneer: Mars? JCB is the world's third-largest manufacturer of construction equipment. I had to look them up. I tend to see more Pape and Cat heavy equipment in the Western U.S. But these JCB-designed heavy duty construction and mining vehicles look great.

I think this teaser trailer relies too much on a dust storms! electrical storms! and meteor showers! level of danger, when really they had me at "survival and construction gameplay set on the hostile, alien planet of Mars."

Gotta admit, it's a little weird that I'd have to really love me some backhoe action to prep the landscape—when it looks like giant 3D printers handle all the rest of the construction stuff within minutes. Shrug. I'll have to see more. Also, the JCB branding on every single thing feels over the top, but okay? If you contributed enough to a game's development to have it appear before both "Pioneer" and "Mars" in a game title, then I guess you probably get to have your logo plastered on everything by construction-grade 3D printers.

Also, the astrophysicist you see popping up in the corner is Dr. Maggie Lieu, research fellow at the European Space Agency, who provided science-y advice during the game's development (starting as far back as 2015), and who's also on the short list for the first manned mission to Mars. Respect due.

JCB Pioneer: Mars enters Steam Early Access this summer.

Hard Science Meets Survival Sandbox In JCB Pioneer: Mars Coming To PC This Summer

Experience The Hostility Of The Red Planet As You Colonize It With The Help Of Custom Made JCB Vehicles

Liverpool, United Kingdom - July 10th - Independent studio, Atomicom and publisher GamesCo, today announced that JCB Pioneer: Mars, its survival sandbox game, will launch on Steam Early Access this summer. Set on the titular red planet, JCB Pioneer: Mars asks the player to utilize hard science in their attempts to successfully colonize its dusty wilds. Taking the wheel of futuristic, ultra-rugged JCB vehicles, players must explore the alien landscape, mine precious materials, construct large-scale buildings and research new technologies to ensure humanity’s future lies beyond planet Earth. Esteemed astrophysicist, Dr Maggie Lieu, provided advice to Atomicom during the development process, as well as making an in game cameo appearance. View the teaser trailer for a taste of things to come: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTZlh_R3jiI&feature=youtu.be

“We want to give players a hardcore survival experience, one based based on what an early human colonization of Mars may actually look like,” said Andy Santos, Design Director of Atomicom. “We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure that the game is as realistic as possible while retaining the sense of adventure an early explorer of Mars would feel.”

“We are hugely excited to partner with Atomicom and GamesCo on JCB Pioneer: Mars,” said Worldwide Marketing Director, Michael Plummer. “It’s been a wonderful experience to see our visionary design and engineering team craft vehicles for future space colonization. We are delighted that this will bring JCB to the attention of a future generation of potential customers, enabling them to use machinery on Mars before using them on earth."

JCB Pioneer: Mars begins as the player awakes from a crash, surrounded by the wreckage of their Lander vehicle amidst falling debris and hurtling winds. Survival is the first goal–the location of oxygen and the establishment of an outpost. As the player slowly begins to establish themselves on Mars, learning to combat the planets fierce and hostile weather patterns, they’ll begin a larger operation of colonization. Life-support infrastructure is crucial but so to is the mining of natural resources, part of a broader mission to save an ailing Earth.

JCB Pioneer: Mars is a hardcore blend of survival and construction gameplay set on the hostile, alien planet. Meteor strikes, dust clouds and electrical storms all threaten the player’s survival and chances of a successful colonization effort. But equipped with the futuristic, heavy-duty construction and mining vehicles specifically designed by JCB Engineers, every would be astronaut has a chance of surviving and thriving in the face of extreme planetary challenges.

View the teaser trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTZlh_R3jiI&feature=youtu.be
Visit JCB Pioneer: Mars’ website: https://www.jcbpioneer.com/
Visit JCB Pioneer: Mars’ Twitter: @JCBPioneer