It was 2017 when Paradox Interactive first announced Surviving Mars, a colony-building and management experience set on the Red Planet. Eight years later, a remaster is incoming, and it is touting everything from enhanced graphics to brand-new features.
The original mission of making Mars habitable by humans in the long term remains the same in this remaster. This involves setting up a small colony in the hostile environment, bringing in more colonists from Earth, having enough resources to sustain them, and hopefully thriving.
This release will contain all the post-launch DLC from the original as well, including Space Race, Project Laika, and Green Planet, as well as all the remaining minor additions like radio stations. Alongside a graphics and lighting overhaul, a complete UI rework is also being touted, which should let players have easy access to their city management tools.
As for the brand-new gameplay feature, a Martian Assembly is incoming, adding colony factions with political aspects. "Colonists will adopt agendas and personal demands, allowing players to shape the society of their colonies’ future," explains the announcement today. "Establish laws and policies, and even push for full independence from Earth."
Paradox also revealed that this Relaunched edition will include "expansive" modding support for community creations. This includes creating their own buildings, parks, and mysteries to find using the developer"s modding tools. The modding platform will be cross-platform too, letting even console players install them from in-game, much like with other modern Paradox titles.
Interestingly, the original game"s developer, Haemimont Games, is returning to make this remastered experience. Abstraction Games had taken over the development of Surviving Mars back in 2021 to continue adding new content and expansions to the title, a studio known for its support work for high-profile titles.
Surviving Mars: Relaunched does not have a release date just yet, with Paradox simply saying it will be coming soon to platforms PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. While it will cost $39.99 to purchase new, owners of the original Surviving Mars will be able to jump in for half the price at $19.99.