Raiders of the Broken Planet is bigger and better than ever, courtesy of a stellar free update

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Raiders of the Broken Planet is a strange egg, but in a good way, with its oddball cast and mechanics making it all the more endearing. That said, the episodic sci-fi shooter has been held back by a few core issues as a result; from endless matchmaking instances and overly expensive character unlocks, to a lack of concrete progression and little in the way of encouragement to engage with its asymmetrical multiplayer. Now, courtesy of a sizeable free update built on community feedback, each and every one of these problems has been admirably addressed.

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by Sam Sant

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@SlamShotSam

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A core refresh is evident as soon as you reach the new Overwatch-style main menu, which places Raiders’ inspired character designs front and centre. Added tutorial videos bring newbies up to speed in areas where the game had previously struggled - namely backstory and deeper mechanics - in addition to outlining the new changes for returning players.

Perhaps most significant is the new quick play option, which helps to usher you into the thick of it at a comparative snip, thanks to the addition of featured missions to funnel players together and a slight-but-significant tweak in allowing access to all missions within an owned campaign from the off.

By making a conscious effort to bring players together, a new rating system is allowed to come into play. Displayed as a percentage, this essentially serves as a dynamic difficulty scaler, dictating who you’re matched with and the level of challenge posed by the CPU. As your rating ebbs and flows with each victory and loss, you’ll settle into a catered sweet spot, but you’re encouraged not to settle there, as the quality and quantity of post-mission rewards directly correlates to your standing.

Raiders has been held back by a few core issues, but now, courtesy of a sizeable free update, each and every one has been admirably addressed.

Whilst those specific rewards are much the same as before (currencies and weapon blueprints), there’s now a more conventional progression system on top. You’ll earn experience points proportional to your performance, with each gained rank bestowing unlocks and passive gameplay boons that apply across all characters.

It’s a much needed motivator and a leap in the right direction when it comes to Raiders’ ensured longevity, but considering the fact everyone starts at ground zero, some veterans may take issue with the implementation. Everything that’s previously been bought remains readily available, but say you were close to acquiring a specific character with in-game funds, you may now need to reach a heady level just to qualify for the purchase. Considering all character unlock costs have been slashed in half, however, that should be a relatively easy pill to swallow.

Levelling can be accelerated with the purchase of experience multipliers - though returning players should find that they already have a few in stock, free of charge - and also by splitting your time between the roles of Raider and Antagonist in an effort to maintain a 50/50 balance in the new Aequilibrium War. As your assigned group edge closer towards achieving equilibrium, all of its members will receive a greater experience boost, encouraging the playerbase to engage with both sides of Raiders’ criminally underutilised asymmetric multiplayer. Having also brought the rewards for playing as a solo Antagonist into line with those offered to co-op Raiders, being the bad guy is now the deviously attractive prospect it should have been from the start.

The new progression system is a much needed motivator and a leap in the right direction when it comes to Raiders’ ensured longevity.

All of these changes are squarely aimed at making the game more accessible, without compromising the level of challenge that attracted players in the first place. One final addition of note, the Forge, further attains that goal by allowing the customisation of firearms to fit different play styles, provided you first get your hands on an advanced blueprint.

​MercurySteam have likened pre-patch Raiders of the Broken Planet to an early access version of the game, which is a strong way to put it, but they‘ve most certainly eclipsed their initial offering. It’s very easy to imagine ways in which AAA publishers might’ve squeezed money out of their following for such an overhaul, or just kept it back for a sequel, but that isn’t this Spanish studio’s style. With a “dizzying” rate of updates promised moving forward, now’s certainly an exciting time to be a part of the growing Raiders community.

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Raiders’ biggest update yet accompanied the release of its latest premium campaign, Hades Betrayal, which we’ll be sharing our thoughts on very soon. Until then, if you’re eager to give the game a try, you can click the banner below for a chance to win free access to Hades Betrayal on PS4!