You wouldn't know it from the entirely mundane numbering scheme, but Vostok Games says the latest update to its online survival-shooter Survarium, taking it to version 0.47, is a particularly important one. The reason is simple: Along with a new game mode, character animations, and new weapons, it also includes the game's first PvE story mission.
The mission, set in a completely new location, will serve as a tutorial for newcomers, although the developer hopes that experienced players will find something to like in there too—And if not the tutorial, then the studio's commitment to making more co-op story missions "in the foreseeable future." Which is really what sells it for me: My interest in Survarium is rooted first and foremost in its similarity to Stalker, the game it emerged from five long years ago, and so it's great to finally see it taking some real steps in that direction.
The update also adds a new game mode called Slaughter, which is basically team deathmatch set on smaller, more restrictive maps for "maximum action and a lot of kills per minute," new animations for characters using bandages, medkits, and antitoxins, two new weapons (the KS-23M shotgun and a drum-fed PPSh), five new map variations, and a long list of tweaks and balance changes. A full list of all the changes is up at survarium.com.
