Almost a year after the initial release and three months after the first preview, the planned major update to Shattered 2 is now released and ready to play! If you've been following along, you probably already have an idea of what this update brings, but as a quick recap...

Sidequests

This is the banner feature of banner features. There are now three sidequests in the game. They vary in length and content, but two of the three can be completed multiple ways with different outcomes and with different approaches. Each quest has considerable dialogue, often with new characters that have different lots in life and views of the world. Although they have no bearing on the main quest, each of the sidequests grants a bonus to help you on your way.

Collectibles

Another major addition is a collectibles system and, of course, text and visual collectibles that show various aspects of the world. Some collectibles are unlocked by exploring or interacting with things in the world, while others are unlocked via dialogue. Collectibles are persistent and can be perused from the Codex in the main menu even once the game is over.

Achievements

The last of the three major additions is achivements. This is an updated version of a system I've had in previous games, but I didn't have time to actually add achievements to this one the first time around. Some achievements are granted just by progressing through the game, while others require straying off the beaten path and thinking outside the box.

Other Changes

Sidequests, collectibles, and achievements are the banner features, but there have been a lot of tweaks, fixes, and small additions. There's a new Temple worldspace which contains two quest givers and gives some insight into the religion of the region. There's a secret level, if you can find it. The Bailey has been tweaked to be a little less punishing especially on lower difficulties.

Final Notes

This update brings in a lot of the stuff that was planned for Shattered 2 from the beginning, but just didn't make it in for one reason or another. It doesn't bring in everything, and some of what did make it in is in reduced form, but I think the new additions do a good job of fleshing out the setting and pushing the player to step off the path of the main quest a bit, two things which were lacking in the initial release.

Will there be another major update? The answer to that is no, but a soft no. I don't have any plans for another update, I'm not sure what would be in it, and at this point I'm itching to move on to other projects. But with all that being said, I have randomly updated old projects in the past, so who knows?

You can download the update here. It is strongly recommended that you start a new game for the updated version, though it is possible to load a save from the initial release or update preview releases.