Guardians of the Wild Sky wrapped up closed playtests this past week, giving us a first gameplay showcase and new details on updated game lore, mechanics, and most importantly, tamable guardians.

Based on playtester feedback, the game will have lore expanded with new islands, towns, and points of interest, all with larger quest lines designed to keep players engaged and excited to explore further. Along with that come new mechanics: farming, crafting, base building, and fishing. The classic survival mechanics are all here. On top of those, you’ll find a new, fresh take when you begin training guardians, as they bring special skills to aid your survival, such as gliding and helping in combat. There are even fluffy bombs you can toss into battle. Or take control of the guardian, as seen in the video below, and lay waste to your enemies.

Then there is the building. Do you want to fly around in your base? Sure, you can do that. There are also updated building mechanics that allow you to rotate pieces, allowing you more control over your building pieces. Airships give you spots that will enable you to build on as well, so you’re not limited to building only on the ground. The ability to create anywhere, or almost anything, opens up possibilities for building massive structures. Along with an Airship that acts as a mobile base, which allows for quick resource runs as well as exploration.

Guardians of the Wild Sky doesn’t just bring a new take on the survival genre; it adds to it, with not only the rotating building parts but also the airship and its size. Capturing creatures or having a team that follows you around isn’t new. However, Blue Isle Studios ensures that it feels different and immersive while taking feedback seriously and implementing numerous changes after the playtest. Elements we sometimes take for granted in survival games are instead tweaked just enough to breathe new life into what might otherwise be a mundane mechanic. Features include feeding and caring for the guardians, airship battles, crew management, breeding systems, and a vibrant world that looks amazing so far.

The world itself is colorful and vibrant with flying whales, jellyfish, islands, and creatures to find. With a codex-like system, you’re given so many tools to explore. You shouldn’t have any problems finding all the guardians. Discover deserts, forests, waterfronts, and sky islands. What seems interesting here is that all the biomes and creatures we’ve seen so far seem so alien. However, within the context of the game, they just fit. The creatures don’t seem fantastic or strange. They fit within the graphics, gameplay, and context of the game. This helps ground the game, yet still gives Blue Isle Studios room to do something different.

Guardians of the Wild Sky promises to be a wild ride in the sky, as the developers plan to announce an open playtest soon for players who requested access on Steam.