My Most Anticipated Sequel Is A 10/10 Steam Game Made By One Person You Haven't Heard Of (2024)

In the realm of most anticipated sequels, there are probably not many who would put a follow-up to a niche 2013 early-access indie PC game called Kenshi 2 high up on their list. Although the first game has been able to sell over 2.3 million copies since it was originally released, it's certainly been a slow burn for the free-roaming RPG title originally developed by a single man named Chris Hunt, founder of Lo-Fi Games. Now equipped with a squad of over 30 employees, Kenshi 2 is in development, and I couldn't be more excited.

Kenshi achieves something that even the most well-recognized Steam games haven't been able to do — gain a perfect 10/10 score on the platform. Currently sitting at Overwhelmingly Positive rating from over 70,000 reviews, Kenshi is truly one of those hidden gems that get little to no mention in any gaming publications nowadays but did something that few other games have the courage to do today — give players the freedom to do whatever they want.

Kenshi Is The Perfect Kind Of Sandbox

Who Needs Streamlined Controls?

The immediate thing that drew me to the sometimes confounding Kenshi was the sheer amount of customization and RP opportunities in the game. I originally discovered it sometime in 2019, around a year after the full release hit, and since have put nearly 200 hours into the title. The game features a truly a wide-open world where your deepest desires can be fulfilled. Whether it's roaming the wasteland with a savage group of marauding bandits or creating your own self-sufficient society, it's all possible in Kenshi.

While the substantial number of things that can be explored can feel overwhelming, and the game is difficult, boasting a steep learning curve, Kenshi came at a strange time for me in terms of my PC hardware. I was on the lookout for something complex but fun that I could play that wouldn't be overly taxing on my then-outdated system. I am naturally a huge RTS, survival, and RPG fan, and I can't quite remember the exact thing that put me onto the trail of the indie title, but I'm certainly glad I was able to find it in the end.

In Kenshi, you start as a sole individual and are able to select a starting scenario ranging from influence and privilege to the perceived scum of the earth. There's a super high level of customization possible, with challenges on YouTube even showcasing people starting off with no limbs. Oh, right, limb removal is a thing in the game, too — with the loss of a limb having an impact on your character for the entire duration of that campaign — though there are plenty of robotic parts you can use to replace your severed leg or arm (just don't lose your head).

From the character customizer, you're plopped in the middle of an arid desert and must find your way to the nearest city. You can start buying and selling goods to become the region's most renowned trader, level up your combat skills to be a mysterious solo wanderer or start recruiting other NPCs into your party to create your own faction and budding empire. Shown from an isometric view with RPG combat elements akin to auto-attacking in WoW combined with some RTS elements, Kenshi might take some time to get into, but once you do, you'll be hooked.

Kenshi 2 Has A Rich World To Build On

Four Unique Races

The game world, though requiring discovery on the player's part in the first Kenshi, is fleshed out and interesting, with four different races in the Hive, Human, Shek, and Skeleton varieties. The Hive are physically weak bug creatures that make up for it with sheer numbers, while the Shek are a noble warrior race and look like the spawn of an Orc and Dark Elf. The Skeletons are not actual human skeletons but instead a race of humanoid robots who sometimes don't realize they are mechanical. Overall, this produces a pretty remarkable world to explore and investigate.

There are also other NPC factions, like a band of traveling cannibals that should be avoided at all costs earlier in the game, and a group known as the Fishmen, who have a leader aptly named King Gurgler. Ultimately, it'll be up to you on who you decide to recruit and add to the party, though it is possible to create a diverse utopia if desired. Though it did require a few key mods, like being able to increase my number of followers, I was able to follow the kingdom-building path in Kenshi.

Although it did start getting buggy once I acquired too many villagers, I was left pretty impressed with the sheer amount of freedom I had to build and construct my society as I saw fit. There's resource collection, crafting, supply chains, and food production. In many ways, the game resembles survival titles or city builders at times more than an actual RPG — at least in my playthrough, which is part of the charm of the game. It'll change depending on how you decide to play.

There's So Much Potential For Kenshi 2

A New Team & New Engine

Since I originally started playing, I have heard rumors about a Kenshi 2, with the game first announced by the creator Chris Hunt back in 2019. Since then, a lot of good has happened to Lo-Fi Games, with the Bristol UK studio expanding to help support development on the sequel. Perhaps one of the most promising updates was an April Steam blog post that outlined the development of Kenshi 2, including the fact that the game is being built in Unreal Engine 5 — the same game engine that's currently in use for a deluge of recently released and upcoming AAA titles.

Although no release date has been announced, the team is dedicated and actively working on fleshing out the second game, with updates trickling in over time. So far, they've shown off new and impressive models for the Hivers (my favorite race), as well as a few images of updated environments. It seems like the switch from the previously used Ogre 3D engine to the new UE5 may have delayed development as the team ports the content over, but it'll better serve the game in the long run.

There's a very short list of games that have able to build success with just a handful of people, like the success of the Adams brother's Dwarf Fortress, but Kenshi is certainly a lesser-talked-about title that deserves to be on the list as well. Hopefully, Kenshi 2 can retain the expansive, open-ended charm of the first because I'll certainly be buying it to try it out for myself.

Source: Low-Fi Games/Steam, ambiguousamphibian/YouTube