One of the only things that’s more satisfying than building a masterpiece in the best sandbox games is then destroying your creation in spectacular fashion. Besiege is a game that excels at both sides of the coin, as its ‘overwhelmingly positive’ 95% Steam rating attests, and developer Spiderling Studios has just dropped a surprise update with some incredible changes. A huge wealth of new objects for the level editor, a dramatic upgrade to the size of multiplayer maps, and an alternate camera mode are the highlights, but there’s even more to look forward to – and there’s even a Steam sale discount if you’re new.
The launch of new expansion Besiege: The Splintered Sea is a great reason to check back in with one of Steam’s best sandbox games. The introduction of water levels is a fantastic additional dynamic that further ramps up the possibilities for creative ways to solve the problems placed before you. Following the DLC’s success, Spiderling Studios has just released another major update, Besiege 1.6, which is focused on the level editor and quality-of-life features.
“The core focus of this update was adding additional objects to the level editor and bringing some of the more complex, heavily requested items to it as well,” Spiderling explains. In total, you can expect more than 120 new objects in the editor, including the first set of complex objects such as the galleon ship. The team has also reorganized object categories and improved many of the item thumbnails “to make objects easier to find and understand.”
If you’re concerned how DLC ownership will affect your creation, Spiderling says it’s tried its best to avoid potential conflicts. “Whenever possible we’ve tried to give everyone access to Splintered Sea objects, to avoid situations where players accidentally create maps that require the expansion without realizing it. That means that we’ve only locked off objects that are very obviously from the expansion (such as the squid, sharks, ships, etc.),” it says.
Among the additions are the aforementioned galleon, the base game’s airships, and all the game’s NPC cannons, which you can place on any of these vehicles. When implemented, you can set them to chase and attack players as you wish. There are 24 new buildings and structure components, along with 45 props, “most of which come from Splintered Sea but are available to all Besiege players.”
You’ll also have every single destructible wall piece from the campaign, along with all the banners, “which should allow for the creation of more interesting and varied fortresses.” Primitive objects useful for building the likes of roads, ramps, and circuits have been upgraded, with a wider variety of materials and textures including all those seen in the campaign along with “some extra ones we felt could be useful.”
There are more animals and NPCs – in particular the likes of the Splintered Sea critters, including that signature giant squid. Foliage and environmental objects have been reorganized with clearer icons to help you quickly find the ones you want. Finally, there’s the option to create connecting joints, finish lines for racing events, and zero-gravity zones.
That’s not even the end of the additions, as Spiderling confirms it’s been able to double the size of the playable area in Multiverse multiplayer sessions, giving you way more space to experiment in. There’s a new camera setting that keeps it from passing through large objects or terrain, which is helpful if you’re aiming to create maps that require close control in tight spaces. Rounding out the update are options to color-shift the overall UI and a saturation slider to adjust the game’s overall color intensity.
“That’s all for this update, but we’ve got the Block and Ten-Year Anniversary updates coming in the next few months, so stay tuned,” Spiderling says in closing. “We hope you enjoy our revamp of the level editor and we look forward to seeing the new, exciting levels you create with it.” If you’re eager to jump in or pick up the DLC, you can even do so at a discount courtesy of an ongoing Steam sale.
Besiege is 75% off on Steam until Saturday November 2, meaning you’ll pay just $3.74 / £3.19. You can also get the Splintered Sea expansion for 20% off ($7.19 / £6.39), or get the pair together at a combined 61% saving ($9.29 / £8.14).
For even more creativity, you can explore the best building games. If you’re a big fan of Besige’s old-school aesthetic, perhaps consider giving the best medieval games a go.
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