Two months ago, indie developer Above and Beyond announced its plans to switch engine for The Repopulation from Hero Engine to Unreal Engine 4. At the same time, they also revealed Fragmented, a survival spin-off game that will be used as the foundation for The Repopulation in UE4.

　　The news is that Fragmented is almost ready to enter Steam Early Access. There's now a dedicated page on the store with more information on what you can expect in terms of features (if you're familiar with The Repopulation, it's basically a stripped down, survival oriented version of it).

　　You awaken stranded on a hostile alien world, after your journey to colonize the planet takes a catastrophic turn. Armed with only your fists and your wits, you must ensure the survival of the human race. Harvest local resources to get started, and hunt wildlife with crafted weapons to provide food and protection from the elements. As you survive you will gain knowledge and access to important skills to aid in your survival. Unlock advanced technologies to build giant structures, build advanced weaponry and defenses, tame the wildlife, and use it to support your allies or crush your enemies.

　　Fragmented is available in multiple rulesets allowing for PvP focused content, or working together with other players to survive against the environment. Play online or in single player mode. Players will have the option to host their own servers as well and tweak many of the settings to provide an easier experience or a much more harsh experience including hardcore options.

Skills:

　　Construction allows you to create buildings, props, storage containers, and various types of crafting stations.Electronics includes the creation of Electronic Devices, Turrets, Medical Scanners, or Robotics.Melee provides bonuses in melee combat, as well as the creation of melee weapons and tools.Ranged provides bonuses in ranged combat, and allows creation of ranged weapons and grenades.Refining is used to refine raw materials, unlocks harvestables, and creates tools.Subsistence reduces the effects of hunger and thirst, and allows the creation of foods, drinks or medical compounds. It will also include genetic engineering on the high end.Survival increases your health and allows the creation of traps, torches, and campfires.Textiles is used to create armor, clothing, and backpacks.

Harvesting:

　　The Steam page also has a new gameplay video (in low definition, unfortunately) and the official system requirements.

System Requirements

　　OS: 64-Bit OS Required, Windows Vista 64 Bit or NewerProcessor: Dual Core ProcessorGraphics: DX10 GPU with 1GB VRAM: NVidia GTX 460/ AMD Radeon 5850DirectX: Version 10Storage: 10 GB available space

　　RECOMMENDED:

　　OS: 64-Bit OS Required, Windows 7, 8, 10Processor: Quad Core ProcessorGraphics: DX11 GPU with 3GB+ VRAM: NVidia GTX 970/ AMD Radeon 390DirectX: Version 11Storage: 10 GB available space

　　According to the developer, Fragmented (which is free for those who already own The Repopulation) will remain on Early Access for a period between six and twelve months. The developer had previously expressed interest in making the games compatible with VR devices and even consoles, which should be rather easy with UE4.

　　We've also asked them when we can expect The Repopulation, the full fledged Star Wars Galaxies inspired MMORPG, to be back in testing; apparently, Above and Beyond is targeting "the tail end of the year".