Precursors has been released on Steam. Up until now it was only available on Gamersgate.

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Game Features

• Unique gameplay: mix of RPG/FPS/Space simulator.
• Very different planets to walk around absolutely free.
• More than 250 diversified quests.
• Partly organic weapons with ammunition that must be bred.
• Controllable spaceships, robots and other vehicles.
• Stunning space battles with boarding included.
• Big number of unusual enemies (Plants, Insects, Birdmen, etc).
• Trading possibilities with complex circulation of goods.
• Interaction with hundreds of NPC of different Alien races.
• Real-time weather effects, day/night and atmosphere changes

Precursors is on sale for 50% off at Gamersgate - I'm not up on the best version to buy but head to our dedicated Deep Shadows forums for the best advice and details of Wesp's patch. White Gold is similarly on sale.

There's a very short review of Precursors at PC Gamer, with the lowly score of 47%:

The Precursors doesn’t make it compelling. You don’t get new toys to play with. You can’t do anything meaningful with all the cash except stock up on medkits and missiles. You’re left with the urge to play a better space trader like X3: Reunion, or a better sci-fi RPG like Mass Effect 2. Do that instead.

Wesp of Vampire: Bloodlines fame has turned his attention to Precursors, with v1.3 of his Unofficial Patch now available.  You can read about it on our forums, directly from Wesp.

For those who aren't aware and are interested in Deep Shadows' games (Boiling Point, Precursors, White Gold), we recently opened a new forum section and modders are actively posting, so if you want information or help on these games, check it out.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Jim Rossignol has reviewed Precursors, the Deep Shadows scifi-shooter-RPG recently released by GamersGate - long after the original Russian release.  For those that recall, Jim is similarly enthused to Kieren Gillen with Boiling Point several years ago but you'll need to be prepared for a bumpy ride:

Look, we’ve been talking about games for a while now, so you probably know what to expect from me: I’ll put up with a lot of nonsense if there’s something interesting to be gleaned from a game’s fundamentals. I just want an interesting experience. I don’t mind it being messy or peculiar, so long as there’s something chewy in the centre. That’s pretty much what’s going on here: Precursors is an absurdly ambitious project undertaken by a team that didn’t really have a hope of pulling it off. Except they kind of did. It’s clunky and quirky and unpolished, and that doesn’t really matter. Precursors actually does work, despite having being impossibly amateurish in places, and having a constant, base-level wonkiness to it that makes you expect it to grind to halt at any moment. As I write this I’ve not yet finished the game off, so a broken quest could stop me – and it already almost did, but I bodged my way through – and that is the philosophy here: bodge onwards and sample the unlikely variety of experiences that Precursors contains, including a number of serious problems.

Wesp (of Vampire: Bloodlines Unofficial Patch fame) recently said on our forums he'll continue to work on Precursors, so I'm going to wait to see where that goes after a while before taking the plunge.

These came faster than I expected, so I missed their release a couple of days back.  As promised, Precursors and Xenus 2: White Gold from Deep Shadows have both hit GamersGate.  Some of our forum posters suggest there may be issues with ATI cards and the level of patching is unclear, so at $29.95 each, I'd suggest you do your due diligence.  Still, I enjoyed Boiling Point (the original Xenus) enough back in the day, so they may be worth a look.

News via Worthplaying that Precursors and White Gold will be coming to the digital distribution system Gamersgate (and Gamestreamer, which I don't know).  I can't see them on the site yet but it should be soon:

Game Factory Interactive presents Christmas and New Year gifts to all players launching the long-awaited FPS/RPG games Precursors and Xenus II: White Gold. Have cool, exciting and unforgettable holidays with Caribbean drug mafiosos under high palms or among alien civilizations of far galaxies!!!

Apparently the Russian release of Precursors is getting close, although no news of international versions.  From the Deep Shadows site:

«Russobit-m» and Deep Shadows announces that project «Precursors» is to be released in Russia on 4th of December 2009.

Gamershell adds a page of screenshots to their gallery for Deep Shadows post-apoc sci-fi title, Precursors. they appear to be different than the last batch we posted, and you can view them here.

Worthplaying adds a number of (hopefully) new screenshots to their gallery for Precursors, the sci-fi title in development by Deep Shadows. You can view them here.

Worthplaying has nine new Precursors screens on offer, showing a new location called "Sunaks".

The Deep Shadows blog is pointing out a Precursors interview at Russian site StopGame.  I'd normally pass by but the little translated snippet caught my eye because I hadn't realised this spacefaring RPG-shooter only featured five planets:

There will be five planets in "Precursors". All planets are different by flora, fauna, relief and hostile creatures. There is the planet, covered by jungle and ponds. There is the planet with great part of it in kind of desert with few oases. There is the planet, similar to Mars...

If any readers want to chime in with observations or translations, throw in the comments.

Worthplaying posts 12 new screenshots for Deep Shadows' sci-fi title The Precursors. You can check them out here.

Worthplaying has added 16 screens to their gallery for Deep Shadows' The Precursors. You can view them here along with the usual game synopsis.

Eurogamer has added a fourth trailer and some new screenshots to their game page for Deep Shadows'  The Precursors. You can check it out here .

Deep Shadows' blog has a (very) brief profile of Precursors composer Michael Kotov and you can grab some samples here.

Twenty new Precursors screens are on offer at Worthplaying.

Deep Shadows has released a third Precurors trailer to YouTube, offering two minutes of in-game footage showing off ground combat, vehicles, mechs, one dialogue and space-faring scenes.

In related news, Deep Shadows has announced the addition of multi-core CPU support to their games (thanks Worthplaying):

Deep Shadows, known for Atari's Boiling Point, announced that it successfully implemented full-fledged support for multi-core processor systems, based on Intel Threading Building Blocks 2.0 (TBB), to its current multiplatform titles Precursors and White Gold.

After joining the Intel® Software Partner Program, Deep Shadows decided that their in-house Vital Engine and games created on its base should fully support multi-threading and the use of multi-core processors. This is especially important for Xbox360 products, which must use all 3 processor cores of the console. At the same time, Intel Corporation provided a convenient and easy-to-use option for the developer – Intel® TBB 2.0.

Kieron Gillen has written a Precursors preview for PC Gamer UK, which is now up at CVG.  It's a short, general overview piece, so if you've been following Deep Shadows' work there won't be any surprises:

Amusingly, the one area where Precursors is more down to earth than White Gold is its airborne units. You'll find few of these when you're planetside. That's because when it becomes to aerial endeavours, Precursors is aiming at a higher target. The crucial difference between the two games is a Big Place. The Biggest Place, in fact: space.

Rather than just auto-travelling between worlds, you're put in the pilot's seat of your ship, and enter a Freespace-styled space-sim. You can move freely and explore, getting in trouble with pirates, trading, upgrading your vessel and so on. So it's Deus Ex meets KotOR meets Freelancer. See what I mean about 'ambitious'?

RPGVault  posts the second part of their interview with Dmitry Lysenko and Irina "Ika" Snisarenko of Deep Shadows on their upcoming space-themed RPG hybrid, The Precursors:

Jonric: Will there be many quests or missions for the hero to undertake? Will it be possible to complete them in different ways?

Dmitry Lysenko: The quests and missions are the base of any RPG, and The Precursors is no exception. You will be able to complete different quests in space and on the planets. Many can be done in various ways. 

For example, the village residents ask you to solve a conflict with bandits. You have a few possibilities for dealing with this task. You can simply shoot them all, or somehow force them to leave the community in peace, or you can even cooperate with them in order to earn some easy money.

That's how it works. We have a lot of scenario quests based on conversation and manipulation instead of pure combat. Anyway, if you want to be aggressive, you can, and you will get what you want. If you're tired of combat and want to solve problems with knowledge and communication - try it; maybe that will work out too.

RPGVault's Jonric has a Q & A up with team members Dmitry Lysenko and Irina "Ika" Snisarenko of Deep Shadows on their upcoming RPG hybrid, The Precursors:

  Jonric: As an introduction to The Precursors, what kind of game will it be in terms of its core concept, and what types of play will it offer?

Dmitry Lysenko: Precursors is a mix of genres including free play RPG, first-person combat and space simulation action. In practice, the player will take part in exciting adventures that are being developed using classic RPG rules. You'll receive various quests, upgrade your character, find and deal with numerous troubles, participate in confrontations between various factions while choosing your favorite side, and much more. The game is based on the idea of free play, thus nothing will drag you along the plot when you want to explore the world in detail. You can feel free to stop your progress on the main quest line at any time, and spend your time trading, fighting or leveling your hero...

Jonric: What elements will RPG fans relate to, and how important are they within the overall game design and scope of play?

Irina Snisarenko: This is a real RPG in terms of its structure. We have firearms instead of swords, bionic weapons rather than magic, and spaceships and robots in place of mounts. All the other elements are true to the classical features - quests, leveling and upgrades, trade and relations with NPCs and factions, etc. They are parts of a larger structure, so they can all be viewed as core elements, and very important for player.

Also, true RPG fans are free to play any role; they can be good, evil or neutral, and the choice will affect the gameplay in a variety of ways.

GamersHell has added 5 hopefully new screens to their gallery for Deep Shadows' space-themed FPS/RPG, Precursors, showing off some of the terrain and combat.

Deep Shadows' blog has three Precursors screens on offer that show a change they've made to health bars for the space combat part and asking for player feedback on the new direction.

A trailer for Deep Shadows' Precursors is available at VoodooExtreme showing off space navigation and combat, ground combat (complete with an amusing shrink-ray) and lots of different vehicles traversing rather generic terrain.  No sign of the RPG features, unfortunately. 

Following on from the White Gold screens yesterday, Deel Shadows has kicked up five new Precursors nudies at their blog.

More Precursors screens at Deep Shadows official site for the game, this time offering up some pretty ship explosions.

Four new space-faring screens from Precursors have been kicked up at Deep Shadows.

New screens from Precursors are up at Deep Shadows' official site.

Deep Shadows has upped some rather colourful space shots from Precursors.

In vaguely related news, there's a single new screen on offer for Deep Shadows other project, White Gold.  This one is a topless shot of the red bikini girl we've seen before if you're into some digital nudity.

Deep Shadows' blog site has a short Precursors screenshot feature with six screens of races/factions on offer. 

Deep Shadows has kicked up a pair of new Precursors screens, showing off the space exploration, as well as an entry in their encyclopaedia for the corvette ship "Vultur".

Deep Shadows has two new items at their official blog - the Precursors Encyclopaedia has an entry for the Clatz race and there's a dev profile for "HoBoT".

Deep Shadows has kicked up two renders of robots from their upcoming space-faring action/RPG, Precursors.

Deep Shadows' official blog has an update on Precursors, with details of the first planet that players can visit.

Deep Shadows has added an Encyclopaedia section to the Precursors site, although only vehicles are in it at this time.  We'll let you know as more content is added.

Deep Shadows has tossed up a profile for level designer and environmental artist Alexander "Burunduk" Goncharuk.

In addition to White Gold, Deep Shadows has a music sample for Precursors available.

Deep Shadows has released four new screens from their space-faring action/RPG, Precursors.

A brief preview of Precursors is up at CVG, offering a quick overview of the game:

Made using the same engine as White Gold (even so far as to share an inventory screen layout), The Precursors is attempting to dance the dangerous trans-genre tango: a sci-fi first-person shooter to begin with, set across several open environments, but turning into a space-'em up with Freelancer-inspired sections, in which you take part in full-on spaceship warfare with lasers and explosions.

Deep Shadows new Precursors site has a bunch of new screens showing off their space-faring RPG/FPS.

Polish site Gry.o2.pl has an interview with Deep Shadows' PR manager Dmitry Lisenko on Precursors:

Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): How big will be the world of The Precursors for the players in the game and what sorts of locations and settings they will be able to explore?

Dmitriy Lisenko (Deep Shadows): The game world is vast - ten different planets, about fifty square kilometers to explore on each. There are also numerous space stations, and, of course, open space.

Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): How is the development team balancing the first-person shooter, role-playing and space combat aspects of the game?

Dmitriy Lisenko (Deep Shadows): RPG is the main component of the game. Trading, completing quests, leveling up and diplomacy make its basis. Surface and space combats are essential parts of the gameplay. It's up to you to decide which of these parts suits your style of playing. We are trying to do everything to make them both diverse and interesting.

As foreshadowed a week or so back, Deep Shadows has launched an official site for their space-faring FPS/RPG, Precursors.  Here's a snip on the backstory:

Precursors, predecessors, the legend of galaxy… Who are carrying the forebear’s genes among existing races, we can suppose only…

Worlds of galaxy are everlasting, beautiful, unique and dangerous. Some of them are inhabited, some ruined and deserted, others - just a smugglers trans-shipment stations.
 Some world are only at the beginning of evolution, others are falling into decay. Only when you’ll pass through all these worlds, sense a heat of blazing lava-seas and chilling cold of abysses, see the stark heavens, you will realize, how capable the natural forces. Only when you’ll meet corrupt judges, mendacious politicians, unselfish protectors and cruel tyrants you’ll understand passions of society. When you’ll reach an unexplored sectors of galaxy and come across a mysterious natural phenomenon, fly through the tail of the comet or dive into the casual portal, only then you’ll perceive the infinite depth and diversity of the universe.

But this is just a prospection and nobody knows what exactly this journey will be, we can only assure you that it will be unforgettable…

Deep Shadows' blog has a feature on inorganic weapons in Precursors.  Hit the link for short descriptions and some presumably new screens.

Deep Shadows' official blog has tossed up some new Precursors screens.

New screens for the space-faring FPS/RPG Precursors can be found at the Deep Shadows site.  Thanks, Olly!

Deep Shadows has just held a press event, showing attendees White Gold and Precursors.  Obviously a number of articles will result in due course but in the meantime, they've tossed up two new Precursors space shots.

Gameplay Monthly has an interview with Deep Shadows' Sergey Zabaryansky on Precursors, revealing their space-faring RPG/FPS was partially inspired by the writings of Andre Norton.  Here's a snip on RPG elements:

The game will feature a RPG system including an inventory.  How robust are the RPG elements?

We’re inclined to make the game a RPG with FPS style combat and some Space Sim elements. “Precursors” have many planets filled with NPCs with their own story. You can take objectives from these NPCs and accomplish missions for them. You will have both non-linear and linear missions. Many quests have two or more ways of solving them, and you can choose whichever you like best. There are approximately 400 side quests in total. Some will be rather simple and straightforward, but others quite elaborate, involving puzzle-solving, diplomacy and cunning. You earn money and experience when you complete them. Money can be used for purchasing different kind of weapons, bullets, upgrades, vehicles, medicine, food etc.  Experience points give you an opportunity to improve your character and get more perks. In the game, you will see various perks that touch almost all aspects of character’s activity. Starting from a certain level, your character will specialize in some things, such as fighting, negotiating, stealth and so on.

By the way, there's a stealth mode in the game. Using it, you can silently kill all enemies in a certain location or steal something.

Asking if this could be the "first true role-playing first-person shooter", GameZone has an article-format interview on Deep Shadows' space-faring Precursors with input from Project Director Sergey Zabaryansky:

Sergey believes that the game’s most important part is its RPG content. “Due to the size of the world, the number of missions you can take from NPC, the freedom of choices you have, the things that you'd be willing to accomplish, complex relations between factions and you, and system of perks that improves your hero, etc. Overall the RPG system looks somewhat close to GURPS (Generic Universal RolePlaying System), but in fact we've made our own to use in the current projects. However, the game is much more dynamic than, let's say, Morrowind, and the combat part works as in any good FPS title.” 

CVG has interviewed Deep Shadows' Sergey Zabaryansky about their ambitious multi-genre game, Precursors:

Exactly how do you go about combining RPG, FPS and space-sim genres?

Zabaryansky: It is not that easy to combine three different genres, but we've solved this problem. It's right to say that our game Precursors is a free-play shooter - you can be sure that the game will be very dynamic, shooter fans will enjoy it. When you are on the planet the game will look like a shooter and an RPG; when in the space it will look like a classical space simulator. Fans of the space-sim genre will be able to spend time at the wheel of space vehicles. In FPS we have done various and good AI , a lot of weapons and damage system. Also, you will see a lot of interesting missions which are linear and non-linear.

The Deep Shadows site is pointing out a new trailer for the action/spacesim/RPG Precursors:

Deep Shadows presents an official trailer of unique project The Precursors that combines RPG, 3D-shooter and space simulator features. The development of the futuristic action goes at full drive. The trailer demostrates the game play and main features of the game.

GGMania: From where did you get the inspiration to make this game? The press release claims that the game is "an updated conversion of good old and still famous game "Elite", a modern First Person Shooter, classic science fiction movies and the world of the novels from Andre Norton". Can you explain further how the game play works?

Sergey Zabaryansky: The idea of the game appeared after reading of Andre Norton's books. However, there is no tie-up between them and our plot. We try to recreate space adventure atmosphere itself that was reproduced in "Solar Queen". The genre of the game is a free-play shooter.

Be sure, the game will be very dynamic; shooter fans will enjoy it. When you are on the planet the game will look like a shooter while in the space it will look like a classical space simulator. All the enemies have different models of behavior; there are also different types of enemies in the game (they are soldiers, monsters), different conditions (wounded, scared, etc).

So what makes this game stand out? For one, this is not your typical FPS. With 250 non-linear quests, you can choose how much of the game you want to play (and in what order). Like Oblivion, you can either opt for just the essential story-driven quests, or play the game in its entirety. These quests are spread out throughout countless worlds and environments, including the dark reaches of space. The possibilities for quests can be quite staggering (and hopefully more creative than your standard RPG). Therein lies the key to the potential of this title: it blends story-driven RPG quests and level ups with an FPS interface and control scheme.