Project SUNDIAL: A Retro Take on Extraction Shooters

Ever feel like modern extraction shooters look a little too polished? What if you could get that tense, loot-or-die gameplay in a retro, 2D top-down package instead?

That's exactly what Project S.U.N.D.I.A.L. is going for. It's an upcoming game from publisher and developer Ice Quake, and it's a 2D top-down PvPvE extraction shooter set in a ruined Europe.

If that premise sounds familiar, there's a good reason. The game is basically trying to recreate the vibe of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. in a different format. That means you can expect the same kind of dangerous, atmospheric world where every run could be your last.

For those who haven't kept up with the genre, PvPvE means you're not just fighting other players. You're also dealing with AI-controlled enemies and whatever else the environment throws at you. In Project S.U.N.D.I.A.L., that all plays out from a top-down perspective, which gives it a distinctly old-school feel compared to most of its competitors.

Details are still slim beyond that core concept, but the combination of a ruined Europe setting and retro presentation is already turning heads. It's a niche that hasn't been explored much in the extraction shooter space, and Ice Quake seems to be leaning into that gap.

We don't have a release date or platform list yet, but if you're a fan of tense, high-stakes shootouts with a side of nostalgia, this is one to keep an eye on. The idea of mixing S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s bleak survival atmosphere with a 2D top-down view is certainly intriguing.

What do you think? Does a retro-style extraction shooter sound like your kind of game, or do you prefer your PvPvE with modern graphics? Let us know in the comments.