Icarus is a realistic PvE survival game set on a dangerous alien planet. Players assume the role of a prospector, who lands on Icarus’s surface with the hope of harvesting exotic materials and returning them for lucrative rewards. To complete missions, players must venture into different biomes, endure harsh environments, and fend off attacks from hostile creatures, all while building up their ability to survive.
With such an imposing world to explore and master, it can be difficult for newer players to get started. Here are some beginner tips to help players survive their very first mission in Icarus.
8 Find A Source Of Oxygen
While prospecting on Icarus, players will begin using up oxygen and will quickly run out if they aren’t careful. One of the first priorities when landing on the planet should be to find a way to replenish these oxygen levels.
This can be done by mining Oxite, a blue-gray-ish rock that can be found scattered across the world. Oxite can either be consumed in the inventory or placed in the Envirosuit’s oxygen slot, both of which grant a small amount of oxygen. After unlocking the Oxidizer, players can use the device to convert oxite to oxygen far more efficiently, but early on, they will be forced to simply mine it.
7 Find A Source Of Water
Another key priority at the start of a mission is finding a source of water, which is needed to keep players hydrated. Natural water sources like lakes, rivers, and ponds all provide water and should be fairly easy to locate in the starting Forest biome.
Other biomes might not be so easy, but there are ways to ensure the player doesn’t go thirsty. For example, ice in the arctic biome can be melted into water, and players can always use containers like canteens or waterskins to carry their water around. These containers can be utilized for other functions as well, like watering farm plots, and are overall an indispensable piece of kit.
6 Find A Source Of Food
There is a variety of ways to acquire food on the planet – vegetables can be found and harvested across most biomes, and even grown to provide a steady supply of food.
Hunting and fishing are very important and are usually easiest with a bow and arrow. When hunting game like deer, it’s best to sneak up on them and aim for headshots to get a one-shot kill – otherwise, they may run off and be difficult to catch. After killing the animal in question, players should skin it and then break its skeleton apart to acquire some useful bones.
5 Cook Your Food
Once players have harvested or hunted their food, they’ll need to actually eat it. It's best to cook food items on a campfire, especially raw meat, to avoid getting any unwanted negative effects.
In general, cooked meats boost health and regeneration rate, whereas vegetables grant extra stamina. Both can be useful in their own ways, so it’s up to the player which types of food they wish to prioritize. However, be warned – food doesn’t heal immediately – it needs time to regenerate health, so it’s not all that useful in a pinch.
4 Preserve Your Food
After food has been cooked, players shouldn’t put it aside and expect it to remain fresh when they come to eat later. Some foods don’t spoil, but others do, and they all spoil at different rates, with some decaying a lot quicker than others.
Fortunately, players can preserve their food by placing it in an icebox or a refrigerator, which will considerably increase the time taken for food to go off. Alternatively, they could eat one item out of a stack, which will reset the spoilage meter for the entire stack and theoretically keep the food edible for much longer.
3 Deal With The Dark
Nighttime on Icarus can get really dark, and it can be difficult for players to see what they’re doing or where they’re going. The game provides a solution with the ‘L’ slot on the toolbar, which allows players to carry a torch or other light source around whilst also holding onto a tool.
This allows players to work and explore during the night and can light up the insides of dark caves. Alternatively, by building a bedroll and campfire anywhere, the player can simply sleep and skip the night cycle in its entirety.
2 Watch Out For Storms
A recurring danger on Icarus is the storms that will occasionally batter the landscape. These can be pretty brutal, toppling trees, destroying player bases, and exposing them to the elements.
To avoid damage and death from their storm exposure, players should find somewhere to take shelter, which can be anything from a tucked-away cave to a deep snow pit. It’s even possible to dig a hole in a boulder and crouch inside that before waiting for the storm to pass. It’s essential that players don’t get caught out by a storm, as they will certainly suffer for it.
1 Finish Missions
An important thing to remember in Icarus is that once a player completes a mission, they won’t be able to take any of their crafted or harvested materials with them, besides exotics. For this reason, there’s no need to save up or harvest more resources than the player needs to survive.
Instead, it’s best to focus on crafting and gaining experience to be able to unlock new and better things later on. Finishing a mission earns players currency which they can use to purchase these items, so it’s important to leave when the time is right instead of hoarding materials and tools that will ultimately be left behind.
Icarus is available for PC.