With Sanctuary: Shattered Sun steadily progressing toward release, content creator TheDuelist has taken an in-depth look at the latest pre-alpha build. In his latest video, he explores the current state of the game, analysing gameplay mechanics, technical advancements, and how it stacks up against Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance Forever and other large-scale RTS titles.
For those following the game’s development, this build provides the first hands-on opportunity to see how Sanctuary is coming together. TheDuelist puts it through its paces, covering everything from economy mechanics and unit movement to pathfinding and strategic zoom, all while assessing the engine’s performance improvements over older RTS titles.
Among the key takeaways from his breakdown:
- Core gameplay is already familiar to Supreme Commander players, with three distinct tech levels, factory assist mechanics, and a trickle-based economy system.
- Pathfinding shows significant improvements, with units moving intelligently around each other instead of getting stuck—a common issue in Forged Alliance Forever.
- Multi-core CPU support is fully implemented, allowing for much better performance in large-scale matches compared to older RTS engines.
- Terrain destruction and modification—freezing water, reshaping battlefields—adds unique strategic depth but will need careful balancing.
- A solid technical foundation, though some UI elements, animations, and sound effects are still missing as expected in a pre-alpha state.
He also touches on concerns about the development timeline. Originally targeting a 2023/early 2024 release, the team is instead taking the time to refine the game before launch. With a public demo planned for later this year, likely by July, this pre-alpha build is a crucial step toward a polished final product. While delays are always a concern, the depth of mechanics already present suggests the extra development time is being put to good use.
Overall, TheDuelist sees Sanctuary as a highly promising project, with the pre-alpha build already delivering a compelling mix of classic mechanics and modern improvements. If you’re eager for a detailed breakdown of the game’s current state, this video is worth a watch.
