Icarus Review: Survival, Crafting, and Is It Worth Playing in 2026?

Icarus is a PvE survival game developed by RocketWerkz, the studio founded by DayZ creator Dean Hall. Set on a planet where a failed terraforming project left the atmosphere toxic and the wildlife dangerous, it combines resource gathering, crafting, base building, and exploration with mission-based objectives. Players can survive alone or work together, with the PC version supporting up to eight players in co-op.

What separates Icarus from many other survival games is its approach to progression. Traditional timed missions require players to establish a foothold, complete a contract, and leave the planet. Persistent Open World sessions allow long-term construction and exploration without abandoning a base after every objective. Both approaches share the same survival mechanics but produce noticeably different experiences.

That flexibility is also one of the game’s biggest strengths. Players who enjoy starting with basic tools and gradually building an industrial settlement have plenty to work toward. Those who prefer focused objectives can take on contracts instead. The downside is that reaching advanced technology involves extensive gathering, repeated crafting, and significant time investment.

Icarus is best suited to players who enjoy methodical PvE survival, environmental challenges, and complex crafting systems. It is less appealing to anyone expecting fast progression, constant combat, or a story-driven adventure that moves quickly from one objective to the next.

What Is Icarus?

Icarus takes place on an Earth-like planet that was supposed to become humanity’s second home. Terraforming failed, leaving behind a breathable-looking but toxic environment populated by dangerous animals and exposed to severe weather. Prospectors travel from an orbital station to complete contracts, collect valuable exotic matter, and develop the equipment needed for increasingly demanding expeditions.

The planet’s appearance creates an effective contrast with its survival systems. Forests, rivers, and mountain ranges can look familiar, but players cannot simply breathe the air. Oxygen supplies, food, drinking water, temperature, and protection from the elements must all be considered before travelling far from shelter.

Early survival involves gathering sticks, fiber, and stone to make basic tools. Hunting provides food and materials, while mining and processing resources gradually open access to stronger equipment. Eventually, players can construct permanent buildings, develop power and water infrastructure, establish farms, and use more advanced machinery.

Combat is part of this process, but Icarus is not primarily a shooter. Much of the challenge comes from preparation: carrying enough supplies, choosing suitable equipment, anticipating storms, and knowing whether an objective justifies the resources needed to reach it.

The game has also changed considerably since its original PC release in December 2021. Persistent Open World gameplay, expanded animal systems, new maps, additional missions, and major DLC campaigns have broadened it beyond the original cycle of landing, completing a contract, and returning to orbit.

Gameplay: Missions, Open World, and Outposts

The choice of game mode has a substantial effect on how Icarus plays. Its three main modes use similar crafting and survival systems but approach progression and construction differently.

Missions: Survival With a Deadline

Missions follow the structure that originally defined Icarus. Players select a contract, prepare their equipment, descend to the planet, and work toward specific objectives before the mission timer expires.

Depending on the contract, completing those objectives can require travelling across difficult terrain, constructing equipment, gathering materials, or confronting dangerous creatures. A mission might demand only a modest shelter and basic supplies, while a more involved assignment can require substantial technological development.

The defining trade-off is that the local infrastructure does not carry over into an entirely new mission. Players retain their broader character progression and eligible workshop equipment, but the shelter, storage, and crafting stations assembled for one contract are not automatically transferred to the next.

This gives each mission a practical planning challenge. Building too little can leave a player poorly equipped, while building an elaborate base for a short objective may waste hours. Experienced players can reduce unnecessary work by matching their preparation to the contract.

However, rebuilding crafting stations and processing familiar resources can become repetitive. The mission structure works best when objectives create interesting logistical problems rather than simply requiring another round of material collection.

Open World: Persistent Survival and Long-Term Bases

Open World removes the need to abandon a settlement whenever a mission ends. Players can maintain a permanent base, expand their crafting infrastructure, explore new regions, and complete narrative Operations within the same world.

Operations provide a way to experience mission content without restarting construction from scratch for every assignment. This changes the pace considerably. Instead of treating every shelter as disposable, players can invest in better materials, organized storage, electrical systems, farms, and specialized workshops.

Long-term building also gives advanced crafting a clearer purpose. A complicated production setup is easier to justify when it can support multiple objectives and future expeditions.

The trade-off is a less concentrated experience. Without the pressure of a mission timer, progress depends more heavily on self-directed goals. Players who enjoy building extensive settlements may prefer this freedom, while those looking for regular, tightly structured challenges may find Missions more satisfying.

For newcomers who dislike repeatedly rebuilding, Open World is generally the better starting point.

Outposts: Building Without the Full Survival Pressure

Outposts provide safer environments with regenerating resources, allowing players to concentrate on construction and experimentation.

They are particularly useful for testing building layouts, working with different materials, and creating structures without the same level of environmental pressure found in the standard survival modes.

Outposts do not replace Missions or Open World as the main progression experience. They serve a different purpose: giving construction-focused players space to work without turning every building project into a survival expedition.

Survival Mechanics and Environmental Hazards

Survival in Icarus involves more than keeping hunger and thirst meters filled. Environmental conditions can interrupt gathering trips, damage structures, and turn a manageable journey into a dangerous return to shelter.

Oxygen, Food, Water, and Temperature

The planet’s toxic atmosphere makes oxygen management essential. Players initially depend on collected oxite and can later use more effective equipment to maintain their oxygen supplies.

Food and water are equally important. Hunting, fishing, farming, and cooking provide ways to sustain longer expeditions, while prepared meals can offer useful benefits beyond simply restoring hunger.

Temperature adds another consideration. Cold regions require suitable clothing, shelter, and heat sources, while other environments present different exposure risks. Injuries and status effects can further reduce a character’s ability to travel or fight effectively.

These systems make preparation valuable, but they also contribute to the game’s demanding early hours. A simple gathering trip can involve several separate needs, particularly before the player has unlocked more reliable equipment.

Storms, Fire, and Structural Damage

Weather is among Icarus’s most distinctive survival threats. Severe storms can damage exposed structures, while lightning and spreading fires create risks that cannot always be solved by fighting an enemy.

A basic wooden shelter may be sufficient early on, but it is considerably less resilient than buildings made from stronger materials. Progression therefore affects more than appearance: upgrading a base can reduce the time spent repairing it after severe weather.

Storms also influence exploration. Travelling far from shelter without enough protection can be a serious mistake, especially in regions where weather and temperature are particularly dangerous.

This connection between weather, construction, and planning gives Icarus a stronger environmental identity than survival games where a base functions primarily as storage.

Wildlife and Combat

The planet is home to numerous hostile and non-hostile animals. Hunting provides resources, but approaching dangerous predators without appropriate weapons and protection can end an expedition quickly.

Combat involves ranged and melee weapons, with character talents and equipment affecting effectiveness. Preparation matters more than elaborate fighting mechanics: suitable weapons, healing supplies, food bonuses, and an escape route can make difficult encounters much easier.

The animal systems also extend beyond combat. Players can tame mounts and companions, develop their abilities, and breed animals to pass on desirable traits.

These additions give wildlife a broader role in transportation, settlement management, and character progression. They also create more reasons to interact with the world beyond simply hunting for meat and materials.

Crafting, Technology, and Base Building

Crafting is one of Icarus’s most substantial systems. The game begins with simple handmade equipment but eventually introduces metalworking, advanced materials, electronics, and industrial infrastructure.

Progression depends on unlocking blueprints, producing increasingly complex components, and constructing the stations required for higher-level equipment.

Technology and Blueprint Progression

The base game’s planetary technology tree is divided into four tiers. Players begin with essential survival equipment and advance toward more sophisticated crafting stations, weapons, construction materials, and electrical systems.

Reaching later tiers requires more than unlocking a recipe. Advanced equipment depends on chains of processed resources, meaning players often need several different production stations before crafting the item they actually want.

This creates a substantial sense of technological progress. Moving from basic stone tools to a well-equipped workshop changes how efficiently materials can be gathered and processed.

It also introduces one of the game’s main sources of friction. A single equipment upgrade may require mining several resources, refining components, and building additional stations. Players who enjoy optimizing production chains will find plenty to do; those who prefer quick upgrades may find the process slow.

The Dangerous Horizons expansion extends the technological progression with Tier 5 equipment, including additional advanced systems. This content is associated with the expansion rather than the original four-tier base-game progression.

Base Construction and Infrastructure

Buildings are assembled from modular pieces, allowing players to create anything from a temporary shelter to a large permanent settlement.

Different construction materials provide different levels of durability and protection. As resources become available, buildings can be upgraded to better withstand the environment.

Bases also become more functional with technological progression. Storage, crafting stations, electricity, water networks, and farming infrastructure make long-term settlements useful beyond providing a safe place to sleep.

The building system is particularly rewarding in Open World, where investments in layout and durability continue to pay off. A central workshop, separate storage areas, and reliable utility infrastructure can reduce the repeated journeys between crafting stations that characterize less organized settlements.

The disadvantage is the amount of preparation needed to reach this stage. Players interested mainly in combat or exploration may find themselves spending more time processing materials than pursuing their next objective.

Character Talents and Orbital Workshop

Icarus separates technological unlocks from character specialization.

Players gain experience through activities such as gathering, crafting, hunting, and construction. Levelling grants points that can be invested in blueprints and talents, allowing characters to specialize in particular activities.

Talents can improve gathering efficiency, combat performance, building, farming, and other aspects of survival. This adds strategic value to character development, especially in cooperative groups where players can concentrate on different roles.

A separate Orbital Workshop provides another progression path. Currency and exotic matter earned through planetary activities can be spent on advanced equipment that supports future drops.

This distinction is important: ordinary planetary crafting and permanent workshop unlocks serve different purposes. The workshop gives players longer-term goals, while surface technology determines what they can manufacture during active gameplay.

Solo Play and Multiplayer

Icarus supports solo survival as well as cooperative play. On PC, up to eight players can participate in a session, and dedicated servers are available for groups maintaining shared worlds.

Cooperation is especially useful because gathering, crafting, construction, and exploration can be divided among players. One person can collect resources while another prepares food, develops the base, or works toward mission equipment.

The talent system also supports specialization. A group does not need every player to prioritize the same activities, making it possible to distribute responsibilities and reduce duplicated effort.

Playing alone remains viable, but the workload is considerably more concentrated. Gathering large quantities of resources, maintaining infrastructure, and preparing for demanding expeditions can require more time when there is nobody to share the work.

Solo play also changes the consequences of mistakes. During a difficult journey, another player can help recover from an encounter or assist with preparations. Alone, the player must manage those situations without direct support.

The distinction is therefore less about whether solo play is possible and more about how much repetitive work an individual is willing to handle.

For groups that enjoy building settlements and completing PvE objectives together, Icarus has a particularly suitable structure. Players looking for competitive combat or faction warfare will find that the game’s cooperative focus serves a different audience.

Maps, Biomes, and Exploration

Icarus uses large, handcrafted environments rather than procedurally generating an entirely new map for every expedition.

This makes terrain knowledge valuable. Players can learn routes, identify useful locations, and become familiar with the risks associated with particular regions. Familiar geography also means that replayability depends more on missions, progression, building choices, and environmental events than on constantly changing map layouts.

The game’s environments range from forests and mountains to arctic regions, deserts, and more unusual alien landscapes introduced through expansions.

Each biome affects preparation. Temperature, dangerous wildlife, available resources, and travel conditions can make equipment suitable for one region inadequate in another.

Mounts provide an alternative to travelling everywhere on foot, and established bases can support longer journeys with more reliable supplies.

Exploration is most satisfying when it has a practical purpose: locating resources, reaching an objective, or scouting an area for a new settlement. Players expecting dense narrative encounters or a constant stream of scripted events may find the large stretches of wilderness comparatively quiet.

Graphics, Atmosphere, and Performance

Icarus uses Unreal Engine 4 and places considerable emphasis on natural environments. Dense forests, rivers, changing weather, and distant mountains establish a convincing wilderness setting.

The visual contrast between relatively familiar landscapes and the need for specialized survival equipment is especially effective. The world looks habitable, yet its atmosphere and environmental conditions make it hostile.

Weather effects contribute strongly to the presentation. Storms can obscure visibility, change the atmosphere of a location, and create direct consequences for buildings and travel.

The technical trade-off is that Icarus has demanding hardware requirements for a survival game. Dense environments, large settlements, and extensive construction systems can place considerable pressure on a PC.

Performance should therefore be considered before purchase, especially by players using hardware close to the minimum specification. The official recommended configuration is substantially stronger than the minimum, and neither specification guarantees a particular frame rate in every situation.

Without testing the game on a defined hardware configuration, a reliable review cannot claim that Icarus consistently maintains 60 FPS or provide trustworthy benchmark figures.

Icarus PC System Requirements

These are the official PC requirements published on Steam, not independently measured performance targets.

PC and Console Versions

Icarus originally launched on PC and subsequently received a separate Console Edition for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on March 26, 2026.

The PC release supports up to eight players in cooperative sessions. Console Edition supports up to four players and includes the New Frontiers expansion as part of its base package.

The console version does not support cross-play, so players cannot assume they will be able to join friends using the PC version.

Console and PC editions also differ in their available packages and included content. Buyers should compare the specific edition for their platform rather than treating every Icarus release as an identical product.

Icarus DLC and Expansions

Icarus has received substantial post-launch support, including free updates and paid content. Its expansions go beyond decorative additions by introducing new locations, missions, creatures, and progression systems.

Major Expansions

Styx Expansion adds another large region and additional mission content, giving players more terrain and objectives beyond the original Olympus map.

New Frontiers Expansion introduces Prometheus, including more alien environments, new creatures, resources, and a connected narrative campaign. Its biomes change the visual and survival experience considerably compared with the more familiar regions of the original game.

Great Hunts Campaigns, released in July 2025, focuses on branching hunts and boss encounters. Player decisions can affect how these hunts develop, adding a more directed challenge for those interested in combat-focused objectives.

Dangerous Horizons Expansion, released on March 5, 2026, adds Elysium, a new map affected by radiation and exotic fallout. It introduces additional wildlife, a six-mission narrative campaign, new equipment, oil drilling, and Tier 5 technology.

The distinction between these expansions matters because they provide different kinds of content. A player who primarily wants new territories and building opportunities may value a map expansion more than a set of boss encounters.

Content Packs and Free Updates

Icarus also has smaller paid packs focused on furniture, decorative building options, pets, and additional Outpost locations.

For example, the Homestead Content Pack, released in February 2026, adds more than 50 themed building and decoration items. These packs are better suited to players who spend significant time developing settlements.

Free updates have continued alongside paid DLC. By October 2026, the PC game had reached its Week 253 update, which included fixes related to animal taming, missions, and other gameplay systems.

This long-running update schedule is a positive sign for ongoing support, although it also means older guides and reviews can become inaccurate as systems change.

Editions and Pricing

The standard PC version of Icarus is available separately from its expansions. The listed regular US Steam price for the base game is $34.99.

Steam also offers bundles, including the Prospector Edition, which combines the base game with selected map expansions, and Complete the Set, which groups a broader collection of additional content.

Console packages are separate products. On Xbox, the standard Console Edition has a listed starting price of $39.99, while the Ultimate Console Edition is sold as a larger content bundle.

Buying every available DLC is not necessary to experience the core survival systems. The base game already includes the three main gameplay modes, progression systems, and a substantial amount of construction and exploration content.

The better approach for a new player is to start with the base offering for their platform and select expansions based on the type of content they want next.

How Icarus Compares to Other Survival Games

Icarus occupies a different position from survival games built around constant PvP conflict, tightly scripted exploration, or permanent multiplayer worlds.

Compared with ARK: Survival Evolved, Icarus places greater emphasis on environmental preparation, technological crafting, and structured mission objectives. ARK has a stronger identity around collecting and raising creatures, while Icarus uses wildlife alongside its wider progression and survival systems.

Subnautica delivers a more focused exploration experience built around underwater environments and an unfolding narrative. Icarus offers more conventional land-based construction, hunting, cooperative play, and a broader emphasis on resource-processing systems.

Rust revolves heavily around player conflict, raiding, and competition for control of servers. Icarus is PvE-focused, making it better suited to players who want to build and survive without organizing their activities around hostile human opponents.

The Forest places greater emphasis on horror, hostile encounters, and a more concentrated survival experience. Icarus spreads its progression across larger environments, extensive technology trees, and repeated missions.

The main reason to choose Icarus over these alternatives is its combination of structured objectives and persistent survival construction. It gives players the option to complete individual contracts or develop a long-term settlement using the same underlying systems.

Its main weakness in comparison is pacing. The amount of resource processing required to reach advanced equipment can make progress feel slower than in games with more direct exploration or combat loops.

Icarus Pros and Cons

What Icarus Does Well

• Flexible game modes: Missions provide focused objectives, while Open World supports long-term settlements and gradual technological development.
• Environmental survival: Oxygen management, severe weather, temperature, and structural damage make preparation a central part of gameplay.
• Extensive crafting: Multiple technology tiers and production systems provide substantial progression for players interested in construction and resource management.
• Cooperative gameplay: Shared building projects and opportunities for talent specialization make teamwork useful beyond simply fighting enemies together.
• Long-term support: Major expansions and recurring free updates have expanded the game well beyond its original release content.

Where Icarus Falls Short

• Repetitive resource gathering: Advanced equipment often requires lengthy production chains and repeated material collection.
• Mission rebuilding: Starting fresh in separate missions can become tedious, particularly for players who prefer maintaining a single settlement.
• Slow progression: Reaching advanced technology takes considerable time and may feel excessive for players primarily interested in exploration.
• Demanding PC requirements: The official recommended specification includes 32 GB of RAM and an RTX 3060 Ti.
• Limited appeal for PvP players: The game’s PvE design does not offer the same competitive structure as survival games centered on raids and player conflict.
• Platform separation: The absence of cross-play between Console Edition and PC limits cooperative options for groups using different platforms.

Is Icarus Worth Playing in 2026?

Icarus is worth considering for players who enjoy survival games where preparation, construction, and technological progression are as important as combat.

Its strongest feature is the relationship between the environment and the player’s equipment. Weather affects construction decisions, dangerous travel rewards careful planning, and improvements to tools and infrastructure gradually change what can be accomplished.

The addition of persistent Open World gameplay addresses one of the biggest limitations of the original mission-focused format. Players can now build substantial settlements without being forced to abandon them after each contract, while Missions remain available for those who prefer a more structured experience.

The extensive crafting system is both a strength and a weakness. It provides long-term goals and makes advanced equipment feel consequential, but reaching those goals often involves repetitive gathering and processing. This is a major part of the game rather than a minor inconvenience.

Solo players can enjoy the full survival loop, although larger projects require considerably more individual work. Cooperative groups are likely to get more value from the division of labor, particularly when progressing through demanding missions or constructing advanced bases.

For newcomers, the base game provides a sensible starting point. The larger expansions become more relevant once the player knows whether they prefer exploration, story missions, construction, or more difficult encounters.

Final verdict: Icarus is a substantial PvE survival game with demanding crafting, strong environmental systems, and a useful choice between temporary expeditions and persistent base building. Its deliberate pace and resource-heavy progression will frustrate some players, but those who enjoy planning, building, and gradually mastering complex survival systems have plenty of reasons to stay.

FAQ

Is Icarus a single-player or multiplayer game?

Icarus supports both solo play and cooperative multiplayer. The PC version supports up to eight players, while Console Edition supports up to four.

Does Icarus have a permanent Open World mode?

Yes. Open World allows players to maintain persistent bases, explore, and complete Operations without rebuilding their entire settlement after each objective.

Do you lose everything after completing a mission?

Structures and locally crafted equipment do not automatically carry into a new standalone mission. However, character progression and eligible Orbital Workshop equipment provide continuity between expeditions.

Are the maps in Icarus procedurally generated?

No. Icarus uses handcrafted maps. Weather, environmental conditions, and gameplay activities provide variation, but the entire landscape is not randomly regenerated for each session.

Can you play Icarus offline?

Icarus supports offline single-player gameplay on PC. Multiplayer sessions require networking, and online features may have additional platform requirements.

Is Icarus available on PlayStation and Xbox?

Yes. Icarus: Console Edition launched on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on March 26, 2026.

Does Icarus support cross-play?

Console Edition does not support cross-play with the PC version. Players planning cooperative sessions should confirm that everyone is using compatible versions.

Does Icarus require DLC to enjoy the main game?

No. The base game contains the essential survival modes, crafting progression, and building systems. Paid expansions add regions, missions, creatures, advanced technology, and optional construction content.

Is Icarus difficult for beginners?

The early survival systems require attention to oxygen, food, water, shelter, and weather. The crafting progression also involves several interconnected technologies. Open World offers a less time-restricted way to learn those systems than timed Missions.

Is Icarus more about exploration or base building?

Both activities are important, but crafting and preparation occupy a substantial portion of the experience. Players who particularly enjoy building infrastructure and improving resource efficiency will find more to do than those seeking exploration without extensive crafting.