Atari's new Asteroids game is nothing like Asteroids — it's a sandbox survival game

Atari announced Asteroids: Outpost today, calling the new take on the 35-year-old Asteroids a "bold re-imagining" of the brand. That's a pretty accurate statement, since Asteroids: Outpost is not an arcade space shooter, but an open-world, sandbox-style survival game.

Players will mine, build and defend a base in Asteroids: Outpost, Atari says, going "from rocks to riches" in the survival game. The game takes place on a massive asteroid, naturally, where players will have to scavenge for resources, craft equipment and build a base. They'll also have to defend that base from other players, who are also looking to lay claim to land and resources.

The game will feature some actual asteroid-shooting, Atari says. Asteroid showers will be both a source of wealth and a danger for players; they'll need to shoot them down to protect themselves and gather resources.

"Asteroids is one of the most iconic titles in Atari's portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, and we're looking forward to ushering the game into today's digital gaming era," Atari CEO Fred Chesnais said in a release. "We're paying homage to the original Asteroids by incorporating classic features such as asteroid blasting capabilities, while introducing a completely new premise and gameplay. Asteroids: Outpost will appeal to both fans of the classic Asteroids as well as enthusiasts of immersive survival games and expansive MMOs."

Atari has recently pushed to revitalize some of its older brands in the form of PC games. The publisher announced Haunted House: Cryptic Graves and Alone in the Dark: Illumination last year.

Asteroids: Outpost is developed by Salty Games for Windows PC. It will come to Early Access on Steam "soon," Atari says.