Surprise! Dying Light: Bad Blood has launched on Steam Early Access, meaning you can now try this fresh take on the battle royale genre for yourselves.

Techland's latest game, built on the foundations of Dying Light, combines PVP and PVE action to see players battle zombies and each other in order to survive. With a player count of only 12, it's really pushing the limits of the battle royale genre - but there are some familiar themes, such as the last man standing requirement (undead not included).

The early access version of the game will only be available to those who purchase the Founder's Pack, which costs $19.99 ( 15.24). Techland has stated the game will eventually be free on both PC and consoles, and will transition to this free to play model when the game is released in full. For now, those who choose to buy the Founder's Pack will receive "free content updates" including "new items, characters, maps and more" during the early access period. Loots crate to me.

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A battle royale game with only 12 players? How is that going to work? We recently had the opportunity to go hands-on with Dying Light: Bad Blood - Techland's answer to that very question, and came away really impressed. While the sheer size and scope of the concept is miniaturised somewhat, the action is no less thrilling - in fact, the close-quarters intimacy of the encounters, paired with Dying Light's parkour traversal system makes for a unique take on the battle royale concept.

As it's based on an existing game, a lot of Dying Light's fixtures and fittings are transplanted over into Bad Blood. While the player count is limited, that's not to say that the world is lacking in occupants - the Infected are back from the main game, giving you more to worry about than your PvP opponents alone. But the basic aim remains the same: to be the last (human) player standing, and the sole survivor that makes it out on the helicopter at the climax of each session.

Looking closer at the core mechanics, it's fascinating to see how Dying Light transplants so many of its game systems so well into the battle royale concept. Encounters in the likes of PUBG are often over in a flash, while Bad Blood revels in extended encounters. It starts with the bone-crunching melee combat, where getting a kill is a longer, more protracted, bloodier affair. And then there's the parkour system and the sheer verticality of the environments - opponents close to death can run off in an attempt to regroup, scaling buildings using the existing parkour mechanic. It's a whole lot of fun and adds a new dimension to the PvP action.

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Standalone battle royale spin-off Dying Light: Bad Blood will arrive on Steam Early Access in September. The Early Access release will be for PC players only but Bad Blood will be a multiplatform PC and console (presumably PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) game upon full release.

When full release is, however, is unclear, but there's a line in the press release which suggests the Early Access could last three months. "The $19.99 Founder's Pack provides in-game currency and exclusive items, including the Founder's Pass that will deliver three Legendary skins throughout the three months following the Early Access launch," it says.

The $20 Founder's Pack is what you need to buy to join the Early Access phase, although when Bad Blood eventually launches it will be free-to-play. Various maps, modes and items will be added throughout Early Access.

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