So, Cube World.  It's been a while to say the least, but development has been quietly chugging along since its alpha release almost a full year ago.  A lack of updates isn't the same thing as a lack of work, though, and today saw the release of a video showing off new systems and environments.  The primary feature is the quest system, which has undergone a major revision.  Instead of being marked on a map, quests are now found by exploration.  In one section of the video the player talks to random NPC Alcor the Undead, conveniently found standing atop a giant tree that's the centerpiece of a forest area.  Alcor needs beetles slain, in classic/infamous random-quest fashion, so it's back to the forest to kill them with a helpful pet lion providing offensive support.  A few arrows and several paw-swipes later and the quest is complete, although the video doesn't show what kind of reward it generates.

The latter half of the video shows off an arena, which is a lovely new biome that's home to epic boss fights.  This section also shows off pet selection, with a crocodile being chosen from a large menagerie of inventoried critters.  The croc is demolished in one of the fights but pops up good as new afterwards, which is a bit of a relief, although it's quickly put away and replaced with a giant toucan that, like all the pets, can also be ridden as a land-based mount.  Because video games don't have to make sense so long as it looks fun.

While Cube World fans have gotten a bit vocal about their displeasure at game creator Wolfram von Funck's long silences, such as the two and a half month gap in Twitter activity earlier this year, work is progressing on hammering Cube World into shape.  The last update to the alpha was July 23, 2013, though, so a bit of antsiness is understandable.  Still, the update is coming, although when that will be is still a mystery.  New quests, mounts, biomes, and even (finally!) the ability to re-bind keys are all in the works.  At the moment, though, it's probably best to adopt a "wait and see" attitude, and not worry too much about the time between now and whenever Cube World's next iteration finally sees the light of day.

https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3607085/type/dlg/sid/UUhgUeUpU52234/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpB_A5carcQ