Developer: TB Games
Publisher: TB Games
Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, Simulation, Early Access
Platform: PC
Release Date: August 17, 2015
Find the game here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/351290/Survival_Postapocalypse_Now/
Oh boy, you’re in for a treat today. You know this is going to be an absolute catastrophe when the steam description is ‘Multiplayer game about surviving in post-apocalyptic world.’ So yes, Survival: Postapocalypse Now is yet another open-world survival game that jumped on the bandwagon and snuck onto steam early access back in April 2015.. And would you believe that almost three years on from its release, it is still in early access…
So that being said, it does not bode well for the current state of the game, especially when you dig a little deeper and check the update history, where you will find the last update was back in September 2016. I feel like I should point out that this game is £3.99 (or regional equivalent) at full price. Therefore, I will review the game itself based on its market value.
I have to say, Mamushi and I bought this game as a joke, and we enjoyed it… unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons. The game actually runs fairly well, the movement can feel fairly floaty which leads to some quite nauseating gameplay. The sounds that accompanies the movement also feels janky and rushed, as well as the painful amount of white noise which is not only distracting but downright aggravating.
The character models are hilariously poor in comparison to other games of a similar price, but that’s not an issue if you wanted a game to play with your friends as a joke, but this is in no way, shape or form a game for someone wanting to take it seriously. Surprisingly, connecting to friends was fairly straightforward, however, trying to navigate the monotonous landscape and meet up was time consuming and humdrum.
Okay, so this has been pretty negative so far… So let me tell you why this game might be worth your time after all. The graphics. Aside from the play-dough-esque character models, the landscape and scenery are stunning. The game for the most part is undesirably dark, especially during the night time and periods of snowfall / rain during the day. However, the sunsets and sunrises make for some gorgeous vistas. I’ll pop some images below to show you what I mean:
Okay, now let’s get back to business. The game has four main aspects to be aware of which include temperature, thirst, hunger and general wellbeing. These feel fairly well balanced as long as you can keep on top of them.
The other dangers you may face include other players, falling 3 feet to your death or the wolves, after all, you must know the famous quote:
I mean the developer clearly thinks it’s a popular one.
Anyway, the looting system is lousy and unrewarding, with weapons few and far between making survival near impossible for newcomers unless you get lucky. The gunplay itself is altogether mediocre, but it works. Surprisingly, the game includes a range of working vehicles that are better than expected from a game within this price range. But the physics engine can render your journey over within seconds.
To summarise, the game feels like it lacks purpose, and has nothing to differentiate itself from the mass of other survival games. The gameplay is slow and frustrating. The crafting and looting system is far from polished. The game can look good at certain times, but that’s it. Want to play this game by yourself? It’s not worth it. Bored on a Friday night with a couple of friends and a few quid in your steam wallet, go for it, I’m sure it’ll give you something to laugh at.
It’s going to have to be a 3.5 out of 10
Thanks for reading! Be sure to comment below as I’d love to hear your responses and opinions!
- Scorpio
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