Deserted

So, obviously I haven't played this game that much. To be honest, I'm writing this review only because I think that it should get way more attention and it is a shame that every copy/paste coop-openworld-survivalcraft-basebuilding-farmsim is attracting more players than this ambitious game here. /* boomer rant ends here Although it's rough around the edges, here are some strong points: - A pretty and distinct low-poly art design that manages to look simple and detailed at the same time - A major update was just released, and in combination with the very responsive devs this is the opposite of an abandoned early access title - Rebindable keys planned for the next major update, good working controls so far aside from that (controller not tested, because I have none) So, please give this developers more attention and a chance to finish their game. I'm in no way attached to them and have just bought the game for full price, and I'm not regretting it. Thank you and sorry for the bad english.

Update: After several patches, the game still has more or less severe issues. The most critical that can ruin your entire progress is when you save after killing an enemy that opens a path forward. For instance, this happens in the beginning of the second act where you have to kill a mini-boss to remove roots. If you save and load after killing it, the boss will still be dead but the roots will also be there. The only way to fix this is to load an autosave, which saves each time you enter a new room, or to always save into a different slot. I've also noticed that the game is long. After beating the boss at the end of the third chapter, I thought this would be the ending. However, the first three chapters are only the first act (of three). The game then takes you to another environment that's more green and bright compared to the first one. Several achievements are broken. --------------------------------------- Exploring this alien world has some moments, but there are also quite a few annoying bugs that need to be squashed. The game is an action adventure game with souls mechanic. Your character – you can choose man or a woman but it doesn’t make any difference – needs to explore the world and upgrade to stand a chance on this alien world. Your main weapon is a sword that uses stamina. The combat isn’t as restrictive as in similar games because you can swing quite a few times before wasting all your energy. But you still need to manage stamina carefully. A lot of it wasted on dodge to get away from deadly enemies that hit hard. Even the first enemy you encounter can take you out with a couple of hits. You can block, but it needs to recharge for a quite a long time before it can be used again. Overall, the combat isn’t very fun. Every encounter is just hit, dodge out of the way, hit, dodge, wait for stamina to recharge, and repeat. It gets better when you get a charge sword attack, but also repetitive because it’s the only move you’re using on enemies. Your arsenal also includes a gun. Since ammo can only be recharged with limited batteries, each shot needs to count. And the last gear is a grenade. This is even more valuable because it needs to be found in the world or crafted. The crafting system adds some additional gameplay mechanics, but it’s not very deep because there are only five different things you can create. Crafting is time-consuming because you need to pick flowers from the world and material from defeated enemies to create anything. It’s also not very useful. Bandage and antidote are meant to stop bleeding and poison status effects, but making them feels like a waste of resources. You can simply wait until the status effect goes away. In the end, the most useful thing you can make is a health potion. If you’re lucky, it might drop from defeated enemies. There are some issues with picking up stuff. Most of the times the character will simply refuse to collect items on the ground. The way to fix this is to open up the inventory screen and close it. Then your character will have no issue picking stuff up. Health is tricky because there are no magical save points that rejuvenate your character. Your only options are health potions or your trusty drone. However, the drone heals very little and needs to recharge before it can be used again. It’s best saved for when you’re really low. The drone also has a basic map that requires one button to many to access. The bad part about the drone is that it need to be activated each time you switch screens. The game saves automatically when switching screens. It can also be done manually, but this can be very risky. The thing is that when you load a previous save point or switch screens, all enemies respawn. Also, loading a game can cause the game to freeze, so the only way out is to force quit. If you save in the middle of the dangerous zone, you might seriously ruin your progress. When you die, you can either load a previous save or continue from the moment you entered the area. While the game encourages exploration without giving you any visual clues, the world isn’t fun to explore. There’s nothing interesting to see and a lot of the world gets in the way of the camera. Camera can’t be moved, so you usually can’t even see hidden paths. Another problem are important objects. You character gets an exclamation mark over its head that signifies interaction, but it shows up only when you’re really close. Upgrading your gear is also available. The main and only thing you need are red crystals points that are dropped from enemies or by smashing big crystals. Once you have enough, you simply open the status screen and purchase the upgrade. These can fall into weapons, vitals or defense category. Each of the category has three things you can upgrade. For instance, sword for weapons, stamina regeneration for vitals, and shield for defense. Furthermore, each of the things can be improved even further with modules. These unlock as you make progress through the game and can be upgraded several times. Due to respawning enemies, it’s possible to grind, but it takes a lot of time.

Deserted offers a story driven game play that will keep you moving forward. Game play and puzzles that are challenging and rewarding. As the game progresses you see more of the world that you are in, bring you from one landscape to another, breathing life into the experience and adding new elements into the game. The real fun part is when you play with a buddy adding new strategies and adding more fun. I think this game needs more attention and more people enjoying the experience. the game play will keep you and the story will make you want more