I need to caveat this review by saying I am a lifelong gamer at 41 years old who doesn't have a ton of time to game. I raised 4 kids and still have my 2 daughters as a single dad and my own business. I've always played console and never played on PC. I bought a laptop specifically for my business with low performance in gaming because I know how I am, and how distracted I can get. So, I looked for something I can play locally, preferably PvE, that had survival, building, exploring, and potentially co-op should I catch back up with my old gaming buddies. This fit that genre.
For an early access game around $25 this is a steal. The devs reward exploration, and while there may just be a common chest that holds some random nothing item at the end, almost every time you find something in the environment, it is worth exploring as you never know the outcome. Would better rewards be preferrable? Absolutely, but at least there is something at the end of the exploration and it isn't all for nothing.
That said, as someone still fat fingering my basic WASD and not that proficient with movement and multitasking, the slip-and-slide mechanics one faces when on anything slightly more sloped than what should be has killed me more times than I can count. If anyone of the devs or their team reads this, PLEASE adjust the environment to where we don't slide like on ice. The ridiculous mechanic of the tar pit area (admittedly small compared to the entire map) cost me more time and deaths than every boss fight or tougher enemy combined. I don't mind the parkour elements around certain parts of the map, and welcome them to challenge myself on my growth, but combine the fact that I slide off of a root system into something that drains my stamina to which there is no escape, causing me to knowingly kill my character from a safer launch point, spamming E, then quickly hitting F as I drown for the hundredth time was something I could do without. Whatever dev came up with this concept and whoever approved it should be seriously questioned. The environment, at times, can and should pose a threat like cold and the shroud, but this was ridiculous. Admittedly, if I were more skilled in PC gaming, I'm sure this wouldn't be as big of an issue for me.
However, as a whole, I am presently extremely satisfied with my purchase, the game, the devs, the quality of this immersive environment, etc. I would appreciate more complex opponents to challenge me in fighting and better, more responsive dodge rolls, etc. I'd really appreciate being able to change one or two options (like losing everything upon dying in a tar pit) without losing the core mechanics like durability on weapons. These are minor preferences comparatively speaking and would simply change the quality of life.
So, overall, as a boomer gamer with little experience in PC gaming but a lifetime (at 3 I was playing Atari) of gaming experience, this game is refreshing and overall a positive experience. I'd strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre at all, and I can only imagine it would be amplified with co-op and a group of friends having fun.
