Having been looking for a co-op STALKER style game for a while, this popped up in suggestions so I kept an eye on it.
Finally, I pulled the trigger while on sale.
The first region is a tutorial island, and by the time I got out I was getting confident. I'd scrounged for gear, and even gotten a few decent pieces. I'd levelled up a bunch, too.
The game does progression in a way I enjoyed. At first, new enemies were terrifying. But then you learn their weak spots, their habits, and how to work around them. You get confident, you gain skills. But then it becomes a warzone. You're outnumbered, outgunned, outmaneuvered, and a fragile human fleshbag. You have to be prepared, be quick, and adapt fast to emerging situations.
Once you get good, you learn to push yourself and take bigger risks.
The survival side is very light, with only health and stamina. No weather effects, hunger, or sleep. A lot easier to get into casually, on that end.
The gunplay is fantastic, with each gun's sound and feedback feeling good to use.
Enemy design is also amazing, with interesting designs filling archetypes. And the enemies utilize mixed tactics shockingly well. Some enemies will act as long range artillery, others as flankers, and some for suppression. On their own, no enemy is really all that dangerous after you get your bearings, but in mixed groups they cover each other well.
Co-op is fantastic, with drop-in/out being quick if not intuitive at first. It really opens up tactics and maneuvering to have a friend with different gear to cover you.
Now, the weakest area is the story. It's pretty meh overall, and mostly just serves as a tutorial and encouragement to explore. The basic lore premise is neat, but the actual story is just poorly done. They make the machine enemies out to be unstoppable, claiming a few of the weakest types were wiping out platoons of trained soldiers while the player is easily annihilating hundreds.
Another weak point is, unfortunately, explosive weapons. They're fun and cinematic, but just don't punch hard enough on heavy enemies. Shoot a big enemy with a rocket? Expect to shot ten more to do notable damage. Good for structures, not great for combat. They just don't pack the right punch, ya know?
Third? I've got one friend who crashes for no discernable reason. He's got a beefy PC and works in Unreal Engine regularly, so it's a mystery what's happening. And apparently this isn't that uncommon.
Overall, it's an incredibly fun game where you fight Swedish Skynet, and you can do it with friends too. With friends? Fantastic robopocalypse game with low stakes and room for shenanigans. Solo? I'd give it a 7/10. Fun, but not a lot to stick around for unless you want to grind gear.
