I really enjoy how fresh "Too Much Water" feels. Many indie games tend to rely heavily on already successful elements from existing games, but this experience feels brand new, and I actually struggle to compare it to any other game I've ever played.
While steam has classified this game as a top down shooter, that is woefully inadequate. Yeah, guns exist, and you can get one fairly easily, but is that the best use of your time and limited resources?
The best description of "Too Much Water" is the one given by the dev- it's a castaway simulator and a survival game.
This is not a game that holds your hand, which gives it a steep learning curve in the beginning. You have to learn how to move around on your own, controls and all. This was intentional, and can get frustrating in the early stages since the game also features permadeath, but quickly evolves into a very addicting experience as you try (and fail, in my case) to complete missions, almost in the vein of a really difficult but rewarding platformer. It doesn’t possess a traditional resource management system, but you’ll find yourself using traditional resource management tactics to stay alive, particularly when handling the starvation mechanic, which is particularly punishing.
My one minor caveat with the game is that occasionally I wish the MC moved a bit faster, particularly because you will end up playing the same sections multiple times. However, there have been a few times I starved to death and I know it's because I spent too much time gathering resources and wandering around a particular island, so maybe I just have poor time management. Also, I did come to like the speed as I continued to play, and began to see it as one more challenge to overcome. It does suit the survival aspects of the game in that sense.
The voice acting is excellent. The vast majority blends well volume wise with no lines feeling out of place; a true rarity in an indie game. The MC's voice is particularly well done. The humor in the dialog and elsewhere is very tongue-in-cheek and occasionally meta, which adds to the strong worldbuilding and overall immersive experience.
The dev posted his trailer on reddit and I gave him my (unsolicited) feedback, and was asked to play the early access version and give my honest opinion. He has made several tweaks since then based on my (again, unsolicited) feedback and I'm honestly really impressed by his initiative.
I would highly recommend this game if you're looking for a challenging, novel experience by an upcoming developer who clearly cares about the experience of the people playing his game.
