Recent reviews by CK

Very clunky and buggy. It runs smoothly most of the time, but random stutters hit out of nowhere. It’s not constant, but when it happens, it’s noticeable and annoying. My PC isn’t brand new, but it’s not slow either—i9-12900K, 32GB DDR5 RAM, RTX 3080 Ti. A game like this shouldn’t be struggling on that setup.

The sound design feels slapped together. During auctions, the auctioneer sounds like he’s yelling through a cheap speaker in a giant empty warehouse. The truck doesn’t make any sound at all, which is odd—but at least it handles fine.

The NPCs are the same reused characters I’ve seen in a dozen other games. This might not be a full-blown asset flip, but they clearly leaned hard on stock assets. I don’t mind that if it’s done well, but here it feels lazy. There’s no effort to make the assets fit together or feel like part of the same world—it all just feels tossed in without care.

The game crashed on me after just 0.3 hours, and honestly, I’d already seen enough. Between the crash, the janky design, and the overall "just good enough" vibe, I’m uninstalling it. I was going to refund, but since I paid less than $5, I don’t really care. Maybe they can save up enough to buy better assets or hire someone to create original content.

Not trying to be harsh—just honest. It feels like something thrown together quickly. Maybe I’m wrong, but considering it’s been in Early Access since November 2023, they’ve had time to polish it more than this.

I haven't played this game in a while, but here are my thoughts on it. I tend to buy games and forget about them, and this one caught my eye when I saw it in my library. I was curious to see how much progress had been made since my last playthrough, and unfortunately, it doesn't seem like much has changed. It's been over a year since the last update, and their YouTube channel hasn't seen any new content in two years.

To get more information, I checked out their Discord and came across a customer asking about the next update. The developer's response was disheartening – development had been paused, and this news is well over six months old with no signs of a revival.

While I believe this game has potential, I can't recommend it in its current state. I often invest in early access games and am understanding of bugs and development challenges. However, abandoning a game that players have paid for is simply unacceptable. Steam should take a more proactive stance in holding developers accountable.

If there's a valid reason for discontinuing development, it's only fair to communicate that to the players who have trusted and invested in the project. When we support early access games, we do so with the expectation that developers will honor their commitment. Unfortunately, there are too many instances where developers fail to fulfill their end of the bargain, leaving gamers disappointed and frustrated.

In the vast sea of survival games, Sunkenland stands out as a promising title that offers players a unique and immersive experience. As a dedicated player of survival games with over 2200 games in my library, I was intrigued by Sunkenland's premise and decided to take the plunge into its post-apocalyptic underwater world.

Gameplay (⭐⭐⭐⭐): A Multifaceted Adventure

The gameplay in Sunkenland is a mix of crafting, exploration, and survival mechanics, creating a multifaceted adventure that keeps players engaged. Gathering resources, crafting tools, and constructing underwater bases are just a few activities that contribute to the game's dynamic gameplay.

One commendable feature is the progression system. Starting with basic tools and advancing through tiers of technology adds a satisfying sense of accomplishment. This progression structure enables players to adapt and overcome the challenges posed by the submerged landscape.

One aspect that distinguishes Sunkenland's gameplay is the presence of AI enemies. From traditional zombies to more complex adversaries like slavers and cultists, these enemies inject a level of danger and excitement into the gameplay. What particularly caught my attention was the fact that these NPCs aren't mere background elements. Instead, they actively raid your base, growing progressively more formidable as you advance through the game. This unique dynamic adds an element of tension and strategy to base-building efforts, pushing players to strategize and reinforce their defenses to fend off relentless invasions.

Enemy AI (⭐⭐⭐⭐): A Dynamic Challenge

In a world ravaged by apocalyptic events, AI enemies are a constant threat in Sunkenland. The game introduces a variety of enemies, each requiring different tactics for successful combat. From close-quarters engagements with zombies to more intricate interactions with slavers and cultists, the diversity of AI adversaries adds depth to the game's narrative and challenges.

One intriguing aspect of enemy AI is their raiding behavior. While currently, NPCs swim to your base for raids, this might not be the developers' long-term intention. It's possible that this mechanic is a temporary solution until more advanced raiding tactics, like NPC boats, are implemented—a future feature that holds the promise of even more engaging gameplay dynamics.

While the current array of enemies might not pose a significant challenge to experienced survival gamers, the developers' plans to introduce new enemy types and combat mechanics are exciting prospects. These additions could potentially elevate the game's combat dynamics and introduce fresh excitement to encounters with hostile factions.

Character Customization (⭐⭐⭐): Crafting Your Avatar

Character customization is a feature that allows players to personalize their avatars, albeit with some limitations. At present, the available options are somewhat constrained, and the character models may appear dated. However, it's important to remember that Sunkenland is still in early access, and character customization is an area that will likely see improvement over time.

The developers have expressed intentions to expand and enhance the customization features in the future. This includes the addition of more outfit options and refinements to visual aspects. As the game progresses, players can anticipate a broader array of choices to create avatars that truly resonate with them.

Server Selection (⭐⭐⭐): A Work in Progress

Sunkenland's current server selection is modest, mainly comprising player-created games with a limited number of slots. However, the developers have indicated plans to enrich the multiplayer experience with increased customization and control options. This suggests that the server selection will become more varied and expansive as the game evolves.

Exploration and Map (⭐⭐⭐⭐): Diving into the Unknown

Sunkenland's map beckons with the promise of exploration, presenting a world with diverse islands to discover. Yet, the standout aspect is the underwater setting—a departure from many other survival games that prioritize above-water activities. This unique approach adds a layer of mystery and excitement, encouraging players to dive into the depths of a post-apocalyptic universe.

However, there's potential to elevate the experience further by expanding the map. With a water-based gameplay focus, introducing a larger map could provide even more opportunities for exploration. The addition of larger boats or ships would enhance immersion, encouraging players to embrace the vastness of the underwater expanse. Future plans to introduce raidable islands and atolls with varying challenges and rewards indicate exciting prospects for exploration.

Performance (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): A Smooth Submersion

Performance is a strong point for Sunkenland, particularly considering its early access status. Running the game on a high-end gaming PC with Windows 11 Pro, an Intel Core i9-12900K CPU, 32 GB DDR5-4800 RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU, and stored on an NVMe drive, the game remains smooth on maximum settings. Frame rates remain stable during intense moments, ensuring an immersive and enjoyable gameplay experience.

Sunkenland: A Rising Tide of Potential

In conclusion, Sunkenland is an early access game with immense promise. Its blend of crafting, exploration, and survival mechanics, coupled with its distinctive underwater setting, makes for an engaging and memorable experience. While some aspects like character customization and enemy AI are still evolving, the developers' roadmap and commitment to continuous improvement signal a bright future for the game. With further refinements and additions, Sunkenland has the potential to rise above the waves and become a true standout in the survival genre.

Has a Breath of the Wild feeling to it lol. I really like this game, a lot. I wish the pieces of land were larger making the the vehicles more useful. Obviously there are a lot of bugs but it's early access so it's to be expected. Capturing animals can be a huge pain considering it's bugged when you try to pick them up and they pop out of the capture tool in seconds. They also die way too fast when putting them on a generator. If they lasted longer or were a little easier to tame, it might be worth using. Honestly, those are my biggest complaints which is really good. There's things that can be changed or fixed to make the game better but I absolutely recommend this game. If they had servers with larger plots of land and a ton of people, this game would be even more amazing. Anyways, this is a game I'll be watching and playing for some time.

A few really annoying bugs, like getting stuck on the ladder and having to relog but other than that, it seems pretty fun. I am playing solo right now but I think a game like this is best with friends. Sure it's pretty much a reskinned Ark, but its something kinda new and Im enjoying it so far.

I love this game. It's simple and fun. Has cute colorful graphics and plenty to it. I can't wait for them to add servers for multiplayer. Maybe some more planets to explore.

I remember being excited for this game. My brother and I talked about it a lot. Then it came out and we were seriously let down. I didn't play it for a while after, but kept reading about updates they were making to the game. Adding things they promised. But they continued, they kept adding things. Years later they are constantly surprising me with new updates that are amazing. I played this game in VR for the first time a few years ago and it changed everything. I do play non VR version but the VR version is the best. I was a little pissed off when they made the changes to the upgrade slots and didn't want to play it for a while but I started a new character and am having fun all over again. If you don't own this game and love survival games or space games, buy this, I'm pretty sure you'd love it too.

Decent game.. Would be a better game if it would stop crashing on me. I have a few hours into the game and it's crashed on me at least 5 times, during fights.

This is one of my favorite survival games. I will recommend this game even though there's a lot of issues with the current update. They've released several hotfixes since alpha 9 though attempting to fix them. I've read some people saying it's more EA garbage which if you've spent any amount of time in this game you'd know that's BS. These devs work hard and put in constant updates. Just like any other game where they have constant updates, sht happens. Every now and then you're going to get a bad patch, every developer has had this happen. Just give it a little time, they'll fix it.

I really like this game so far. It runs great on my old ass 5 year old system and haven't run into and bugs (that I've noticed) or crashes. The story isn't as bad as people make it seem and the gameplay is fun. I'm not going to cry about it going on sale because...... I bought it on sale. See, I have over 1500 games on my account, enough to keep me busy for a long time. Most times I just wait until the game goes on sale even if it's a game I really want. So what if the game went on sale after you bought it. Boo hoo, it happens everywhere. I bought my Oculus for $400. The next day it went on sale for $350, I didn't cry. I've bought so many games over the years for full price just for them to go on sale. Giving a game a bad review because it went on sale too early is idiotic. You're telling all the hard working artists, writers, programmers that their work is nothing and you're going to give it a bad review just because the business side of it decided to have a sale. You're pathetic.