This may be the best game in the survival/crafting genre I've ever played. Its good solo but even better multiplayer, with co-op supporting up to 6 people.

The games setting is a sprawling subterranean mixture of cutting edge 1990's science labs and supporting facilities. The variety of locations in the facility is quite large and yet everything interconnects in a way that makes sense. Its clear that every part of the facility has been built with narrative purpose, every room has it's own little details and the various areas strike just the right balance of linear progression and open exploration. I know it won't appeal to everyone but the Half-Life 1 era visual design is a perfectly penned love letter with a great level of cohesion.

The gameplay loop is narratively driven, with objectives set regularly. This allows you to still explore the facility openly and freely without leaving you feeling aimless, and also allows for the game to open up slowly and introduce new items and enemies at a balanced pace. You will encounter friendly (and unfriendly) NPCs, special events, and strange places as you move from place to place. And even 40 hours in to a run the game still surprises me with new challenge or new weirdness.

Character progression operates on a "learn by doing" set of skills. At character creation you'll pick a mix of positive and negative traits as well as a scientific specialisation that will determine what your initial skill levels are and possibly give you some added side bonuses. Are you a skilled botanist who joined the facilities weightlifting program? Or part of the engineering department who cooks as a hobby and suffers from narcolepsy? Maybe you aren't a scientist at all, but a member of the security staff with first aid training. The variety of starting points allow for good variety in player distinction, which is especially useful in co-op.

The crafting system is solid and has an easy to follow logic, with the things you making looking like they are made of the components used to craft them. Meeting needs like hunger/thirst/rest requires some planning but in my playtime has never felt like a grind. As the entire game takes place inside a facility the construction/decoration aspect is entirely interior design, but in that regard the cosmetic opportunities are immense with you able establish a base anywhere and able to pick up just about anything you see to take home and display.

Overall I recommend this game strongly to anyone who enjoys the survival craft style of gameplay, in solo or co-op. It's an incredible example of what can be done with this genre and I expect future games of its kind will be compared to it when deciding whether they are good. At it's current price point it is a steal, you could buy yourself two copies, throw one away, and still feel like you got your monies worth.

This may be the best game in the survival/crafting genre I've ever played. Its good solo but even better multiplayer, with co-op supporting up to 6 people. The games setting is a sprawling subterranean mixture of cutting edge 1990's science labs and supporting facilities. The variety of locations in the facility is quite large and yet everything interconnects in a way that makes sense. Its clear that every part of the facility has been built with narrative purpose, every room has it's own little details and the various areas strike just the right balance of linear progression and open exploration. I know it won't appeal to everyone but the Half-Life 1 era visual design is a perfectly penned love letter with a great level of cohesion. The gameplay loop is narratively driven, with objectives set regularly. This allows you to still explore the facility openly and freely without leaving you feeling aimless, and also allows for the game to open up slowly and introduce new items and enemies at a balanced pace. You will encounter friendly (and unfriendly) NPCs, special events, and strange places as you move from place to place. And even 40 hours in to a run the game still surprises me with new challenge or new weirdness. Character progression operates on a "learn by doing" set of skills. At character creation you'll pick a mix of positive and negative traits as well as a scientific specialisation that will determine what your initial skill levels are and possibly give you some added side bonuses. Are you a skilled botanist who joined the facilities weightlifting program? Or part of the engineering department who cooks as a hobby and suffers from narcolepsy? Maybe you aren't a scientist at all, but a member of the security staff with first aid training. The variety of starting points allow for good variety in player distinction, which is especially useful in co-op. The crafting system is solid and has an easy to follow logic, with the things you making looking like they are made of the components used to craft them. Meeting needs like hunger/thirst/rest requires some planning but in my playtime has never felt like a grind. As the entire game takes place inside a facility the construction/decoration aspect is entirely interior design, but in that regard the cosmetic opportunities are immense with you able establish a base anywhere and able to pick up just about anything you see to take home and display. Overall I recommend this game strongly to anyone who enjoys the survival craft style of gameplay, in solo or co-op. It's an incredible example of what can be done with this genre and I expect future games of its kind will be compared to it when deciding whether they are good. At it's current price point it is a steal, you could buy yourself two copies, throw one away, and still feel like you got your monies worth.