Stormworks: Build and Rescue is a special game. It's a rare find, not many games of the genre have what Stormworks has to offer: Dynamic weather systems, specialized building systems, a huge workshop full of amazing vehicles made by the community. If you are looking for a game with a set story, or a purpose, then Stormworks isn't for you. In this game, you create your own goals, recognize your accomplishments in your own way, and do things the way you want to. There's no one telling you what to do, and nothing directing you to the right path. In career mode, you start with a basic Search and Rescue company, and build it into whatever you see fit. Missions will come and go, new ships and boats will always be on the horizon, but what makes this game so special is the sense of freedom and adventure that sets it apart from other games. It's just you, the open sea, and your boat. You can explore the islands, which have a lot of beautiful hidden gems, you can look for loot crates and get some bonus cash, or you can save the boat that just went missing. It's completely up to you. There's no timer, no deadlines, and no expectations.



While the graphics may seem bland and voxelated at first, there really is a certain beauty and awe to it. When the sun reflects on the water, allowing you to see the fish below, the waves ahead, and the horizon just beyond your sight, it is truly a magnificent experience. When I first bought the game, I thought the graphics could have been better. But as I played and explored the insane, dynamic world that is Stormworks, I realized that it was simply perfect. The graphics are fitting and suit the game extremely well, and there will be no shortage of stunning, screenshotable moments.

Once again, if you are looking for a goal that is set in stone, you won't find it here. It's all about creating your own sense of purpose. Rescue missions are usually different each time, but a larger variety would be nice. In any case, you'll be seeing a lot of unique boats with fully explorable interiors on your rescues. You can't really interact with the survivors, but that's fine for me. Some sort of way to interact or talk might be enjoyable and could add some interesting mechanics. You have a lot of things that you might have to do depending on the mission, sometimes you need to have a specialized medical boat, or other times you have to be prepared to fight a fire. It's always different, and always fun since there are so many possibilities. Add this to the dynamic weather, and you will never find yourself in the exact same situation or place twice. With the addition of the weapons DLC it adds a lot more possible depth and variety to what you can do, conquering islands and defeating the enemy, but I usually don't do much of that. The recent Natural Disasters update is HUGE for the game though, adding possible weather events to your rescue and even military operations, making it a lot more fun and unpredictable. You could have a weather warning for a tsunami as you go to pick up some wrecked survivors.

In my opinion, the game is the most fun when playing with friends. You can assign different roles, and always have something to do. Weathering out storms and weather with your friends as you rescue some survivors is truly an unforgettable and wonderful experience that I wholeheartedly enjoy and recommend. Multiplayer works fairly well in the game, but there are a lot of improvements that can be done to help with desync and lag. But just with a friend or two it works fine and no complaints for the most part.

The developers still seem to have a passion for the game, evident by the recently released weapons DLC, and Natural Disasters update (free) plus small additions or fixes every week. It's usually something very small, but it means a lot to see the developers are actively working on the game each and every week and are committed to making it as good as they can. A road-map or more transparency from the developers on what's next for the game would be nice, but everything works very well as it is.

If you enjoy sandbox games, building whatever you want, having an open world to explore, rescues, the ocean, and the freedom to do whatever you want, I'd say you definitely can't go wrong with Stormworks: Build and Rescue. It's an amazing game, and I always find myself coming back to it. Very masterfully done, and awesome to play with friends.

Stormworks: Build and Rescue is a special game. It's a rare find, not many games of the genre have what Stormworks has to offer: Dynamic weather systems, specialized building systems, a huge workshop full of amazing vehicles made by the community. If you are looking for a game with a set story, or a purpose, then Stormworks isn't for you. In this game, you create your own goals, recognize your accomplishments in your own way, and do things the way you want to. There's no one telling you what to do, and nothing directing you to the right path. In career mode, you start with a basic Search and Rescue company, and build it into whatever you see fit. Missions will come and go, new ships and boats will always be on the horizon, but what makes this game so special is the sense of freedom and adventure that sets it apart from other games. It's just you, the open sea, and your boat. You can explore the islands, which have a lot of beautiful hidden gems, you can look for loot crates and get some bonus cash, or you can save the boat that just went missing. It's completely up to you. There's no timer, no deadlines, and no expectations. [h1] Graphics [/h1] While the graphics may seem bland and voxelated at first, there really is a certain beauty and awe to it. When the sun reflects on the water, allowing you to see the fish below, the waves ahead, and the horizon just beyond your sight, it is truly a magnificent experience. When I first bought the game, I thought the graphics could have been better. But as I played and explored the insane, dynamic world that is Stormworks, I realized that it was simply perfect. The graphics are fitting and suit the game extremely well, and there will be no shortage of stunning, screenshotable moments. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Once again, if you are looking for a goal that is set in stone, you won't find it here. It's all about creating your own sense of purpose. Rescue missions are usually different each time, but a larger variety would be nice. In any case, you'll be seeing a lot of unique boats with fully explorable interiors on your rescues. You can't really interact with the survivors, but that's fine for me. Some sort of way to interact or talk might be enjoyable and could add some interesting mechanics. You have a lot of things that you might have to do depending on the mission, sometimes you need to have a specialized medical boat, or other times you have to be prepared to fight a fire. It's always different, and always fun since there are so many possibilities. Add this to the dynamic weather, and you will never find yourself in the exact same situation or place twice. With the addition of the weapons DLC it adds a lot more possible depth and variety to what you can do, conquering islands and defeating the enemy, but I usually don't do much of that. The recent Natural Disasters update is HUGE for the game though, adding possible weather events to your rescue and even military operations, making it a lot more fun and unpredictable. You could have a weather warning for a tsunami as you go to pick up some wrecked survivors. [h1] Multiplayer [/h1] In my opinion, the game is the most fun when playing with friends. You can assign different roles, and always have something to do. Weathering out storms and weather with your friends as you rescue some survivors is truly an unforgettable and wonderful experience that I wholeheartedly enjoy and recommend. Multiplayer works fairly well in the game, but there are a lot of improvements that can be done to help with desync and lag. But just with a friend or two it works fine and no complaints for the most part. [h1] Developers [/h1] The developers still seem to have a passion for the game, evident by the recently released weapons DLC, and Natural Disasters update (free) plus small additions or fixes every week. It's usually something very small, but it means a lot to see the developers are actively working on the game each and every week and are committed to making it as good as they can. A road-map or more transparency from the developers on what's next for the game would be nice, but everything works very well as it is. [h1]Verdict[/h1] If you enjoy sandbox games, building whatever you want, having an open world to explore, rescues, the ocean, and the freedom to do whatever you want, I'd say you definitely can't go wrong with Stormworks: Build and Rescue. It's an amazing game, and I always find myself coming back to it. Very masterfully done, and awesome to play with friends. [h1] 8/10 [/h1]