Subsistence
The focus is not of primitive survival (although there are many elements during the early-game), but instead a focus on the base, its security, technology and resources.
Subsistence Review
The first time I started playing, I died about 5 times in the first 2 days. Recognizing that you can’t kill everything with your axe takes a little humility, and a realization that this is a bit different than other games. No map and limited HUD means that you’re lost, and you stay lost until you can start to get your bearings. Once you get over the fact that you are indeed not the master of the universe, the game settles in nicely and it’s time to get to work.
I love that you have to actually be looking for things like vegetables on the ground, fiber, and berries. Nothing glows as soon as you hover on it, so your senses are much more keyed in as you move around the map. So it’s extra scary when a bear starts to maul you. Nothing comes easy, especially early in the game, which makes success all the more rewarding.
I would definitely recommend this game to players that are looking forward to a challenge. It’s great that even after you’ve built up a base, have guns, better gear, etc. you aren’t invincible. If you’re not paying attention, you can get clipped at any time. The devs have been consistent with the updates, and each update is adding impactful wrinkles to the game. I’m interested to see what comes next.
The AI on the hunters could use some work. It would be nice to be able to be more tactical in co-op as you approach and attack a base. Hit boxes on some of the wildlife and a bit more balance with the weapons will also be great, but to be honest even as it is, I’m not disappointed. Once you take a little time to understand the items and the mechanics, how to manage resources, and realize that you can’t make everything at once, you’ll find that each day you get up it’s easy to set a goal for what you want to accomplish and start working toward it for the day.
One thing I would recommend to newer players. The game gives a couple of starting ‘quests’ basically a checklist on how to get started. Don’t be in a hurry to build your BCU. You can take some time, build a bit of a base, stockpile some resources. The BCU triggers the clock for hunters to appear, and it’s good to be a bit more ready for them.
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