- Jul 15, 2003
- 80,287
- 17,082
- 136
As of October 2016 we have (in no particular order):
________________________
= GRAV =
http://store.steampowered.com/app/332500/
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/s...1bb8fe22be12bedbb51f1e5f66cb2fc.1920x1080.jpg
What it has:
Game is still in early access but the devs do make regular progress, and they're very good about listening to the player base. Can pre-purchase and play right now. In both Solo and Multiplayer the worlds are saved and you usually have to wait a long time for a massive update before they delete everything.
As of the last major update the game is One Universe which means every player can meet up someplace so long as its not their personal homeworld. They can build structures and gadgets and vehicles and are able to share all of their stuff if they are on the same team. Enemy teams can attack each other, break down shields & walls, and loot goodies.
The home world is quite beautiful after the last big graphics update. The other planets and moons look pretty good but still need some work.
Theres a great deal of equipment to discover and build, several vehicles, and many different room types. Also a variety of crafting stations, and some defensive & offensive structures. There are several professions available and you dont incur any pentaly from jumping between them. All of their passive & active skills are kept when you change classes. The only downside to the game is theres a fair amount of grinding for resources, and you need to discover blueprints to do anything. All equipment and all buildable structures & stations need a blueprint. All of the professions except the starting one (Astronaut) require a blueprint. Some of them can be researched at a station, but the majority are gained from killing monsters. They come frequently though, and as long as you are at the correct level you will eventually get them.
There used to be a long grind for XP but that has been greatly alleviated by adding XP to resourcing, so now its possible to do a great deal without killing any enemies at all.
You dont need a special item to craft anything. So long as you have the blueprint and the needed resources, you're fine. The multitool is for harvesting and repair, and repair really only matters in MP when people attack each other.
At higher levels you can summon monster mobs of your choosing. Theres a variety of planet and moon types to explore. The vehicles are fun, especially in multiplayer, theres enough caves to keep you exploring for a while, probably until the game is officially released.
What is has not:
While the game has alien towers and giant spheres to explore, there is not much in them right now. You'll have to wait for an update for those things. The devs are working hard but its an independant project and at the rate they're going, we probably still have a year left for completion. Most of the updates are to fix a bunch of bugs and ocassionally add one new feature at a time.
There is no customizing of your character except for gender, and that only changes your size by a small amount, nothing else.
While the new Unreal engine looks gorgeous you have very little control over graphics options. Many people with mid-range systems are still getting poor performance, although the last few updates have helped a great deal.
No control over audio settings yet.
Right now there are no official quests. The in game tutorial will give noobs plenty to do, but after you collect everything useful and make a nice home base, you will get bored. MP is where most of the excitement is.
No map but there are beacons and locators on the compass and also LAT, LONG coordinates. No way to take notes in game so you will probably need a notepad handy, or be prepared to drop lots of beacons and sign posts all over the place. You can also build teleporters but they require power on both ends.
__________________________________
= Subnautica =
http://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/s...d80c42615ef1c6cb5e3f270f4b33473.1920x1080.jpg
Lots of fun stuff to do, a nice big world to explore, and looks awesome too. You can build very sweet underwater habitats and quite a few vehicles, including a medium sized submarine that can hold a minisub and exoskeleton.
Still in early access, much work to be done, small developer so it may be a while. Plenty of goodies to farm and several dangerous fish to kill.
____________________________________
= Osiris =
http://store.steampowered.com/app/402710/
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/s...d2a93277e67a528466210239a89b7be.1920x1080.jpg
Game looks good but there isnt much to do yet, nor anything interesting to explore.
__________________________________
= ARK =
We all know about this one, will update it later.
______________________________________
= Reign of Kings =
http://store.steampowered.com/app/344760/
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/s...a94edb9fd82224752834ffd6de7a707.1920x1080.jpg
Game originally promised all kinds of cool stuff but eventually fell short. Its officially released however there just isnt much to do in it. Looks like the devs also had a habit of banning critics and ignoring the gamers. Shame.
Happens to be on sale for 5 dollars until October 25th. Thats about all its worth right now.
_____________________________
= The Long Dark =
http://store.steampowered.com/app/305620/
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/s...afb2e2c84941ae8c62693c1087d0e52.1920x1080.jpg
Still early access. Very realistic compared to other games, also very brutal. Doesnt have much content but they are working hard to add features. Lovely graphic style, plenty to explore but very little to craft. On each map you pretty much do the same thing: Find the one good place to make camp, forge for resources as you are able, survive as long as possible to get a high score. You will always die, eventually.
One day they plan to have proper campaigns and stories, but that could be a while. Progress is slow and steady.
= The Solus Project =
On Steam.
A lot more exploring and not nearly as much crafting, but the gameplay is excellent. Good story about a marooned scientist, trying to pick of the pieces of his fellow astronauts. Not only does he have to brave elements, traps, and (eventually) hostile creatures, he's also got to figure out the mystery of an ancient civilization.
Excellent graphics, frightening sound, and a very streamlined UI. Good all around.
Still in Beta, I think, but theres a lot of stuff to do already.
________________________
= GRAV =
http://store.steampowered.com/app/332500/
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/s...1bb8fe22be12bedbb51f1e5f66cb2fc.1920x1080.jpg
What it has:
Game is still in early access but the devs do make regular progress, and they're very good about listening to the player base. Can pre-purchase and play right now. In both Solo and Multiplayer the worlds are saved and you usually have to wait a long time for a massive update before they delete everything.
As of the last major update the game is One Universe which means every player can meet up someplace so long as its not their personal homeworld. They can build structures and gadgets and vehicles and are able to share all of their stuff if they are on the same team. Enemy teams can attack each other, break down shields & walls, and loot goodies.
The home world is quite beautiful after the last big graphics update. The other planets and moons look pretty good but still need some work.
Theres a great deal of equipment to discover and build, several vehicles, and many different room types. Also a variety of crafting stations, and some defensive & offensive structures. There are several professions available and you dont incur any pentaly from jumping between them. All of their passive & active skills are kept when you change classes. The only downside to the game is theres a fair amount of grinding for resources, and you need to discover blueprints to do anything. All equipment and all buildable structures & stations need a blueprint. All of the professions except the starting one (Astronaut) require a blueprint. Some of them can be researched at a station, but the majority are gained from killing monsters. They come frequently though, and as long as you are at the correct level you will eventually get them.
There used to be a long grind for XP but that has been greatly alleviated by adding XP to resourcing, so now its possible to do a great deal without killing any enemies at all.
You dont need a special item to craft anything. So long as you have the blueprint and the needed resources, you're fine. The multitool is for harvesting and repair, and repair really only matters in MP when people attack each other.
At higher levels you can summon monster mobs of your choosing. Theres a variety of planet and moon types to explore. The vehicles are fun, especially in multiplayer, theres enough caves to keep you exploring for a while, probably until the game is officially released.
What is has not:
While the game has alien towers and giant spheres to explore, there is not much in them right now. You'll have to wait for an update for those things. The devs are working hard but its an independant project and at the rate they're going, we probably still have a year left for completion. Most of the updates are to fix a bunch of bugs and ocassionally add one new feature at a time.
There is no customizing of your character except for gender, and that only changes your size by a small amount, nothing else.
While the new Unreal engine looks gorgeous you have very little control over graphics options. Many people with mid-range systems are still getting poor performance, although the last few updates have helped a great deal.
No control over audio settings yet.
Right now there are no official quests. The in game tutorial will give noobs plenty to do, but after you collect everything useful and make a nice home base, you will get bored. MP is where most of the excitement is.
No map but there are beacons and locators on the compass and also LAT, LONG coordinates. No way to take notes in game so you will probably need a notepad handy, or be prepared to drop lots of beacons and sign posts all over the place. You can also build teleporters but they require power on both ends.
__________________________________
= Subnautica =
http://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/s...d80c42615ef1c6cb5e3f270f4b33473.1920x1080.jpg
Lots of fun stuff to do, a nice big world to explore, and looks awesome too. You can build very sweet underwater habitats and quite a few vehicles, including a medium sized submarine that can hold a minisub and exoskeleton.
Still in early access, much work to be done, small developer so it may be a while. Plenty of goodies to farm and several dangerous fish to kill.
____________________________________
= Osiris =
http://store.steampowered.com/app/402710/
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/s...d2a93277e67a528466210239a89b7be.1920x1080.jpg
Game looks good but there isnt much to do yet, nor anything interesting to explore.
__________________________________
= ARK =
We all know about this one, will update it later.
______________________________________
= Reign of Kings =
http://store.steampowered.com/app/344760/
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/s...a94edb9fd82224752834ffd6de7a707.1920x1080.jpg
Game originally promised all kinds of cool stuff but eventually fell short. Its officially released however there just isnt much to do in it. Looks like the devs also had a habit of banning critics and ignoring the gamers. Shame.
Happens to be on sale for 5 dollars until October 25th. Thats about all its worth right now.
_____________________________
= The Long Dark =
http://store.steampowered.com/app/305620/
http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/s...afb2e2c84941ae8c62693c1087d0e52.1920x1080.jpg
Still early access. Very realistic compared to other games, also very brutal. Doesnt have much content but they are working hard to add features. Lovely graphic style, plenty to explore but very little to craft. On each map you pretty much do the same thing: Find the one good place to make camp, forge for resources as you are able, survive as long as possible to get a high score. You will always die, eventually.
One day they plan to have proper campaigns and stories, but that could be a while. Progress is slow and steady.
= The Solus Project =
On Steam.
A lot more exploring and not nearly as much crafting, but the gameplay is excellent. Good story about a marooned scientist, trying to pick of the pieces of his fellow astronauts. Not only does he have to brave elements, traps, and (eventually) hostile creatures, he's also got to figure out the mystery of an ancient civilization.
Excellent graphics, frightening sound, and a very streamlined UI. Good all around.
Still in Beta, I think, but theres a lot of stuff to do already.
Last edited:
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