ATLAS
the two words that describe a game like this are: DIGITAL HEROIN. the game is weirdly addictive but i will never recommend it to anyone as much of the time you are just staring at the screen for 3 hours while the boat moves- cant look away for even 15 seconds because a bunch of enemy ships may just appear in view in front of you, requiring 3 seconds of reaction time to steer out of the way, or else you lose tens-of-hours of work.. that’s fine for immersion, albeit a tad harsh, but the reason this is a negative review is such that the product is filled with bugs and spelling mistakes that have been present since game launch. new updates often re-break old features that were previously fixed on a repeated basis (sextant buff/autopilot.. coordinate space transforms arent that hard guys!). utter and complete world wipes happen upon developers' whim, so if you get into the game late in a season then you may as well not play because you will be so far behind the career players who got in 10seconds after new season and claimed every island and covered them with fence foundations so that nobody can build. and by the time you learn the game then the entire world undergoes another wipe which results in making game harder to suppress the PVP veterans; leaving anyone new to the PVE game in the dust. long story short: developers are struggling to tame their existing playerbase with no remaining capability to improve the game for the general public. its been almost 3 years since public release for paid product.. they cant claim “early access” anymore.
– Real player with 7104.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Survival Crafting Games.
This is the worst best game ever….
It’s pretty, it’s fun to play* and with a private community to avoid the toxic levels build up over the years from the wrongdoing of the devs, amazing and fun.
It is… however… full of bugs, without any sight of those ever being fixed. Arrogant devs who refuse to help people who are trying to improve on the game with mods and who ignore all feedback. No, all… feedback is ignored. They deploy enthusiasts to run their discords and take all the heat while hiding in the corner.
– Real player with 1697.6 hrs in game
OceanCraft
I am going to play this a bit :) There is no options menu and I can not seem to get it out of full screen mode on the desktop nor have I been able to move it to another display; frustrated with that :(
Movement it not easy on the raft, it is teleport only no other option and does not seem to work well with the index controllers I usually have to try a few times to get it to work. It is difficult to move from side to side fast enough to get stuff. also frustrating.
I suppose, With the extreme lack of Good survival VR there is this. For now it will have to do.
– Real player with 13.6 hrs in game
Ocean Craft is a game I would encourage you to purchase. if the dev team updates this game it can be one of the best VR games. at this point we have hit a wall, cooking is interactive as you must prep the food before you cook it with fishing technical as you have to catch the fish you can see. farming is also fun as it is a direct process of putting your crop into the dirt and watering it. building is easy but at this point isnt needed unless you plan to mass produce duplicates of your basic needs. you can create your character from a list of various styles and colors and connecting to friends is never a problem. you cannot go into the water and the shark is not a threat. it is easy to starve or die of dehydration and your characters head is so large you eat food by mistake. after a few hours you will find that you have everything you need that is available to just survive on your raft. overall it is a great vr game to play with friends or family .. game has great potential.
– Real player with 6.7 hrs in game
Soul Searching
SPOILERS
In “Soul Searching,” there is a main purpose that is NOT supported by the game itself. That unsupported purpose is that we as people have to tackle our problems, not run away from them. While the black-and-white cutscenes do have characters that reflect upon this concept, the main story diverts completely away from it. The main story is short and very uneventful. You seem to be soul searching only because your ancestors did so, not because you actually need to. What did soul searching have to do with mending the friendship between people and dragons again? The story is completely capable of completion WITHOUT awakening any souls and learning their ablities. When the dragon took me back to my home island and the game ended, I wondered if throughout the game I was either trying to save souls (from what?) or create peace with dragons and humans again. Would I reccomend this game for only seven dollars? Only if you’re looking for something aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. But to those who are searching for a clear and sensible story, be warned.
– Real player with 7.5 hrs in game
Here we have a lovely indie game filled with melancholy, depresssion, hope, dreams, death and living. It is a very small game but you can clearly see that every piece of it made with love and care.
The story mode is maybe a bit short but definitely sweet and surely make you smile and warm your heart. Also you’ll probably miss somethings at your first play so you’ll give it an another try at least on more time.
Also when you have couple of your friends with you, you could try random mode. Playing it solo was fun, sailing with your ship etc. but it is much much more fun when you have your friends with you to sail with. When everyone operating a different stuff on the ship, people coordinating how to sail, navigate, fish then you’ll see how it is totally different from the story mode but equally if not more fun to play.
– Real player with 5.6 hrs in game
Captain Bones: Prologue
The Ambience alone is worth downloading this game. It sounds very calming and if you love the ocean you will like this game. There isn’t much going on in this game yet, but somehow it doesn’t suffer from that. If you need explosions and constant gun fighting, then you probably won’t look twice at downloading this as it isn’t for you. If you want a lite island exploration game that is also about crafting and fighting off sharks while diving for treasure, and you don’t want to pay for it, then this IS for you.
– Real player with 7.7 hrs in game
The prologue appears to be the same as the demo, which I’ve played for about 3.5 hours. It’s definitely a fun prologue, though there isn’t a ton to do outside of the story. There are some chests to find and loot, but ultimately, there isn’t anything worth buying with your booty. There is a scrap merchant who sells ship parts, but no ships that you can repair/build outside of the raft, which degrades quickly. Having a couple islands to sail to and a ship would go a long way, though I suspect that will be a motivation to buy the full game.
– Real player with 1.6 hrs in game
Sailwind
I ran into this game purely by chance and decided to take a gamble on it. What I discovered was far beyond by wildest expectations.
Yes there are some bugs here and there. That being said for a game that came out effectively a month ago, it’s very polished and the basic game loop is well implemented. The mechanics are easy to understand and relatively challenging to master.
The pacing is interesting as you can literally be sailing on a flat as a pan sea one minute and riding whitecaps while trying not to flip the next. Furthermore the pleasure of navkgating by the stars and sun successfully is indescribable. The game really captures the act of sailing into the unknown very well to the point where you’ll be sailing on a sing an a prayer at first.
– Real player with 127.1 hrs in game
The feeling of finally spotting a speck of land on the horizon was indescribable. After 10 days of battling storms and unfavorable winds in the open ocean, while striving to navigate with medieval technology, the relief and satisfaction of reaching your destination is unmatched.
This game will have you learning how to navigate and tell time by the stars, and properly rig a sailing ship. When conditions are rough, you will be constantly running around your ship, trying to keep your heading and fight the winds. When the weather is calm and you know you’re on course, you can pass the time fishing or sleeping. It’s a great balance of simulation and fun. If you enjoy games like Spintires or Railroads Online, or if you simply want to experience life as a 15th century merchant, this game is an absolute must.
– Real player with 113.0 hrs in game
Salt 2: Shores of Gold
Salt 2: Shores of Gold is an open world pirate game with a focus on exploration, survival, and crafting. Set sail across an infinite ocean with just you and your ship. Explore islands filled with caves, ruins, pirate camps, towns, and other mysterious places. The world is procedurally generated, so you’ll never run out of islands to explore. Hunt and fish for survival, find resources to craft rare items, decorate your ship, go on quests, level up your skills, and fight legendary pirates. Salt 2 also features RPG aspects such as loot rarities and talents so you can customize your character to fit your playstyle.
What Makes Salt Unique?
You might be wondering what makes Salt different than other pirate games. There’s a few things. For one, we’ve put our focus on the single player exploration experience. This means you don’t need friends to help you manage your boat or to explore the world. This isn’t a game focused on naval combat, but instead on PVE content such as exploring the sea, going on quests, crafting and survival elements, leveling up skill systems and unlocking talent trees, and discovering interesting places and loot. Because of this focus on exploration, we’ve also made the world procedurally generated so you can explore in any direction for as long as you want.
Explore an Infinite World
We wanted to create a pirate game that focused on exploration and adventure first and foremost. You start in the middle of an infinite ocean with just you and your ship, pick a direction, and set sail across a procedurally generated world. Experience pure freedom in where you go and what you do. Discover uncharted islands filled with quests, pirates, and hundreds of points of interest such as ancient ruins, caves, pirate camps, villages, and other mysterious places. Even though the islands are procedural, our points of interests are hand crafted with unique secrets, puzzles, and design.
Fish and Hunt to Survive
You’ll need some food to survive. Grab a fishing pole and toss a lure overboard to catch some fish or grab your bow and head into the woods to hunt some wildlife.
Craft and Upgrade
As you explore the world you will discover tons of resources that can be used to craft new items, armor, weapons, and upgrades for your ship.
Decorate Your Ship
We want your ship to be your home at sea. While exploring the world you will find items to upgrade your ship, decorating it and making it unique to you. And you won’t need other people to help manage your ship. It’s just you, the sea, and the endless horizon.
Level Up
Unlock talent trees for different skills such as combat, fishing, crafting, hunting, and get unique perks for your character.
Loot Epic Gear
Salt 2 features an RPG style loot system with different rarities of armor and weapons, and interesting stats to tailor to the play style you want. Each piece of gear also has randomized talents. So whether you are crafting a high level item, or hunting down a pirate captain for an epic sword, you’ll always be searching for that new rare item with the perfect roll.
Fight Legendary Pirates
The islands are full of dangerous enemies. Fight legendary pirates, bosses, and dangerous wildlife in your hunt for adventure.
Go on Quests
Dock your ship at a sea port and pick up quests and commissions from guilds, the townsfolk, and merchants.
How is Salt 2 Different from the Original?
If you’ve played Salt 1, you might be wondering what is new in the sequel. For starters, a complete visual overhaul. We are switching to a new rendering pipeline allowing for much better graphical fidelity. This means brand new models, textures, shaders, lighting, animations, UI, and performance improvements. We are also revamping the island generation system for more varied and interesting looking islands. In addition to that, Salt 2 will have hundreds of hand crafted points of interest such as caves to make exploration a much more deep and unique experience.
We are also putting a much bigger focus on crafting, survival, and ship decoration mechanics. In Salt 2 these mechanics will be deeper than the original and feed directly into the gameplay loop. You’ll also be able to level up your weapons and unlock talents that fit your playstyle. And of course Salt 2 will include brand new quests, new gear, improved combat mechanics, and a new soundtrack.
Arctic Anxiety
This is in fact a nice game and it should be a nice game and because of that i made this post so no offense the developer.
– This is in fact a nice game and it should be a nice game but because of all those devastating bug + other bug i feel it is on it’s place to warning you about what you really buying and i try for 122 hour to avoid this post as best i can just to give that hard working single developer to resposse and do something with it but nothing happens and i am afraid he gonna use several month or worst he is not able to fix them at all.
– Real player with 146.1 hrs in game
This is a really cool survival game and is really challenging. Early development and developer is active. Game is a great purchase, I picked it up for $4.99 how can you go wrong.
–———————- UPDATE November 2021 ————————
OK my above review I hold true to and I like the game but some time has passed, there hasn’t been an update of a pep from the developer, it appears this game is abandoned but who knows.
I will say there has been a few updates last year 2020 but until you see some progress with this game I would not suggest purchasing it.
– Real player with 37.3 hrs in game
Windbound
I would say that the main characteristic of this game for me is flashes of brilliance and equally frequent bouts of deep frustration. Interesting enough concept, the graphical style is charming, the game-play loop is promising; it has all the moving parts of a game that I really want to enjoy, but they all fall slightly flat for largely mechanical or technical reasons.
As its core inspiration, it clearly draws heavily from Legend of Zelda: Windwaker and Breath of the Wild, both highly polished and beloved games. The stylistic inspiration for the murals through which Windbound tells its story are very reminiscent of Abzu. The biomes and the various creatures you progress through are all distinct and interesting. It’s a beautiful game, without being too flashy or relying on impressive graphics. Visually and aesthetically, I have no real complaints. It’s when interacting with this environment that things start to unravel.
– Real player with 35.0 hrs in game
I waited until a bit to write this to have clearer thoughts. Frankly, this game made me some of the saltiest I have ever been due to sheer game mechanics. I was SUPER excited about this game, I could hardly wait until download day and announced it all over how I was looking forward to playing!! It was gorgeous, gave windwaker vibes, and seemed like something that would give me hours of enjoyment…Please note, I played using a controller.
What it does right:
-Graphics: They are gorgeous. The art style is absolutely winderwaker-ish and it was what drew me to the game in the first place. In this regard, it does NOT disappoint.
– Real player with 32.7 hrs in game
Noah
Seeing the incoming dark clouds, some seek shelter and others build an ark. Step into the pre-apocalyptic world as Noah and lead the bravest project of ancient times! Gather the required resources to build a ship able to withstand the diversity of Earth’s fauna on its deck.
Don’t forget the dove though, without her the voyage might take forever!
The rainstorm is close, and after all, you must save at least a pair of each species.
Animals are just animals, and they can get quite unbearable… they spread around the world and don’t want to listen - bah, it might come to you carrying them around on your own back!
Once you’re done with that, don’t forget to pack the supplies. Otherwise… you know…
Problems with livestock and the race to beat the clock are not the only concerns you’ll face.
You’re just starting out with this praiseworthy quest and some wicked folks are already looking forward to your demise. Fight them without batting an eye - this time it doesn’t count as a sin!
If you think building the Ark is not something you’ll manage on your own, bring your friends along!
Together you’ll be able to wrap it all up much quicker, as well as make it easier to defend the floating zoo when a mass attack happens. No worries - there’s plenty of work to do even for four of you!
Ship construction and saving animal species are probably not the easiest activities, as well as being the captain during the final voyage. In the end, however, the rain will stop. Looking out for the land, you’ll realize you saved the world once again - and this time it all went without a single gunshot.
Breakwaters
CLOSED BETA/EARLY ACCESS REVIEW!
So I was lucky to be one of the people being able to play around with the closed beta and even though we didn’t have access to all the EA content and even though we ran into quite a few bugs at the time (most of whom have been fixed or being worked on right now), I had a ton of fun playing this.
It’s a relaxing survival and exploration sim with many things to explore, craft and build.
The water physics are amazing. You can basically manipulate the water to do anything, if you know how.
– Real player with 32.1 hrs in game
Got an early review copy and was excited to try this as it had been on my radar since seeing the trailer earlier this year. Unfortunately the flaws became readily apparent pretty quickly.
Pros:
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Looks nice
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Water mechanics are interesting
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Gathering resources and crafting are easy
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Armor and weapons don’t lose durability
Cons:
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Movement feels really off
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Even after lowering the sensitivity the camera is still way too fast
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Combat is not good at all, there’s no blocking, dodging or rolling and enemies have very basic attack patterns
– Real player with 8.2 hrs in game