A Dive Into the New Survival Game: First Thoughts

11 June 2025

Survival games—because who doesn’t want to pretend they’re Bear Grylls with a crafting menu, right? This week, I threw myself into the chaotic wilderness of yet another “revolutionary” (yes, air quotes required) survival game. You know the type: you wake up semi-naked, unarmed, and surrounded by either zombies, dinosaurs, or mutated pineapples. That’s just how things roll in this genre. But let’s talk about this brand new contender in the survival arena and unpack our first impressions with all the grace of a player who just fell off a cliff while trying to craft a spear.

The Setup: Wake Up, Loot, Don’t Die (Again)

So here's the thing—this game's opening sequence? Totally original. You wake up somewhere bizarre, memory fuzzier than your morning brain before coffee, and everything that moves either wants to eat you, smash you, or look at you ominously. Honestly, if I had a dollar for every time a survival game started this way, I’d probably be rich enough to retire from gaming and buy an actual island.

But clichés aside, the environment is genuinely stunning. Hats off to the devs for making a forest that looks so real I half-expected to sneeze from virtual pollen. Giant trees, rustling bushes, and ominous cave openings that scream “you’ll regret going in here.” It’s your typical survival setting, but shinier.

The Mechanics: Let The Gathering Begin

Nothing screams “fun” like punching trees until your hands bleed, right? And true to every survival game ever, this one makes you start from scratch. You know the drill: rocks are your best friends, sticks are currency, and crafting menus are more overwhelming than IKEA instructions in Swedish.

But hey, this game tries to mix it up. For instance, your character actually gets fatigue from overdoing it. Yes, you can literally pass out from picking berries too fast. I mean, if that isn’t realism, what is?

They’ve also added a neat little feature where over-eating actually slows you down. You eat one too many mushrooms and suddenly you’re waddling around like you just left a buffet. It’s both hilarious and deeply inconvenient—10/10 for immersion, but -3 points for making me second-guess every berry I pick.

The Combat: A Stick and A Prayer

Let’s talk weapons. Or more accurately, your sad excuse for weapons for the first 10 hours.

Combat in this game is like trying to swat flies with a spaghetti noodle. Your first weapon? A floppy wooden stick that breaks the second you hit something with any enthusiasm. Enemies, on the other hand, have claws, fangs, and possibly an undying grudge against your existence.

The game wants you to think tactically, aka run away a lot, hide behind things, and scream internally. It's less “run-n-gun” and more “tiptoe-n-hope.” But once you level up and unlock better gear, the combat dynamic shifts from “please don’t kill me” to “I might actually win this fight.” Small victories, folks.

Oh—and there’s a parry system. Because every survival game now wants to flirt with Dark Souls. Timing it right feels like trying to catch a fly with chopsticks, but when you do land a perfect block? Chef’s kiss.

Building: Welcome to My Sad Little Shack

Ah yes, base building. The main event in any survival game. Because what's more comforting than building a home out of twigs in a monster-infested land? Initially, you're piecing together walls like you're on a doomed episode of HGTV: Post-Apocalyptic Edition.

The building system is surprisingly intuitive, though—the snapping mechanics actually work (take notes, other devs), and there are tons of customization options. Floors, roofs, windows, traps—it’s all there, waiting to be constructed using resources that take about 47 years to gather.

You can build everything from a cozy little lean-to to a full-on medieval fortress if you’ve got the patience of a saint or an absurd amount of free time. Pro tip: add traps around your base unless you enjoy surprise monster parties at midnight. You’re welcome.

AI Behavior: Smarter Than Your Ex

Now, I’ve seen a lot of dumb AI in games—enemies that run headfirst into walls or allies that block doorways like stubborn toddlers. But the AI in this survival gem? Surprisingly sneaky.

Enemies will flank you, set ambushes, and even retreat if they’re losing. One particularly rude boar baited me into a trap set by his equally rude boar friends. I still haven’t emotionally recovered.

Animals react to noise, light, and even scent (don't ask me how that works—just shower, okay?). And if you leave food out in the open? Don’t expect it to still be there after a while. It’s like a living, breathing world where everything wants your loot—or your life.

Multiplay or Mayhem?

Multiplayer mode is… an experience. You and your friends can band together to take on the wilderness as a team. Or, more realistically, yell at each other for forgetting to build a fireplace before nightfall. Cooperative survival brings out the best and worst in everyone.

There’s proximity voice chat for fully immersive chaos—nothing beats hearing your friend scream “WHY IS THERE A BEAR IN THE BASE?!” in real-time. And the ability to share resources, craft together, and strategize? Genuinely makes the experience ten times more fun (and chaotic).

Of course, PVP servers are where things go feral. People basically become Mad Max characters with unreasonable attitudes and way too much time. Just remember: trust no one, especially the guy offering you “free soup.”

The Learning Curve: Steep Like A Cliff (That You’ll Fall Off)

You’re not going to learn everything within the first hour. Heck, you won’t figure everything out in TEN hours. The game doesn’t hold your hand—more like it slaps it, then laughs when you step in a bear trap.

Crafting is layered. Survival needs (hunger, thirst, stamina, temperature… sanity?!?) are deep. And if you skip the tutorial? May the odds be ever in your favor. But that’s where the fun lies—those “aha” moments after hours of trial, error, and a whole lotta dying.

Visuals and Sound Design: Eargasmic and Eye Candy

Graphically, the game is a beauty. Sunlight piercing through tree canopies, rain pattering down realistically, and a nighttime sky that’s more romantic than your last date. Seriously, I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time just standing still and admiring stuff.

Sound design is on point, too. The ambient forest sounds lull you into a false sense of security before a blood-curdling scream from the shadows reminds you where you are. Footsteps change based on terrain, storms feel angry, and that distant growl? Definitely not your stomach.

The Bugs (And I’m Not Just Talking About Insects)

Now, before you grab your wallet and run to your digital store of choice, let’s talk bugs. At launch, things are… let’s say “quirky.” Floating rocks, enemies that phase through walls, items randomly vanishing into the void—all the usual suspects.

But despite the odd technical hiccup, nothing game-breaking has ruined the core experience. And hey, it wouldn’t be a survival game without some unpredictable chaos, right?

Final Thoughts: Worth the Hype?

So should you dive into this survival title? If you’ve got the patience of a monk, the curiosity of a cat, and a slightly masochistic love for dying in ridiculous ways, then yes. Absolutely. It’s challenging, immersive, and occasionally rage-inducing—in the best possible way.

The game doesn’t revolutionize the survival genre, but it does polish it to a near-mirror shine. And with more updates likely on the horizon, it's only going to get better (we hope). Just remember to save often, eat wisely, and maybe build your shelter before nightfall. Trust me.

TL;DR

- Beautifully designed world with a strong sense of danger
- Deep crafting and survival mechanics
- Smart AI and dynamic wildlife interactions
- Multiplayer is both a dream and a nightmare
- Occasional bugs, but nothing catastrophic (yet)
- Not for the faint of heart or the easily frustrated