Permafrost

Enjoyed the game. Got as far as the current ending. Didn't have any major FPS issues. It looks good. Containers should store more loot. Looking forward to having another play through in 6 months or so when more has been added.

[h1]Recommended, with some caveats from someone who's genuinely enjoying it[/h1] I see a lot of negative reviews for this game, but I'm having a great time with it. I took a short break because Enshrouded officially released yesterday. However, I'm back having a blast stacking resources. I'm in the process of building a multi-level storage facility next to my cabin to make resource management a lot easier. Performance has not been an issue for me at all. [h2]What the devs got right[/h2] [b]The bow and hunting are fantastic.[/b] The bow feels smooth and accurate, and the arrow drop on long distance shots is believable once you release. Landing a headshot on a deer and dropping it with one arrow is incredibly satisfying. I love hunting and gathering in survival games, and this one nails that feel. The gunfire sounds great too. I also enjoy gathering resources, exploring the areas and caves, visiting towns, and building. There's a lot here to like and it's clear the team put real care into the core survival loop. [h2]What could use some polish[/h2] [list] [*][b]Building snapping issues:[/b] Building is fun, but little glitches can break the immersion. When I built my starter house, I couldn't place the very last roof tile in the middle of the roof. It turns red and won't snap, so I'm left with a hole in the roof. I've also had walls refuse to snap together and I couldn't place a foundation on one side of a spot even though the ground was flat, while the opposite side worked fine. [*][b]Combat:[/b] It's good, but it isn't as immersive as I'd like. Enemy AI often just stands there. I'd love to see enemies take cover and try to gain a tactical advantage. Letting players build quick cover during shootouts would be a great addition too. [/list] [h2]Ideas that would make it even more immersive[/h2] [list] [*][b]Proper food storage:[/b] An ice box you can fill with snow, or a drying rack that needs a warm, dry spot, would make survival feel more grounded. [*][b]Renaming Wooden Chests:[/b] Since I'm making a multi-floor storage facility, it would be great to rename the chests to what it contains for easier acquisition. [*][b]"What da dog doin?":[/b] Is what I ask most of the time when he either gets stuck inside the foundation under my house, just stands there back deep in snow while a wild boar presses me, and doesn't come initially when I call. He takes his precious time. German shepherds are very loyal and very needy dogs. He should be closer to my side and ready get after anything that threatens to harm me , but not this one. He just waits for me to die like how I found him near his previous owner. [*][b]Craftable and refillable hand warmers:[/b] I found a hand warmer and was able to repair it; however, it would be great to craft stronger heaters. Maybe I haven't progressed far enough to find one, but I would like to take luck out of it and craft it as an essential. I love the fact that they were thought of in the first place. I think it's an exceptional add and would like to make more potent ones. [*][b]Campfire Immersion:[/b] I think the difficulty in starting a fire should be expounded on when certain weather elements occur such as heavy rain or strong winds. It should be difficult to create a fire. I think this would add to the immersion. [*][b]Building in mission areas:[/b] I understand wanting to keep some complexity to the game, but we should be able to make makeshift fires or some form of heat while we loot within mission areas instead of having to run out of the "no-build zone," warm up by the campfire, run back into the zone, rinse and repeat until everything is looted. This goes back to the need of stronger makeshift personal heaters and the ability to build in "no-build" zones where the windchill factor is -40+ degrees. If we're inside a building within a "no-build zone," how would it be unrealistic for someone to build a small fire to keep warm? I would understand not being able to out in a blizzard, but inside it would make sense to be able to do so. [*][b]Item Gathering from Utilities:[/b] When you craft something, if you go off and do something else, you will have to pick up each individual item instead of gathering the entire stack at once. For example, if you craft 100 rounds of ammo and you are not in the menu as the ammo is being crafted, then the ammo will drop individually for you to pick up on the weapon bench. You will have to grab each individual round instead of grabbing the entire stack at once. So, you'll be there for a while. It would be nice to just grab the entire stack or multiple stacks at once. [*][b]Closing Doors:[/b] This is a small detail, but it would be great to be able to craft a door with maybe a battery powered proximity sensor or generator powered door to where it automatically opens/closes once based on the proximity you are to either side of the door. That way, I don't have to manually open and close the door as I'm hauling ass out to either go quest/resource farm or come back to craft, cook, and sleep. It's a minor thing because we could just craft a house without a door, but...I like having a door on my cabin...I just don't like having to open it, forget to close it, and come back to an open door. [*][b]Invasions:[/b] I've killed a significant number of Moon Clan people. It would be great if they had hit squads that would come sniffing around for me at my home after a killing some in their facility. I'm not saying a full blown raid system, but it would be nice if they had some that would come try to find me for revenge. [*][b]Better Loot:[/b] Traveling 10 mins out of the way just to open a chest at a base that contains 1 log feelsbad. I'm not saying give me high quality loot every time I open a box, but it would be nice if there was a bit more loot, even scrap parts. But 1 log is crazy. [/list] [h2]Final thoughts[/h2] The foundation is strong and the bow and hunting alone reeled me in. With some fixes to building and a few more survival touches, this could be something really special. If you enjoy survival crafting games and can look past a little jank (as it is in early access and from the responses to the reviews that the devs have been making they actually care and want to see this successful), I think it's worth a try. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.