An honest review

[Issac 0]

After spending 60+ hours playing ASTRONEER I have come to a verdict based on the following;

-Game playability

-In-game content

-Bugs/Crashes

-Exploration and Discovery elements

-Building and crafting

-Grinding

To start, the game is very enjoyable and can retain that enjoyability for quite some time. It is easy to say the experience is well worth the price.

The in-game content is slightly shallow, which is to be expected for a pre-alpha title, heck it surpasses most expectations. That goes without saying, there is still a lot to be desired. Something I look forward to experiencing.

In terms of bugs, glitches and crashes, this game has plenty to go around. I have witnessed the dedication the devs have to troubleshooting these issues and a wonderful community that helps along the way. Its very refreshing to see. The biggest issue thus far has got to be the lag. Lag is VERY real.

The exploration and discovery element can feel empty at first glance. Once you start digging around (in-game and on the web) a whole ton of new discoveries will be waiting. Not to mention the exploration is very massive. Its not very difficult to get lost in the game or even in the beauty of the game.

Building can be a bit overwhelming or underwhelming, depending who you ask. Base building is fairly straightforward but as a result is very simplistic. Using the deforming tool can be a bit janky and has a learning curve that can be easy to overlook. The crafting is very clean and easy to understand, but there really isn't a whole lot of crafting to be done. Beyond solar panels, batteries, storage and maybe trucks if you prefer truck trains, most other craftable items will only see a few uses.

The grinding in this game is modest at it's worst. Most resources are plentiful and easily accessable. Comparing to my previous experiences where grinding can literally cost a week of your time (For those ARK players). Spending 5 hours and attaining enough resources to build a few, fully functional, bases is a welcome relief.

Overall I give ASTRONEER a solid 9/10. It's a wonderful game and seems to have an intensly bright future. Definitely worth the meager $20.