This game was absolutely phenomenal. From the initial trailers all the way up to 20 hours in, I was enjoying myself every step of the way. I would wholeheartedly recommend this (and have been!) to anyone and everyone. Whilst there are a few areas of minor improvement, the game overall is genuinely incredible and continues to be a wonderful experience.

it is incredibly refreshing to see such a wide variety of accessibility options available to the player on the front-page of the Options menu. From motion-sensitivity, movement transitions, camera controls, and more! This leading into ways to completely customise your game experience with difficulty tweaking, damage taken, when the game pauses, etc.

I was hooked on the story that is being told throughout this game. Through direct interaction with the main cast, as well as through logs when scanning items, anomalies, or resources! And then there's the additional side-story through broadcast towers or documents. All of it paints a wonderful picture in this corner of the world the game is set in and it really allows your imagination to wander.
I found myself invested with the main cast very quickly as each had their own diverse personalities that did wonders to highlight the others' performances as well, and I am eager to learn more about them if this game gets DLC later down the line.

Whilst the 'active core story' beats are tied to fixed locations in the zone, I still feel that every journey that is made does still feel worthwhile as it will progress you in some form or another. Whether that's gathering energy for unlocks at the fabricator, or gathering materials to upgrade your car.

This game is a survival-crafter in the sense of material gathering for upgrades and being wary of dangerous out in the Zone. As the Driver, you don't necessarily need to worry about your own food/drink levels as you just have flat health. However. You do need to maintain your car and keep it in good condition. Keep its Fuel topped up, make sure the battery is charged, etc. After all - Your car is your lifeline throughout all of this.

It took me just shy of 30 hours to complete the story on my first play-through and I can safely say that there was never a dull moment. Times of intensity punctuated by downtime to catch my breath. Every step I made was a learning experience and I was better for it going forward.

Whilst the game excels in a large number of areas for me personally, there is only one section I can think that could be improved in my own personal opinion (which I imagine will likely be fixed in the near future)

- Keybinds/QoL Features
This one is very minor and something I had learned by chance mainly, though the game does have an Autosort feature with your inventory, though it isn't shown on the main Inventory/Storage interface at the time of writing this review (19/03/24) - For Keyboards, It's the 'Y' key, and for controller, It's pressing both sticks.
Additionally, the absence of stack-splitting is sorely missed as well.

Edit: Formatting

This game was absolutely phenomenal. From the initial trailers all the way up to 20 hours in, I was enjoying myself every step of the way. I would wholeheartedly recommend this (and have been!) to anyone and everyone. Whilst there are a few areas of minor improvement, the game overall is genuinely incredible and continues to be a wonderful experience. [h3][u]Accessibility options[/u][/h3] it is incredibly refreshing to see such a wide variety of accessibility options available to the player on the front-page of the Options menu. From motion-sensitivity, movement transitions, camera controls, and more! This leading into ways to completely customise your game experience with difficulty tweaking, damage taken, when the game pauses, etc. [h3][u]Story[/u][/h3] I was hooked on the story that is being told throughout this game. Through direct interaction with the main cast, as well as through logs when scanning items, anomalies, or resources! And then there's the additional side-story through broadcast towers or documents. All of it paints a wonderful picture in this corner of the world the game is set in and it really allows your imagination to wander. I found myself invested with the main cast very quickly as each had their own diverse personalities that did wonders to highlight the others' performances as well, and I am eager to learn more about them if this game gets DLC later down the line. Whilst the 'active core story' beats are tied to fixed locations in the zone, I still feel that every journey that is made does still feel worthwhile as it will progress you in some form or another. Whether that's gathering energy for unlocks at the fabricator, or gathering materials to upgrade your car. [h3][u]Gameplay Loop[/u][/h3] This game is a survival-crafter in the sense of material gathering for upgrades and being wary of dangerous out in the Zone. As the Driver, you don't necessarily need to worry about your own food/drink levels as you just have flat health. However. You do need to maintain your car and keep it in good condition. Keep its Fuel topped up, make sure the battery is charged, etc. After all - Your car is your lifeline throughout all of this. It took me just shy of 30 hours to complete the story on my first play-through and I can safely say that there was never a dull moment. Times of intensity punctuated by downtime to catch my breath. Every step I made was a learning experience and I was better for it going forward. [h3][u]Areas for Improvement[/u][/h3] Whilst the game excels in a large number of areas for me personally, there is only one section I can think that could be improved in my own personal opinion (which I imagine will likely be fixed in the near future) - Keybinds/QoL Features This one is very minor and something I had learned by chance mainly, though the game does have an Autosort feature with your inventory, though it isn't shown on the main Inventory/Storage interface at the time of writing this review (19/03/24) - For Keyboards, It's the 'Y' key, and for controller, It's pressing both sticks. Additionally, the absence of stack-splitting is sorely missed as well. Edit: Formatting