1 person found this review helpful
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 372.6 hrs on record (31.6 hrs at review time)
Posted: 30 Jul, 2021 @ 4:40pm
Updated: 30 Jul, 2021 @ 4:47pm

Let me tell you the story of Tobias, Paulette, Sage and her loyal dog Leila.

Of course we start with a crash landing. Unfortunately the ship chose to break down right over a tropical rain forest: an always hot, overgrown hellhole, teeming with ferocious fauna that love feasting on unprepared colonist. With some clever use of the natural geography, our three friends are able to effectively barricade themselves in a small crevasse, eventually placing roofing, bedding, the essentials. By the time this was all done though, their emergency rations were almost spent. We'd started crops, of course, with the rain forest biome considered to be summer year round and all. Though the crops were close to done, they still had a few days till they were ready. Close to starvation, they decided on a risky move, to go beyond the safe zone and deep into the forest in search of food.

So, our most effective forager, Sage, was sent beyond the barricade to forage berries for the team.

*ALARM*

A group of three raiders saw the split up colonist and jumped on the chance for some easy slaves. Tobias, skilled with his rifle, immediately ran to protect his friend, with Paulette close behind with a revolver. Sage, favoring close quarters, drew her knife and fell into a ready stance. Tobias started sniping from a distance, landing a few solid hits on two of the raiders. Paulette, less skilled in the combat arts, drew her magnum with shaky hands, scared but ready to fight for their survival. Leila the dog rushed to also defend her master, but ran straight into heavy crossfire, intercepting Paulette's magnum round meant for one of the raiders. It was a solid hit, instantly downing Leila and causing severe hemorrhaging. Death within two hours if left untreated. Sage dropped her survival knife mid-swing against one of the brutes and picked Leila up off the rainforest floor, taking multiple blows from the enemy, but managed to get away, cradling Leila back to the barricade. Tobias and Paulette dealt with the the remaining raiders with superior firepower. Tobias rushed to catch up to Sage and Leila to heal their wounds, as he was formerly a doctor before this disaster. Paulette was left to slit the throats of the horrible scum that caused this mess.

Back in the barricade, Tobias is stitching up Leila as fast as possible, but Leila is looking worse every second. Sage looks on, unable to do anything other than tend her own wounds best she could. 10 seconds until death from blood loss. Nine, Eight, Seven, Six... Tobias manages to stitch the last wound just in time, stopping the bleeding. Leila is looking like death itself, but keeps on living for the moment. Nothing to do but wait and see. Sage huged Tobias and thanked him over and over. Tobias, social awkward, tentatively accepted the thanks.

Now that the worst had passed, the crew could focus on rest and recovery, using the pemmican looted from the dead raiders. During this Paulette managed to get a Nutrient Paste Dispenser, Woodfire Generator, and Air Conditioning built inside the ramshackle barracks. For a month nothing as deadly as the last raid took place, and they were able to avoid notice by the predatory fauna. During this time, they flourished, harvesting the first haul of crops and finally making a metaphorical profit on their food war. Tobias had even dug into the mountain and carved three separate bedrooms for everyone. Sage even managed to get Tobias to open up and become lovers. Shortly after, he proposed and the two were scheduled to be married. Things were finally looking up.

*ALARM*

A giant broodmother spider had invaded the region, with an enormous clutch of brood gestating on her back. This meant trouble; perhaps the entire region being overrun within two spawnings. Something had to be done. Our colonist loaded up on medicine and what ammo they had left. Sage grabbed her trusty survival knife and nuzzled the now healed Leila one last time before heading out to protect their homestead. They stalked the spider to a clearing, rife with good spots to open fire upon the beast. Tobias opened up with a beautiful shot right to one of the broodmother's eyes. Paulette, equipped with her revolver, had moved into range, taking advantage of an abandoned hut and using it for cover while unloading her Tarus into the creature. Sage, knife in hand, waited behind Tobias, as they knew engaging this creature in melee combat should be avoided. The spider threw a massive bola of web at Paulette, entangling her and leaving her helpless. The giant spider started to close in on Paulette. Panicked, Sage rushed in to save their friend, Tobias unleashing devastating shots onto the creature. The beast spun another bola and ensnared Sage, and turned instead to her. Tobias, having emptied his first magazine, desperately reloaded his Enfield Rifle. The spider took Sage up with it's forelegs and spread it's massive mandibles. Tobias finally reloaded and took one final shot. Miss. The Broodmother clamped down on Sage, instantly crushing her head between it's jaws. Paulette cried out, still tied up on the floor. The spider turned to her. Tobias rammed the bolt home and fired as fast as possible, focused only on saving his remaining friend. The broodmother took Paulette up, ignoring the ripping bullets, and crushed Paulette's skull as well. Tobias shot the last bullet from his second magazine and finally downed the spider. He threw down his rifle and sprinted over to the carnage, but there was nothing to be done. His friend and his fiancee, gone is a moment.

Tired, starving, and on the edge of madness, Tobias started the trek back to the barricade amidst pouring rain and lightning. He'd been unable to haul either of his comrades back for a proper burial, that'd he had to tend to tomorrow. Suddenly, he saw a small creature dashing towards him in the rain. It was Leila, fangs bared and ready to kill. Somehow she'd known that her master had passed, and was seeking vengeance against something, anything. Tobias, aware that this would leave him all alone, solemnly raised his rifle one last time and pulled the trigger. Leila hit the ground hard, unable to continue. Tobias ran over and picked up Leila once more, ready to save her life a second time. A loud metallic crash boomed to his left, and he saw a young girl crawl out of her heap of an ejection pod, then lay still. He jogged over to her and found she still had a pulse, and was far less wounded than Leila. He looked at his fiancee's poor dog, tears in his eyes. Leila knew too. Gently he set Leila down and gave her one more hug. She licked his face knowingly, forgiving him. He hauled the girl up onto his shoulder and turned away from Leila, unable to stomach the choice he'd made. Another dead friend.

Back in the barricade, Tobias easily stitched up the young girls wounds with a practiced hand. She might even come to by tomorrow. Exhausted, he crawled into his now empty king sized bed, where he'd made love to his fiancee not but two nights ago.

And he broke.

So yes you should buy this game. Fantastic mod support, great stories, and only mildly infuriating colonist. I do kind of wish I could tell the exactly what I wanted them to do in an emergency. But that's part of the fun I guess. There's probably a mod for it anyways.
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