Recent reviews by hyun

I think it's honestly a pretty chill and good game with some difficult puzzles mixed in. For a free game, this is definitely a plus.

I played with three friends and we got through to the end within an hour or two. By no means were we rushing it, but its something nice to play on a night where you have only a few friends on and you guys can't decide what to play.

I would give it a try just because it's free and it isn't too easy like most people think it is.

Icarus Review

Overview: Icarus is an ambitious survival game set on a world where you and your team are tasked with completing missions, building bases, and surviving harsh environments. With a vast skill tree, intricate crafting systems, and weekly updates, this game offers an engaging survival experience. However, it’s not without its flaws, including issues technical instability, and quite frequently appearing frustrating gameplay mechanics.

Pros:
Expansive Progression System:
- Huge blueprint and talent tree system.
- Unlocking tech and talents is rewarding and encourages continuous growth.
- Variety of equipment and structures to unlock.

Base Building & Crafting:
- Building and customizing bases is a fun and engaging mechanic.
- Can create massive, high-tech structures with plenty of room for creativity.
- The crafting system offers a great deal of flexibility, making each mission unique.

Diverse Biomes & Mounts:
- Multiple biomes to explore, each with different creatures (both passive and hostile).
- The ability to tame mounts for faster travel adds a fun dynamic.

Frequent Updates:
- The game receives weekly updates, showcasing a dedicated development team working to improve the game over time.

Cons:
Repetitive Gameplay:
- The requirement to build a new base and crafting bench for each mission can become repetitive over time.
- Though the variety of biomes helps, the core gameplay feels somewhat monotonous after a while.

Dialog and Voice Acting:
- The voice acting and dialogue are weak, detracting from the immersion. The characters' attempts at humor often fall flat,

Instability Issues:
- The game has notable technical issues. While upgrading hardware resolved some of these problems, the game is demanding, and issues like crashes or black screens may occur, especially on lower-end hardware.
The game’s optimization could be better; it struggles even on high-end PCs if not set up properly.

Animal and AI Issues:
- Tamed AI companions are prone to suicides, running into dangerous terrain like lava or falling off cliffs.
- Animal AI for predators is sometimes wonky, with animals attacking you even if you're behind them.

Game Modes:
Mission Mode:
- You drop onto the planet, complete the mission, and leave with your progress and creations being wiped.
- It’s a roguelike experience where you gain currency to buy useful items for future missions.

Open World Mode:
- An open-world survival experience where you build and explore without mission objectives, but operations can be completed, which are based on Mission Mode maps.
- While you can build up your resources and base here, the vast distances between objectives can make the game feel like a grind.

Graphics & World Design:
Graphics:
- While the game has great potential, the visuals aren’t as impressive as some of the promotional footage suggests. The RTX mode fails to deliver a significant improvement.

World Design:
- The world is well-designed with different biomes to explore, but some players feel that it lacks diversity in animal and plant life.

Sound and Music:
Sound Design:
- The sound design adds to the tension of the game, particularly with the harsh environmental conditions.
However, for those with misophonia, the sounds of eating and drinking in the game can be extremely irritating.
Music:
- The music is functional but not remarkable. It adds atmosphere but doesn’t stand out as a major highlight.

Final Thoughts:
Icarus is a compelling survival game that offers a lot of content and a sense of progression. The base-building mechanics are particularly enjoyable, and the weekly updates show that the developers are committed to improving the game. However, issues with technical performance, repetitive gameplay, and underwhelming dialogue detract from its potential. If you’re a fan of survival games and can handle some technical instability, Icarus is still worth a try, especially with the frequent content updates.