Recent reviews by [TRG]Sardus

Please don't go. The Drones need you...they look up to you...

One...MORE...TURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNN!

Positive reviews: wow this game is incredibly detailed, deep and hard to master.

Negative reviews: whaaaaaaa this game is too hard!

Honestly I like the game the way it is. Maybe add an easy difficulty setting for those suffering? The game currently has one setting. SURVIVE!

I do not recommend this game. Many of the items listed on the steam page simply do not exist. This is not a full release. Quickplay and ranked multiplayer is not yet in the game. Co-op with friends is also not yet in the game. They are listed in the game as "beta" and nowhere on the steam page does it show the game as early access or beta. I do not support predatory sales gimicks and on that note I refunded the game.

Difficult to learn but once you figure it out the game is actually really well balanced. Hard to learn and even harder to master. Think of this game as a really complicated and challanging Frostpunk or Cliff Empire.

It took me a while to learn to play the game but once I did I ended up sinking dozens of hours into it.

Note: eventually you need to play the game on higher difficulties to get the full value of the product. Lower difficulties don't really need you to do things like make complicated food recipes etc. Play the game on Medium difficulty and once you get the hang of it I recommend hard or ULTRA difficulty.

Short Version:

Absolutely addictive and challenging.

If you ever played any of the old "Outpost" or "Outpost 2" games made by Sierra and enjoyed them, this game is the AAA title remake, and is right for you.

If you also enjoyed the game Planetbase, this game is basically its new and improved "big brother", and is right for you.

If you want a deep City Builder / Strategy Survival game that will keep you on your toes to survive, this game is right for you.

Don't let the negative reviews about bugs deter you. They do exist, but in my experience, they've been pretty mild except for one. Drones getting stuck in domes is a big issue right now (don't block off the doors to the domes or it will cause this glitch). Paradox is pretty quick to patch things, so once I read in the notes that this bug has been fixed I will remove this warning from my review.


Long Version:

Originally I was concerned that this game would lack content or replayability and would be another "one and done" game with about 10 hours of content and not much else without mods or slow content updates. I have to say, this is absolutely NOT the case. Paradox is known for creating incredibly deep games, and Surviving Mars is yet another amazing Paradox flagship product.

Technically, yeah there is an end game, but each "game" takes about 30-60 hours to reach the end of the tree, and there is a ton of replayability. The tech tree and map types have varying difficulties and randomization so no game is ever the same. This game does not "snowball" into easy mode once you get going. It is actually *HARD* to survive to the end game under normal difficulties and evolves with new challenges as your colony grows. Technology is often the answer, and without aggressively pursuing more advanced, resource efficient techs, you will quickly find yourself running out of resources.

But this is the beauty of the game. You need to be clever and think of different ways to overcome each obstacle. A mistake or error in planning made several days in the past can begin to rear its ugly head in the not so distant future.

For example: One game you might be focusing on solar power, the next, wind power... depending upon the technologies available to you that playthrough, and the demands dictated by the map.

Mix this up with all the other things your colonists need to survive, and you find the game is different every time you play. The game is MUCH larger scale than previous older titles such as Planetbase, and has A LOT more components of what your colony needs to survive (metals, rare metals, fuel, polymers, computer components, mechanical components, food, power, water, air......) everything needs to be supplied, and all buildings consume resources for maintenance, creating a permanent economy that only becomes more difficult to balance the bigger you get.

Your "sims" (or otherwise known as colonists) also have "needs" and if you don't give them their needs and work them too hard, things can go to hell very, very quickly. Build schools, universities, and stress relieving buildings, and you can cultivate your colonists into developing better behaviors and perks, which ultimately improve their work performance. On harder difficulties this actually becomes important, as stressed out, overworked colonists tend to freak out whenever a dust storm or cold wave washes over the colony - that is, unless you plan for it and make sure they are properly prepared.

Also, not all technologies are available every game. You might start off with a certain "build", but then figure out later through the demands of the terrain and by what techs are available, that your build needs to adapt and change.

There are also "end game crises'" which put you against the clock to survive. They are both engaging and challenging, and a true test to the resilience and good planning of your colony.

Note: This game is by no means "easy" and NEVER gets easier (only harder). But it is a fun, engaging, and rewarding kind of challenge.

Fortunately there are very easy settings to help you learn the game. You can always dial up the difficulty if you think your first run-through is too easy. And remember: the harder the difficulty, the more the various game mechanics come into play. So, if you find yourself playing the game and thinking some of the mechanics are watered down, increase the difficulty, and I assure you, they will start to matter.

Also on a side note: the game is 100% modable. So I'm excited to see what people eventually create.

Paradox hasn't talked too much about the first expansion, but they are known for releasing good expansions on a 4-6 months rotation. So if you'te considering the season pass, it may be worth it. I don't ever pre-order or buy season passes unless I respect and like the company/publisher. But this time I did.