Frozen State

I was looking through my library and saw this game. Odd, it only has a couple hours on it, and it looks pretty decent. Why didn't I give it more play time back then? Why don't I give it another shot? Ten years, a full release (It is out of Early Access, so it depends on you mean by full, seems as though it has been abandoned), and I can only assume that this game did not improve in any way.

It has a great atmosphere to it, I will give it that. A brutal, beat down world. Everything is old and dirty and covered in grime, and frozen. The wind constantly howling, trying to get at you, and you knowing that if it does you will quickly die, is fantastic. The problem is with almost literally everything else.

While the game comes with a built in guide, there is really almost too much to this game. Too many steps to take, too many things to remember, and that really really hurts when the menus are so bad and the controls are terrible. You character walks around like a broken mannequin, and handles with as much finesse as a brick. Nothing ever works when you need it to, be it using items, placing things, or just managing your character. There are just far too many things and stats to take care of and track and understand at the start of the game.

This really needed a tutorial. You escape from your broken vehicle and get to the house, and on the way you learn how to play. Maybe that would have helped with things, but even then... This game is just, really not good. It has a great premise, good ideas, and promise, but very poor execution. I can't imagine why anyone would be looking at this ten year old barely finished game and be thinking of buying it, but if you are, don't.

The controls are atrocious.

Could have been a really great game, if the dev didn't stop the developpment.

The game itself is a mix between STALKER, DayZ, Project Zomboid and many more like The Long Dark. Tbh, I fkg love the atsmophere. You start in a house, always the same, and wonder through various zones with npcs, building...and creatures just to repair a vehicle. Easy ? Nope. The idea is that those parts are difficult to get. The fact is that those parts are randomly difficult to get. The game has NO balance. You can start a run with an automatic rifle in you mailbox with a ton of ammo, and never get anything to heal. In another run, never find matches (which are essentials) but having almost full peaceful zones. It's far too random, not to mentions the different places that are also TOO random in difficulty (you can travel to the next place from the start location and just getting obliterated by armed npcs).

That said, in hope the dev ONE DAY decide to just update/patch it (it's been like YEARS), yes, I recommend it to at least give it a try because it's unique.