Outback

The game is pretty much an asset flip with a bit of tinkering, but that tinkering is just the dev getting his aesthetic into the game rather than improving the short falls of the base asset kit or trying to improve the overall product. I picked this up when it was for $1 and that's about all it should be worth if not free to play, now I am reading comments about the dev not having enough time etc... none of the changes to the system really take that much time to do, and as an aussie solo hobbyist dev myself it's easy to spot what has and has not been done on this title. I'd suggest picking it up for a laugh at aussie culture, but there isn't any aussie culture in it, nor is there really any gameplay other than a hollow shell of a survival system, so don't expect to be off making some classy mansion with electronics throughout, you're better off getting rust.

When I first saw this game on sale, I copped it as a joke as I thought it would be funny. However, Playing this has led me to the conclusion that the game isn't THAT bad. Sure, it's not finished and all, but the idea is there and it's not bad. I feel like if the developer actually worked on the game and adjusted the HUD, the map, the icons, etc etc, the game wouldn't be that bad.

Another thing I'd like to see about this game is a story. The store page description tells you that you have to build something, but what if there was a story behind it all, a story behind why the rednecks want to kill you, etc. etc.

Honestly though, I've been kind of playing this on and off, and I'm actually enjoying it. If the developer made the map look and feel like the Australian outback and maybe changed the HUD and icons first, as well as some of the animations, I could definitely be encouraged to play this game more.

I'm not entirely sure when the last update came out or if the developer has abandoned this game or something, but if you are reading this, work at this game when you can! I know times are tough right now and stuff, so it's not like I expect something massive to come out soon or whatever, but genuinely speaking now, the idea is there and this game won't be bad if it gets worked on!

(2021-03-31)
The game seems to be really dead and not updated.

First of all I like the consept and the fact that its in Australia. Its cool that its a singleplayer survival game kinda. But as much as I understand, Its supposed to be a apocalypse game but there are way way wayy too many Npcs with shotguns. It would be good if there were npcs with no weapons and pistol also to make them way rarer like there are 4 people per house in the cities. Maybe make it 3-4 People per city and the Npcs drop something when you kill them. There are too many animals which is normal for Australia but I think snakes should be removed from the game since its too Op. Its too small to hit and when it attacks you, you get poisoned and die. I think the snakes should be removed and 'bigger' animals should be added. You can break wood with hand and stone etc. I think instead of you being able to break these with hand, you should be able to collect sticks and stones so you can make a basic axe to cut trees and maybe something similiar for 'mining' rocks. Would be happy to see some vehicles or for u to be able to craft one (Havent seen vehicles maybe due to the fact that I only played an hour). The map is extremely huge so vehicles are needed. *Remove The Cartoon Graphics from the setting* It looks really bad and you cant see anything with it (Yeah you can disable it but its a stupid option in my opinion). The loot respawns when you leave and rejoin so u can stay in a city and farm items easily. Maybe add zombies instead of the 1000 survivor Npcs. There was a fps drop every now and then in the city for me. My pc is not bad and I played on Epic and it was good most of the time. But maybe the 100 Npcs in the city caused a fps drop. Well this game should be free in my opinion $4 is way too much and I bought it for $0.39 which also is fair.

Overall the game is dead though and they prob wont keep developing, If they do I might have a look at it!

One word: Pathetic!

Im using Alienware 17 R4 and got 18fps through d game, even 9fps when it rains. Damn i need to buy better performance PC already. *checking wallet =(*

good game easy enough to move around ,need mere building content and where's the wild life ?

Outback Survival is a survival game made using the Unreal engine.

I think the game I could compare it to the most would be The Forest, but they're completely different games. In The Forest, the emphasis is on exploration and melee combat. In Outback Survival, the emphasis is on crafting and ranged combat.

I'm not going to keep comparing the two games, apart from mentioning that Outback Survival is still being worked on (unlike The Forest).

The title is a bit of a misnomer, because you have the entire map of Australia to adventure in! The capital cities are represented by lootable towns, which is a nice touch.

I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to indie titles, and this is one of the indiest (totally a word) titles ever made. For example I'd much rather put up with placeholder graphics than microtransactions.

Also, many games are released long before they're actually finished, such as the amazingly borked and constantly time-wasting Vermintide 2.

But Outback Survival is in Early Access.

As an example of why that matters: I'm not really into 3rd person gaming, I'd much rather play in 1st person. I went to the forums to ask about the possibility of a 1st person mod or something like that, but someone else had already posted there on the topic. Apparently, there WAS a 1st person mode but the dev has temporarily removed it so that they can get it working better to their satisfaction.

EDIT: First-Person view is back in the game now!

And I'm 100% fine with that, because the game is still in Early Access. Meanwhile, other companies with 100+ employees lie about their game being finished.

Now, I get that not everyone will be as forgiving as I am, but for $10 AUD - or even cheaper if you get it on sale - this game is, in my opinion, a great way to spend a few hours. Especially if you're into crafting/survival games.

Oh, and the dev is very approachable. Yes, that's right - 'dev'. Wafflesoft is literally just one dude. So the patches might take a while but they seem to be pretty constant.

If you're an Aussie I URGE you to buy this game - there aren't enough Aussie games out there!

I haven't played very long but was interested in the concept of survival in Australia - kind of love the uninhibited nudity at start too, and all was going well UNTIL zombies started appearing; snakes, dingoes, extreme heat, falling off a cliff, even a Wolf Creek murderer on the loose can be expected....... but Zombies????????????? you just lost me unless I can turn zombies (as a danger element) off. I would love to support an Oz product but not if it only heads in this direction, sorry, will keep track of updates.

Hit a tree, craft an axe. Hit some stone, craft a furnace. Smelt some stone and get some iron. Take the iron and craft a rifle. There's not $10 worth of content here. Within 5 minutes of playing you already have the best items in the game.

The amount of zombies that spawn around you, constantly, is not challenging what-so-ever; just annoying. Can't do anything without mobs constantly bombarding you no matter where you are. The menu is bad, no keybind remapping and very uncomfortable default binds.

I've played less than an hour and I already feel like I've accomplished everything I could have while playing.

My Advice

Not a bad game at all! It runs very smooth and everything works solidly. The interface is straight forward and there's even a built in video tutorial for beginners.
I really am one for supporting the underdog. This game has gone through a tremendous revamp and its refreshing to finally see, such commitment from a developer, who has stated that its not about the money, but about getting the job done!
I cant understand why Trolls would attack this project??? It must be jealousy or some sick disease that's going around these days!

To be honest, it's pretty basic, but I purchased this mainly to show some support to a guy having a go.
I don't know the developer, but full credit to him for having a crack and I love then genre, so sending a few dollars his way is not going to bankrupt me.

As I said, the game is pretty basic so be prepared for that.
It is early days and I don't know what the level of skills are of the developer, so this is one I hope to see evolve over time, but do not expect some full on epic game a year down the track. That would be a great outcome though.

I'm recommending it mainly to encourage people to support the small guys, but do understand that it's a very, very basic game at the time of this review.

Its a really good survival game for a cheap price would recommend

This Game is an excellent masterpiece. While the graphics, sound effects and the gameplay are on the low-side, this doesn't make this a bad game. (+ these problems will be fixed in the near future) This game definitely has some charm and I would definitely recommend the attention that this game deserves.
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8.5/10

-Signed MeOldMateAustie™

i cant afford rust, this is what i play instead.

Interesting how all the people who have downvoted this game have 0.1 hours playtime. With the frequent updates, this game is progressively taking shape. The deveoper listens to feedback and criticism, so instead of just downvoting, get in conatct with the developer to discuss your thoughts and opinions.

Randomness
No direction to what is going on.

Wave survival format with crafting of some sort.

If the developer is keen to work on the basic foundations and give the game some structure i would recommend.

Bought this looking for a cheap indie game for under 5 dollars, not really disappointed but it's hard to learn, but other than that it's fun to fuck around on and it gets brownie points for being Australian with my favourite illegal firearm
19/10
-would drink a VB long Neck and Smoke a pack of durries while playing this again


Side note, do not mine too much stuff or you become slow and removing stuff from inventory doesn't help

it alright

The game is very basic right now and really only showcases the idea but it does have a lot of potential. The dev is active on the forums and replies to anyone who asks for help or makes a suggestion. He is only one person on his own designing this so don't expect huge leaps and bounds in development, slow and steady but give it time and you will see a game you always wanted. No more forced placement of items along a fixed axis, you place them EXACTLY where you want them and resize them to exactly what you need. Once the new build is released on the new engine, we will have a proper GUI, inventory and such. After speaking to the developer, I can see his vision of what the game is to become. Buy into it now and be part of the development process, he is actively asking what players want in the game, not just designing what he wants.

NOTE: Review updated/changed on 26 October 2018

Update: Recommendation changed to NO. Developer admitted to lacking proper software, knowledge and skills to properly address the development of this title. I do not believe the single developer has the knowledge or capability to make this into a viable finished product.
Should also note how the developer has consistently used "friends" and shell accounts to boost positive reviews and has likewise deleted negative feedback on the forum and has likewise banned negative other members from the forums for negative feedback. And yet, the developer has no problems trying to hijack reviews and insert his own comments (see below for the developer response).

This developer is not to be trusted, and you should spend your hard earned money on a better product.

Developer recently admitted he has no "roadmap" for the future development of this "game"...so, if you're fine with donating money to this developer for a title which will never leave Early Access, go right ahead.

Also it seems quite odd that the number of "helpful" and "funny" attributes previously attributed to my review have all been reset to zero. It would appear the developer is actively trying to suppress any potential negative reviews...that's just shady. You will also notice some of the other "positive" reviews are by Steam members who have the developer listed as a "friend"...quite shady indeed. Developer will also frequently delete comments on the discussion board, as well as ban individuals in an attempt to silence any criticism.

Summary: A game in very (very, very, very) Early Access. Actually, this game is still in conceptual mode, and barely meets the criteria for an Early Access title.

Graphics are a mix of good (water reflections) and very poor - very early development highlights how much more work is needed regarding the graphics. GUI needs some major work (developer is already working on improvements based on community feedback). Audio/Sounds are currently poor.