The Survivalists vs This War of Mine
The Survivalists
The Survivalists is a survival-themed adventure game focusing on exploring a vast archipelago filled with hidden secrets and treasures as well as mysterious temples and dangerous terrains. The goal here is not only to make a life for yourself by recruiting and training the local monkeys to help with your many mundane chores, but to find a way to crack the mystery shrouding the archipelago and possibly find a way to finally escape!The Survivalists has a sandbox-style, survival-themed gameplay, which means that you’re expected to gather plenty of resources from the environment, use them to build a base of operations… or even multiple outposts and bases… and make sure you’ve got plenty of protection ready for when the local hostile tribesmen attack you, which they do from time to time.
The map here is simply amazing and if you just love exploring, you’ll find the island-hopping experience here pretty satisfying… that is once you’ve got your raft built. Of course, being set in the tropics, there isn’t a whole lot of different biomes to discover, though there are volcanic and swampy areas that are more dangerous than the normal terrain. Even the sea contains dangers and you’ll do well to avoid the ravenous sharks that are looking for an easy meal.
The best and most interesting part about The Survivalists that really help it stands out from all the other generic sandbox survival games is the fact that you can “recruit” monkeys on the island to help you with any mundane tasks. This encompasses all tasks that can be easily replicated by the monkeys. After all, monkey see, monkey do!
That being said, training your monkeys is, unfortunately, also the most frustrating part of the game. Unlike games with macros, you can’t really save the tasks you’ve taught your monkey as general macros that you can then use whenever you need the same tasks done sometime in the future. Instead, every time you need your monkeys to do something, you’ll have to teach it all over again… which frankly speaking is very annoying.
All in all, The Survivalists is as addictively fun as it looks. Being a survival-themed sandbox adventure, there is plenty of stuff you can craft, items to gather, loyal monkeys to train, and bases to set up as you slowly and steadily explore every inch of the massive archipelago. However, the game isn’t without its flaws and I personally think that the game could have made the monkey-training part a bit more convenient and less annoying for the player.
This War of Mine
This War of Mine is an indie, 2D survival management game that, unlike most games in its genre, is set not in a post-apocalyptic world but in a war-torn country. Despite being war-themed, the game doesn't cast you into the role of the brave soldier but of the average citizen trying to make the best of the situation and to survive long enough until the war breaks (if it ever).Due to this twist of perspective, along with the fact that every decision and action you make has consequences, both mentally and physically, on the character who did the deed as well as the team, the game ended up having a very tragic undertone and atmosphere throughout its gameplay. After all, you do have to make some difficult decisions in an effort to keep your people alive. From time to time, special events may also pop up and you will need to make a decision to be involved or to stay out of it.
Survival is also another important aspect of the game, and as such, you will need to scavenge for supplies and ensure that your people are well-fed and watered. Materials, tools, and items you gathered over your trips outdoors can be used to craft something else or be sold for some extra cash. During wartime, people are naturally more cautious and for some, more aggressive. It's wise to be careful whenever you encounter other "people" (they are NPCs), especially armed ones, lest your character get slain and your team stumbles straight into depression.
This War of Mine made headlights and game history with its challenging gameplay and of course, its brutally-honest look at the true victims of war. If you think your heart is ready to go through a rollercoaster of emotions, most of which are of the "sad" sort, then, you simply must give this game a try.
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