I don't have that many hours in this game yet, nor have I progressed very far (I suffer from a severe case of exploration and hoarding syndrome), but based on what I've experienced so far, I can confidently say that this is a game worth paying attention to.
I like the futuristic setting. I enjoy the ship progression system and the development of our little robot protagonist. I love the endless ocean and the central concept around which the entire gameplay loop is built.
Of course, every game has its strengths and weaknesses, and this one is no exception. Here are the things that stood out to me the most and that I believe deserve additional attention and consideration:
[b]1. The ship should offer more progression options[/b]
The ship is the heart of the game. It's where we spend most of our time and how we travel from one adventure to the next. Despite its importance, I feel that not enough attention has been given to its development.
It's the year 2100-something, I'm an ultra-advanced robot, so why am I sailing around in what essentially feels like a 20th century vessel? Why can't I modernize it, upgrade it, expand it, or eventually replace it with a larger one?
I understand that the current design encourages players to be creative when optimizing limited deck space, but in my opinion, that's not the most satisfying solution.
[b]2. The lack of a clock is surprisingly frustrating[/b]
From the beginning of the game, I noticed the absence of a proper clock. The only one available is on the ship, which makes it largely useless whenever you're exploring on foot. Early game nights can be particularly dangerous because of the worms and adding a small clock somewhere on the HUD doesn't seem like it would be a difficult feature to implement.
[b]3. The tool bar desperately needs more slots[/b]
The tool bar should have 10 slots instead of 8.
Even when carrying only the basic tools and a weapon, I constantly run out of space. Inventory management shouldn't become a struggle simply because there aren't enough quick-access slots.
[b]4. Weapon restrictions don't make much sense[/b]
Why can I equip only one sidearm and one long gun?
My backpack can apparently carry hundreds of kilograms of scrap, but I can't bring both an electric rifle and sniper rifle at the same time. The limitation feels arbitrary and doesn't really add anything meaningful to the gameplay.
[b]5. The story needs to be communicated better[/b]
After roughly 50 hours, I'm still not entirely sure what's actually going on.
As far as I understand, Earth has been flooded, I'm a robot, and my mission is to raise humans and send them into orbit. Beyond that, the narrative remains somewhat vague. There may be more story hidden in the game, but so far it hasn't been presented in a way that kept me engaged or informed.
[b]6. The game often fails to explain important mechanics[/b]
I've had to look up answers on YouTube multiple times because the game doesn't adequately explain certain systems.
The most recent example was the whalelike machine that supposedly extracts oil from the ocean floor. I didn't know how to charge it. I didn't know I could dock to it. Maneuvering my ship around it was frustrating (another thing to look to). Once I finally managed to power it up, it submerged and disappeared.
Now I'm left wondering: when will it return? Where will it surface? How am I supposed to track it? There should be some clock counting down on map at least.
A codex, manual, or ingame journal explaining basic mechanics would go a long way toward reducing confusion. This wasn't the first time I encountered an issue like this, and I doubt it will be the last.
[b]7. Some bugs still need attention[/b]
A few quests appear to be bugged, such as the mission involving placing sharks into tanks 1–3. Some items also don't seem to work properly, including the large resource crate. That said, the game is still in development, so I assume these issues will eventually be fixed. We also desperately need power sockets working in longer range or multisockets.
It would also be nice to see more progression options for the robot itself. After around 50 hours, I'm already approaching the maximum level, which makes character development feel somewhat limited. So far I did send only like 6 humans to orbit, visited maybe 10 locations, that's early game basically and I am nearly maxed out.
Overall, the game is moving in the right direction and is absolutely worth keeping an eye on. It clearly isn't a finished product yet, and you can feel that while playing. At the same time, there's no doubt in my mind that it's already a good game, and with continued development it has the potential to become a great one.
Good job and good luck devs.
