Kenshi

I love this universe, this game, and the style of it so much. It has been a long time since I've enjoyed visual storytelling as much as this. The journey your team goes through as you struggle to uncover ruins and new enemies is strangely addicting. But as you reach the end-game I have trouble with a few minor issues that hold back the entire thing from being a 5 star experience. 1) Save file corruption. This game has a notorious time trying to figure out how zones are stored and saved in its coding. You will lose entire bases, things disappear, NPCs disappear, and it is entirely infuriating after you've taken down an exceptionally difficult enemy or poured your sweat and tears into a large base. I'm a patient man, but 5 times, my entire base has been deleted, and I just got fed up with it. Base-building is end-game content I looked forward to the most, but it has a ton of bugs. Reporting it hasn't seemed to help as this has been going on for 2+ years according to numerous posts. 2) Pathfinding. The way characters wander off, stop moving randomly, get stuck in glitchy areas, stop doing jobs/tasks, swim through acid water, etc can be exceptionally trying. Add loading hiccups as you try to swap between multiple parties to keep them from path-finding suicide, and it's infuriating. These two minor, but long-standing bugs detract from what I think is a solidly beautiful game, and something that is truly a refreshing vision in what is a bland rehash gaming world.

Many of the finer attributes appraised of this game, like its true "survival" factor, the fact that you really are just one drop in the world, also contribute to its worst parts. And it's true that Kenshi does cater to that free willing experience, where you build your own goals. There's many things you can be. A wandering Ronin? A bounty hunter? Warlord? A slavery abolitionist? A town leader? You can be any of those things. And the game has a reasonably middling level of detail for each of those functions. It plays like an RPG and a city builder. It resembles stuff like Rimworld, Mount and Blade, and Sid Meier's Pirates, if you've played those, a type of syncretic and creatively designed game. And unlike others of its type, it really is free willing. There's no one thing that puts it all together behind the curtain, which in this case is a positive for Kenshi. However, part of it makes it an atrocious time sync. There's large swarthes of playing where just nothing is going on but waiting for something to finish. Or trodding along the countryside trying to do one thing, and avoiding something else in a a bland fashion. Sure, all those tough mobs of raiding goons and monsters are to inspire that ruthless feeling. But it eventually becomes a chore. But it's too much. Not because it's difficult. But because it makes the game way too damn long. it needs to be tuned, like by decreasing overleveled monsters. Rough patches need to be smoothed, for this to stop being an upgraded one person Runescape. People sink 1000 hours + into Kenshi not because it's just that engaging (which it can be), but because it requires a lot of time to see the meat of the game. If you buy, see what you can do to modify the XP rate (the game is very moddable). You or I only have so much time in the world. Screw grinding.

I love this game. There is a lot of flak for the long development but honestly... most of us have waited years to just see a game that comes close to what this team accomplishes. The game is hard, huge, and totally worth the challenge. Do what ever you want and hope you survive is a very good description of the point of the game. Currently not finished but they are absolutely delivering and well worth the wait. So many ways to play this game... I personally looked up youtube videos by TheBudkai for a while before I purchased the game. I recommend doing the same since trying to explain it wouldn't do it justice here. I have read a lot of the reviews and was on the fence for a long time due to all the salt. I regret not joining in sooner... PS: Haven for a RPG player that likes to give each member personality.

Rather than go on with some lengthy review, I will instead go over my first 60 hours in the game: - I began hungry, and stayed hungry until I built up enough sneaking to steal food from the shopkeep. - So, I moved from that s***hole of a town and made my way to the nearest real city...until I was ambushed by hungry raiders. Goodbye food. I crawled into town, barely alive. - Three days later my wounds healed and I wanted revenge. I found a Shek who was willing to come to my aid for 1000 Cats..because she was a useless Shek and was outcast for her uselessness. Oh joy. - Killed the raiders. They ate my food but I took their stuff - including a pretty good crossbow...wait, is that two?!! Moneeee!!! - So, I'm in jail. It seems that the guards are not only doing their job but nearly beat me to death, only to strip my weapons, toss me in jail...and then completely heal my wounds? - Get my Shek to break me out and steal my weapons back. (It seems that the Shek undervalued her skills.) - Mine copper for money. Trade money for food and meds. - Mine copper for money. Trade money for food and meds. - Mine copper...you get it. This took a while. - I finally got some money and, needing a break. headed further south. Nearly died (twice) because of 'blood spiders,' though I like to call them 'b****ards from Hell's ar****le." - A job here, a theft there, killing wildlife, and boom! A team of ten, ready to kick some desert ass. - I now have the materials and manpower to start building a base. Nothing big, mind you, just some walls, a house, and a few crops, but it's mine.... -Until the Shek, the Bandits, and Black Dragon Ninjas all want in. They all get a bolt in the face. -The bodies attract bonedogs - which make for good eats on the fire. And that's my time so far. Every knockout, every lost limb, every kill - made me want to keep playing. Now, I want to find this bandit lord I've read about and introduce him to my crossbow.

Good old Kenshi, I started playing this when the developer released his new ' combat simulator idea' on Desura years ago.. In that time I've watched the game slowly become what it is today, and I am sure it will continue to grow. It has been stated before that this is no ordinary game, no ordinary survival simulator.. Once you 'sort of' get used to the way the game flows, you'll be right mate! .. well not really as the game does what it wants.. the AI is quite good. Yes the graphics are not the best in the world I could entice you into loving the game with wonderful stories of pain and heartache and survival, but I'll just give you a quick scenario. You are alone in the wilderness with a couple of friends, you are hungry, you have crappy weapons and not much medicine. You come across a group of Manhunters looking for potential slaves to sell. They don't care who, they just need slaves. One shout's, "Hey Maybe we'll get a good price for this one" and they attack you. Five against three. The battle rages, your two mates go down but take three of the Manhunters with them, thank the gods these guys are not 'too' tough compared to you. But unfortunately you are cut down, bleeding and unconscious you await your characters fate. But out of the blue comes a trade caravan, who just happened to be in good relations with you (this takes time) , before the Manhunters can pick you up and run off with you after they heal their mates, the caravan soldiers jump into action and defend you and your crew. One of them patches you up and the others your followers. As you wake up you realise that the Manhunters are down and have not been healed .. one is dying. You have a choice to make, decrease relations with the Manhunter Faction and loot them and leave them to die or patch them up and hope to improve relations with the faction , increasing the possibility of not being attacked 'as much' by these guys again.. In Kenshi you have a choice, and consequences.