It hooked me despite its flaws
RAFTING
Some reviews say the rafting is unfair, but I've gone 10+ miles without bumping into anything. It can be mastered. It's one of the more relaxing parts of the game once you get the hang of it.
COMBAT
There are ways to kill every animal, but fighting them directly is discouraged. There are a few weapons, but they're meant to be used with traps. You can also pit animals against each other.
There are ways to defend from every animal except for bears. Same as with rafting, defense can be mastered.
STORY
It's strangely at odds with itself. There's the obvious theme of natural disaster or climate change (the flood is never explained), but the game also highlights the self-determination and grit of the American south. Some characters are little more than caricatures, while others are more positive takes. In the developer commentary, they show their fondness for southern culture, but the characters and texts sometimes come off as demeaning. Maybe they wanted to show the good and bad together. I don't know. Whatever the message, it's not forced.
There's some emotional depth, particularly with the dog as your only companion.
GRAPHICS
Unique style. Fixed camera perspective. Not much else to say.
SOUND
There are a lot of subtle audio cues. Some you'll hear upon entering an area, some only in close proximity. In most cases, you're given fair warning of danger if you're paying attention.
MUSIC
I disabled the music. It wasn't bad, but playing without it added to the desolate atmosphere.
BUGS
There are some bugs. These were mostly minor annoyances that I learned to work around. Nothing game-breaking.
REPLAYABILITY
I've survived 200+ days in-game. Completing all of the tasks and getting a "perfect" inventory took about as long. Things get harder the longer you play, but past that point it starts to get repetitive. The stress of survival lasts nearly until then.
CONCLUSION
It's not perfect, but there's a flow to it that's enjoyable, even addicting once you "get" it.
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