Hey man, I've just found your channel after I was recommended your Subnautica video and I've been loving your review videos! Absolutely fantastic work!
Fantastic Review! I love the way you speak about the game with such passion and explain the systems in fantastic detail. I will for sure give this game a closer look, it looks pretty rad! Thanks buddy
Good review. I also just finished a 100 hour plus playthrough of Sons in single player having avoided early access, and having played the first game. I had most of the same takeaways as you. There are a lot of flaws but overall I really enjoyed it. The early game is really rough in single player, I had to restart on Normal difficulty after about 20 days as I was constantly attacked on Hard and couldn't get a base going. I absolutely loved Kelvin, in the first game I just gave up on building bases in solo play because they were so grindy to build and would get wrecked by cannibals. In that game I played as a nomad mostly, moving between shelters and with a few tiny bases to hold essentials. In Sons I was able to get a proper base thanks to Kelvin's hard work. I do agree you need more to tie you to your base. I knew I could just use the cave/bunker sleeping method but wanted to live the base fantasy. However once you get to the other side of the island living like a nomad is practically a neccessity unless you want to spend another 10 hours making a new base. Getting around is my big gripe, even with the Knight or golf carts it takes around 10-15 minutes to go along paths from one side of the island to the other, which is pretty ridiculous. They did good by adding cannibals attacking at night if you camp in the woods, but you can just negate that by sleeping in the underground. It is worth noting that you do get a rest bonus when inside a base room now, so there is a little incentive to sleep at base (although powering through with energy bars/drinks is just as effective). I also tried not to abuse the respawning items. Crates and suitcases don't respawn but other items do, but to me it went against the spirit of the game. However this can come back to bite you. In the early game I really struggled on both difficulties because tape and cloth are so hard to come by. You can get them off cannibals or in caves, but that early you don't have the tools to survive combat easily. They really should increase their availability, you can't even make bone armour without tape unlike the first game, which would make life a lot easier. I ended up using a guide for the last bit of artifact I was missing. I just wasn't willing to go back through every cave. Turned out it was at an extremely sneakily hidden rope down that is very easy to miss. I was pretty annoyed. I feel like their signposting should be better for some things like that, especially key items. You can easily miss some of the equipment or notes even in well lit areas because they aren't highlighted and there is so much detail in the environment. I'm less generous towards the story. The ending was really rushed and bad in my opinion, and the plot had all the same problems as the first game, although maybe with slightly less plot holes and timeline conflicts. The character work was terrible and felt completely shoehorned in. The game also has a big problem with you arriving to progress-gated dead ends, where you need specific items. However you don't know that until you get there, and if it's on the other side of the island then its really frustrating as you now have to do another lengthy round trip. I especially felt cheated in the final plot location where I was all geared up for the end of the game only to then have to go all the way back to base to build the final piece of the puzzle, then come back to do the actual ending. Still, like you the flaws didn't stop me getting immersed and enthralled in the world. The amazing atmosphere, the exploration, the slow power curve, the resource gathering, base building, the dynamic cannibal AI, the terrifying caves, the weather, the lighting. Kelvin and Virginia. I hope they learn again from their mistakes if they do another Forest, and remember us poor single players, Kelvin is proof that they do sometimes care! Then again, the first update since release is an almost entirely useless rabbit hutch/breeding system, for bases which you don't need, so maybe I should temper my expectations 😆 PS The only reason I knew about circuit boards was that you could smash computers in the first game to get them. Quite right that it should tell you. Maybe it does in the loading screen tips but that's not good enough. I had to look up where to find my arrows in the inventory if it makes you feel better. And I never knew the whole game that the zipline went beyond 50 meters, I just assumed as that was the furthest you could fire it, that's how long it was. They really need to spell out some of this shiz!
Haha there are some golden points you mentioned there, like the computers holding chips in the first game, or indeed the brutal grind when you rocked up for the endgame and were cheated out of it by needing to build the contraption. I get the feeling Endnight will just go ahead and make another one, and I very much hope they do as I would be all over it!! But 100% I agree that I just hope they remember us solo players 😄 I mean I absolutely love jumping into these games with mates, but the immersion is such a big piece of the pie that in some ways, I actually preferred it alone 🤷♂️ Really glad you enjoyed the video, and I appreciate the feedback 🙏
@@CasualGamr Weirdly I actually randomly found you last night via your Subnautica Below Zero critique which was very good. I then went on to watch the They Are Billions review (a game I also loved), and then today the new vid popped up! Keep up the good work mate! Here's some lesser mainstream titles off my Steam list I've enjoyed over the years you might be interested in as you clearly have good taste in games: Darkwood, Observation, Not For Broadcast, Zero Escape series, Aliens:Dark Descent, Warhammer 40k Chaos Gate Deamonhunters, Roadwarden, Immortality, Sunless Sea/Skies, Legend of Grimrock 2, Duskers, Her Story, Stories Untold, Infested Planet, Uplink, Stalker series. Enjoy!
@@Jigsawn2wow that’s an epic list, man I wish I had time in my life to jump into each one of those and bang out a review 😄 I really appreciate that though, it can be quite hard to find a good resource which lists games that are relevant to a certain type of gamer some times, that’s why comments and communities like this are the best. I’m going to have a browse through everything you said. And yeah, as it happens, as musti4972 said, I did love Darkwood and it was one of my first reviews. Man oh man that ending haha, which rewarded you for being brave and straying off the path - that was something very special that I didn’t see coming AT ALL. I do love a good action/thriller-come-horror - I don’t want it to rely purely on the scare factor, but I do love a good bit of immersion-driven atmosphere that stays with you after you stop playing. Also really glad you enjoyed the vid - doesn’t seem to have picked up many views yet for all the dozens and dozens (and dozens!) of hours work I put into it, so if nothing else you’ve made my weekend, I appreciate the kind words more than you know 🙏
Thanks! And actually, I tried that quite a few times and never really seemed to be able to achieve it. Like, I’d slowly get lower and lower, like in real life lol. Are you saying you can actually get higher and higher if you nail it just right? I also just read you can use a tarp and logs to make a trampoline for some extra height at the start 😄
Yeah, I started at a beach cliff and was able to climb up above the cliff and keep climbing to my base which is not far below where the snow starts. I also heard there's an actual glider launcher they put in. Don't know where you find the blueprint though. Looks similar to the spring trap.
@@Macdaddy5970 Actually I found that, I haven't got round to building it yet, but it would be useful for getting far away and using the end-game method to return... I guess finding it is half the fun but let me know if you need a clue :)
Your commentary and storytelling is reflective of a channel fifty times your size, truly you’re an underrated channel
Hey man, I've just found your channel after I was recommended your Subnautica video and I've been loving your review videos! Absolutely fantastic work!
I love these longer form videos you do, I’ve watched your subnautica like 20 times haha. Keep up the amazing work
Good to see this game getting some love. Keep up the good work.
Fantastic Review! I love the way you speak about the game with such passion and explain the systems in fantastic detail. I will for sure give this game a closer look, it looks pretty rad! Thanks buddy
So glad you liked it!! Hopefully as much as I enjoyed the game haha, appreciate the kind words bud 🙏
Good review. I also just finished a 100 hour plus playthrough of Sons in single player having avoided early access, and having played the first game. I had most of the same takeaways as you. There are a lot of flaws but overall I really enjoyed it. The early game is really rough in single player, I had to restart on Normal difficulty after about 20 days as I was constantly attacked on Hard and couldn't get a base going. I absolutely loved Kelvin, in the first game I just gave up on building bases in solo play because they were so grindy to build and would get wrecked by cannibals. In that game I played as a nomad mostly, moving between shelters and with a few tiny bases to hold essentials. In Sons I was able to get a proper base thanks to Kelvin's hard work.
I do agree you need more to tie you to your base. I knew I could just use the cave/bunker sleeping method but wanted to live the base fantasy. However once you get to the other side of the island living like a nomad is practically a neccessity unless you want to spend another 10 hours making a new base. Getting around is my big gripe, even with the Knight or golf carts it takes around 10-15 minutes to go along paths from one side of the island to the other, which is pretty ridiculous. They did good by adding cannibals attacking at night if you camp in the woods, but you can just negate that by sleeping in the underground. It is worth noting that you do get a rest bonus when inside a base room now, so there is a little incentive to sleep at base (although powering through with energy bars/drinks is just as effective).
I also tried not to abuse the respawning items. Crates and suitcases don't respawn but other items do, but to me it went against the spirit of the game. However this can come back to bite you. In the early game I really struggled on both difficulties because tape and cloth are so hard to come by. You can get them off cannibals or in caves, but that early you don't have the tools to survive combat easily. They really should increase their availability, you can't even make bone armour without tape unlike the first game, which would make life a lot easier.
I ended up using a guide for the last bit of artifact I was missing. I just wasn't willing to go back through every cave. Turned out it was at an extremely sneakily hidden rope down that is very easy to miss. I was pretty annoyed. I feel like their signposting should be better for some things like that, especially key items. You can easily miss some of the equipment or notes even in well lit areas because they aren't highlighted and there is so much detail in the environment.
I'm less generous towards the story. The ending was really rushed and bad in my opinion, and the plot had all the same problems as the first game, although maybe with slightly less plot holes and timeline conflicts. The character work was terrible and felt completely shoehorned in.
The game also has a big problem with you arriving to progress-gated dead ends, where you need specific items. However you don't know that until you get there, and if it's on the other side of the island then its really frustrating as you now have to do another lengthy round trip. I especially felt cheated in the final plot location where I was all geared up for the end of the game only to then have to go all the way back to base to build the final piece of the puzzle, then come back to do the actual ending.
Still, like you the flaws didn't stop me getting immersed and enthralled in the world. The amazing atmosphere, the exploration, the slow power curve, the resource gathering, base building, the dynamic cannibal AI, the terrifying caves, the weather, the lighting. Kelvin and Virginia. I hope they learn again from their mistakes if they do another Forest, and remember us poor single players, Kelvin is proof that they do sometimes care! Then again, the first update since release is an almost entirely useless rabbit hutch/breeding system, for bases which you don't need, so maybe I should temper my expectations 😆
PS The only reason I knew about circuit boards was that you could smash computers in the first game to get them. Quite right that it should tell you. Maybe it does in the loading screen tips but that's not good enough. I had to look up where to find my arrows in the inventory if it makes you feel better. And I never knew the whole game that the zipline went beyond 50 meters, I just assumed as that was the furthest you could fire it, that's how long it was. They really need to spell out some of this shiz!
Haha there are some golden points you mentioned there, like the computers holding chips in the first game, or indeed the brutal grind when you rocked up for the endgame and were cheated out of it by needing to build the contraption. I get the feeling Endnight will just go ahead and make another one, and I very much hope they do as I would be all over it!! But 100% I agree that I just hope they remember us solo players 😄 I mean I absolutely love jumping into these games with mates, but the immersion is such a big piece of the pie that in some ways, I actually preferred it alone 🤷♂️
Really glad you enjoyed the video, and I appreciate the feedback 🙏
@@CasualGamr Weirdly I actually randomly found you last night via your Subnautica Below Zero critique which was very good. I then went on to watch the They Are Billions review (a game I also loved), and then today the new vid popped up! Keep up the good work mate! Here's some lesser mainstream titles off my Steam list I've enjoyed over the years you might be interested in as you clearly have good taste in games: Darkwood, Observation, Not For Broadcast, Zero Escape series, Aliens:Dark Descent, Warhammer 40k Chaos Gate Deamonhunters, Roadwarden, Immortality, Sunless Sea/Skies, Legend of Grimrock 2, Duskers, Her Story, Stories Untold, Infested Planet, Uplink, Stalker series. Enjoy!
@@Jigsawn2 the bro actually uploaded a darkwood review already
@@musti4972 ooh nice, will check it out, thanks
@@Jigsawn2wow that’s an epic list, man I wish I had time in my life to jump into each one of those and bang out a review 😄 I really appreciate that though, it can be quite hard to find a good resource which lists games that are relevant to a certain type of gamer some times, that’s why comments and communities like this are the best. I’m going to have a browse through everything you said. And yeah, as it happens, as musti4972 said, I did love Darkwood and it was one of my first reviews. Man oh man that ending haha, which rewarded you for being brave and straying off the path - that was something very special that I didn’t see coming AT ALL. I do love a good action/thriller-come-horror - I don’t want it to rely purely on the scare factor, but I do love a good bit of immersion-driven atmosphere that stays with you after you stop playing.
Also really glad you enjoyed the vid - doesn’t seem to have picked up many views yet for all the dozens and dozens (and dozens!) of hours work I put into it, so if nothing else you’ve made my weekend, I appreciate the kind words more than you know 🙏
Good video. You do realize, you can gain height with the glider by dipping down for speed, then going up for height... right?
Thanks! And actually, I tried that quite a few times and never really seemed to be able to achieve it. Like, I’d slowly get lower and lower, like in real life lol. Are you saying you can actually get higher and higher if you nail it just right? I also just read you can use a tarp and logs to make a trampoline for some extra height at the start 😄
Yeah, I started at a beach cliff and was able to climb up above the cliff and keep climbing to my base which is not far below where the snow starts. I also heard there's an actual glider launcher they put in. Don't know where you find the blueprint though. Looks similar to the spring trap.
@@Macdaddy5970 Actually I found that, I haven't got round to building it yet, but it would be useful for getting far away and using the end-game method to return... I guess finding it is half the fun but let me know if you need a clue :)