Raft Review (Nirhildija)
Raft Review
Don't feel like reading the whole thing?
Down at the bottom is the conclusion and score given to the game! :)
Introduction
If being chased by a Shark named Bruce while hoarding all the trash in the ocean sounds fun, it is because it is at least once you go over the initial tedious hours. Raft is a survival game in which, rather than fight zombies or demons, you have to deal with...a lot of water, aka the ocean. Discover the story left behind as you explore uncharted seas.
Control and Map Design
Raft plays out in a way that can be praised and criticized simultaneously. It gives freedom in approaching base creation and exploring the islands it features, resulting in a good experience in the long run. However, it has some design choices that can leave it feeling rather tedious and damage the game's pace.
For example, exploring an island is always thrilling; players must move around the land while keeping tabs on their Raft. Otherwise, they could lose it. Animals on land can be dangerous but offer a good amount of food for the long term, making them an attractive high-risk, high-reward hunt. Likewise, expanding the Raft is rewarding, too, as the player can grow crops, upgrade their items and, most importantly, have a comfortable space to move around.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2987956821
Conversely, the fact that certain materials can only be obtained by specific tools or that they can get monotonous in the long run hampers some of the possibilities Raft looks to offer. Islands start to look and feel the same, while the Progression of the Raft can be determined by how many players are playing. One to two players can result in dull, slow growth in contrast to four to eight players, which makes the grinding of materials more bearable.
Strong Points
The strong point of Raft is that the game visuals are mesmerizing, while the gameplay can be engaging if done right. It is a game that is both challenging and fun, where most troubles have a temporal solution rather than a permanent one until you reach a certain point. The ocean looks beautiful and comes alive as waves threaten to swallow your Raft or put you in reach of the shark to bite.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2987957250
Fighting the shark on itself offers some degree of ingenuity regarding gameplay. One player can distract it while other attacks or timing attacks correctly on certain sections can stop the shark mid-attack. If confrontation is not your forte, you can use shark bait to get rid of the shark for a while. These options in dealing with problems allow a good amount of freedom for the player to consider their approach to situations.
Art Design and Visuals
The visuals of Raft are excellent, with the ocean looking vibrant both from the outside and the inside. The islands offer ecosystems on land and sea, as numerous animals live in both areas. You can find giant birds throwing rocks at you or a group of fish to collect. It is not the most pretty game out there, but it indeed commits to making the aspect of being stranded in a Raft appealing visually.
Sound, Replayability and Performance
There is no voice acting, nor does the narrative demand lengthy sessions. Raft is all about making your own story of survival, and the sound effects are solid. Rain, waves, and water movement all have a noise that immerses you more, and I found my experience at best during solid tides in the deepest part of the ocean.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2987957514
Replayability-wise, the game is as infinite as you want to play it. Rather than being a game you replay after beating it, however, this title seems more in line with having a long run on a server. If the player desires, there is a narrative to follow, but there is enough room to make gigantic constructions on the water so that the Raft looks more like a city.
My specs are RTX 2060, 36 GB of ram, Intel Core i7-11700K - Core i7 11th Gen Rocket Lake 8-Core 3.6 GHz LGA 1200. on High settings, the FPS was between 60 to 90 at all times.
Pros
Cons
Raft offers a unique survival experience, face the ocean!
High risk-High reward gameplay that begs to explore the depths.
Visually charming with how the seas are portrayed along the islands.
Progression can sometimes be dull and tedious, especially at the start.
Some design choices, such as limited freedom by specific tool usage, counter each other.
Conclusion
Raft is a beautiful survival game that, while at times can feel like an unfinished beta of sorts, adds something unique to the survival genre. Fight the ocean as you look to survive being stranded, lack of food or water, or being eaten by sharks! I recommend the game if you enjoy survival games and have at least three other friends to play with.
8/10 GREAT
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