izigame.me

Let me preface this review by saying: you bet your sweet behind I waited for this DLC to go on sale for 50% off before committing to the purchase, as has been the case with all the other reserves I've acquired thus far.
My expectations for this reserve were low, but, boy, were they ever blown out of the water!
From what I've read online and heard/seen in YouTube videos, this is undoubtedly one of the least popular maps among the CotW community. The reasons as to why vary greatly.
To some, Mississippi Acres looks plain and/or boring, to which I say: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As someone who's spent a significant portion of his life in the south, many parts of this feel like home.
Others don't like the lack of unique animals and/or rather limited roster of animals in general, which is fair. I would argue the selection is solid overall, and gators are incredibly fun to hunt!
Speaking of which: Above all else, I would argue many of the negative reviews are either based around or at the very least take into account well-known issues surrounding the mechanics associated with those alligators around the time of launch, most of which have been adjusted since, and I'd argue for the better. Heck, the lack of skittishness, which is the issue those previous ones were replaced by, is actually quite accurate; I've run into gators in real life, standing maybe ten to twelve feet away, and they often don't bat an eye.
Don't get me wrong; gators can be a pain in the butt sometimes, but I like them more than I do crocodiles, and I'm glad this reserve lets me really zero in on them. Be sure to aim for the lungs, and always shoot twice! The water is calling...
Another complaint I've seen some discourse about online, but that I haven't encountered in roughly 10 hours of play or so, is that the weather is supposedly always gloomy and/or rainy. Frankly, it didn't feel that way to me, though perhaps I got lucky. It certainly shifts back and forth, but so do all maps in the game. It didn't feel any more rainy than, for instance, Layton Lakes, which I'd say is one of the rainier examples. Compared to Cuatro Colinas or Rancho, however, the rainfall will contrast rather torrentially.
While many of the reserves in CotW have a more grand feeling to them, often evoking strong positive or negative feelings in players, the beauty of Mississippi Acres feels more subtle to me. It's there; you just have to look for it. As is the case with Mississippi and general swamp regions of the south in real life, this place has a slow pace to it, so sit back and enjoy.
Who is this for?
- People who want to hunt alligators. No shortage of those, ever. Well, outside of feeding hours, I guess...
- Southerners & Americans in general, due to its accuracy in portraying the south.
- Bird enthusiasts. Lots of fun shooting, although I'll concede that there are even better maps for that purpose, such as Revolunti Coast, which is another good reserve. Turkeys are always a HUGE plus, though, in my mind.
Who should sit this one out?
- People who are after great ones, as this map doesn't feature any.
- Anyone expecting a map the size of Layton, Hirschfelden, EC, etc. Mississippi Acres features too much water for that.
- Those looking for a long story and/or wanting to grind out missions in general.
The story, while okay overall, was incredibly short. No side missions, either. Not a ton of money, and I'd guess not a whole lot of XP, though I wouldn't know for sure, as I am max level. The only reason I even took as long as I did, besides getting side-tracked, as I tend to in this game, was because on one occasion a mission literally had me wait for nightfall (thankfully in-game), and on another, a mission would simply not let me complete it besides every criteria being fulfilled, which was only resolved upon restarting the game altogether. Some bugs are certainly present (especially in the swamp) — this is Expansive Worlds, after all.
In spite of its flaws, Mississippi Acres has some great vibes, as well as an accurate and —more importantly— FUN roster of game animals, despite not being as diverse as some of the other reserves. Its worst offense is making me crave even more faithful representations of American landscapes, both in the south and elsewhere, because this reserve is quite well-made.
Not quite sold on it yet? Let me sweeten the deal by telling you that I've probably seen fewer significant FPS drops on this map than anywhere else, including the two base reserves. Seems solidly optimized, while still showcasing solid graphics overall, which is always good.
If Mississippi Acres has a million fans, then I am one of them. If Mississippi Acres has ten fans, which is probably about accurate, then I am one of them. If Mississippi Acres has only one fan, then that is me. If Mississippi Acres has no fans, then that means I am no longer on Earth. If the world is against Mississippi Acres, which it often seems like, then I am against the world.
7.8 — too much water