Sunkenland: A Deep Dive into Post-Apocalyptic Survival
An expansive aquatic world teeming with potential and a bit of jankiness.
Early Access Review
last updated Nov 21, 2023
Teaming up with friends adds an extra layer of fun to the entire experience of Sunkenland.
A Watery Survivalist Dance
In the realm of survival games, Sunkenland throws players into a Waterworld-esque post-apocalyptic scenario with an engaging modular base-building system that feels like designing your own floating fortress. Scavenging through submerged cities, battling NPC clans, and crafting your means of survival offers a brackish brew of excitement and challenge. While the game intuitively guides aqua-adventurers through its crafting and base defense mechanics, it could benefit from a more defined progression path and goal-setting to give purpose to your splashy escapades. The survival elements can sometimes feel like a whirlpool of worry, bogging down the explorative spirit with an ever-looming need for food and water.
Melodic Maritime Misadventure
The soundscapes of Sunkenland seem to emerge from the depths of the ocean itself, providing a mix of tranquil tunes to accompany your underwater exploration, and pulse-raising melodies that kick in when raiders swim up to give your floating abode some unwanted attention. While the audio generally does a good job at setting the scene, it's not quite orchestra-level compositions that would keep the audio files spinning after logging off. The sounds of combat are a satisfying mix of splashes and clatter, though when held up against gameplay quirks, they sometimes feel out of sync, like a band with more enthusiasm than rhythm.
Visual Ripples and Performance Waves
Graphically, Sunkenland presents an intriguing, if at times inconsistent, apocalypse. While underwater environments are visually captivating, teeming with the eerie beauty of aquatic derelicts, on the surface, the game's graphical prowess sometimes resembles that of a capsized ship. The game is visually functional yet yearning for further polish when it comes to character models and animations. Performance-wise, the game is seaworthy on the right rig, but a few optimization tweaks wouldn't hurt to keep it from taking on water, especially during busier on-screen moments.
The Crafting Conundrum
Crafting in Sunkenland is like finding an untouched sea chest – delightful in theory, clunky in execution. The basics are in place, with a system that doesn't reinvent the wheel but is accessible to both newcomers and seasoned survival game veterans alike. However, the crafting interface and general usability are in need of fine-tuning to avoid instances where building and upgrading bases become more about battling the UI than braving the elements. Enthusiasts of underwater construction will still find joy in piecing together their maritime home, even if sometimes it feels like you're using a barnacle-encrusted hammer.
A Paddling Multiplayer Experience
Strap on your life vests, adventurous sailors, because Sunkenland's multiplayer is where the rubber lifeboats inflate. Teaming up with friends to pool resources, fend off invaders, and share the burden of survival adds an extra layer of fun to the entire experience, even if cooperative play sometimes highlights the game's rougher edges. Server stability can be akin to sailing in stormy weather, but when it holds, the communal joy of triumphing over hostile AI or building an empire on the waves is a testament to the potential of the engine churning beneath Sunkenland's wet surface.
EARLY ACCESS RATING
Developer & Publisher
Vector3 Studio
Early Accesss Release Date
August 25, 2023
Submerged Verdict
Sunkenland succeeds in delivering a refreshing take on the survival genre with its nautical nuances and base-building binges. Although still early in its voyage and needing to batten down the hatches against some design and technical squalls, the game's foundation is buoyant with promise. It charts a course worth sailing for fans of open-world exploration and cooperative play; just don't expect the smoothest of seas yet.
