Venturing into 'The Front': Survival & Time Travel
An in-depth look at the potential and pitfalls of 'The Front' as it attempts to carve out a niche in the survival sandbox genre
Early Access Review
last updated Jan 15, 2024
The vehicle handling could use a steering correction and the visuals might need a fresh coat of paint, but there’s undoubted potential lurking beneath the surface.
Survival of the Craftiest
The Front brings an intriguing blend of survival, crafting, and time travel to the table, being as much about bashing rocks as it is about bashing heads, with a time-bending narrative thrown in. Players must gather resources, build tech, and construct shelters—all while fighting off a variety of nasties in an open-world sandbox arena. Though some might find it borrows a page from other survival game blueprints, the time-travel aspect throws in a wrench that gives it a distinct shimmer. While base building is fun and vehicles add a strategic element, they can sometimes handle like a shopping cart rolling down a hill. The game's crafting system runs deep, potentially captivating for those who love a tangled web of recipes but it can become complex enough to make Einstein scratch his head.
A Symphony of Pixels and Pulse
Audio-wise, 'The Front' delivers a symphony of immersive environmental sounds that can make players feel like they're truly in another world. The clinks and clanks of crafting are satisfying, the roars and growls of monsters add a layer of tension that's hard to beat, and the soundtrack does a decent job of keeping the pulse racing. However, the content can feel sparse, with the sound of silence often lingering in your crafted halls hinting that perhaps the game world could use a little more life infused into its audio veins.
A Graphical Time Machine
Visually, 'The Front' can feel like stepping into a time machine set to the early 2010s. The game’s graphics might make the nostalgia-lovers swoon, but they aren’t quite up to modern standards. Performance is also a mixed bag; while the game tries to paint a pretty post-apocalyptic picture, some might find the frame rate dips to be as horrifying as the monsters you face, even on the beefiest of machines. Despite this, the dedication to improvement from the dev team is noticeable, and the game’s aesthetic has the potential to evolve and shine with continued love and polish.
An Infestation of Bugs
If you're terrified of creepy-crawlies, be forewarned—'The Front' has its fair share of bugs. Some players may find themselves falling through the world, others may contend with vanishing structures, and a lucky few might get to spar with invisible enemies. It feels like a game that's PUBG-crawling through development, but when it works, it really does work. The developer team’s commitment to squashing these bugs is notable, and it’s clear they recognize that an army of glitches is the true enemy of survival.
Where the Wild Things Roam
One can't help but praise the game's variety of enemies and wild creatures that roam the land. Engaging combat and PvE encounters provide a solid challenge and a welcome distraction from the grind of resource collection. However, these interactions can sometimes feel repetitive, and the AI isn't going to win any smartypants awards anytime soon. PVP interactions also swing wildly from thrilling to frustrating, depending on your ping and tolerance for server lag.
EARLY ACCESS RATING
Developer & Publisher
Samar Studio
Early Accesss Release Date
October 11, 2023
The Verdict
In a crowded arena where survival games fight for dominance, 'The Front' presents itself as a challenger. The vehicle handling could use a steering correction and the visuals might need a fresh coat of paint, but there’s undoubted potential lurking beneath the surface. With a dev team that seems determined to polish their diamond in the rough, keep an eye on this game as it could very well evolve from an ugly duckling into a graceful, post-apocalyptic swan. For twenty bucks, it's worth a roll of the dice for fans of the genre eager to experience the unique blend of survival, crafting, and time-travel 'The Front' is touting.