DEADCRAFT

 PC
Metascore
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  1. Wccftech
    May 19, 2022
    80
    DEADCRAFT's zombie farming and crafting mechanics definitely offer a breath of fresh air for wasteland adventurers. However, the survival aspects and other small problems keep it from being a truly wonderful experience. It still is a fantastic game that offers more grounded characters while retaining its post-apocalyptic sense of humor.

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  1. DList4Ever
    May 21, 2022
    8
    First off, the marketing for this game did it a great disservice because this is very, very, very much Runecraft as a zombie survival gameFirst off, the marketing for this game did it a great disservice because this is very, very, very much Runecraft as a zombie survival game from the makers of... you guessed it: Runecraft.
    Secondly, the main issue of this game so far is the fact that, as a mashup of Runecraft and zombie survival horror-- the tutorials/game play loop just aren't the most clearly explained to those who haven't played these kinds of games. That isn't to say that they're not easy to understand and/or find once you actually go looking for them but, otoh, you actually *do* have to go looking for them.
    So, if you don't know what I mean when I say "Original Harvest Moon" or scratch your head at the mention of, say "Lost in Blue" or "My Time at Portia"...
    Dig through the menus, read through the skills, get all of them you can even if it doesn't sound like they'd be helpful and.... Take. Your. Time.
    Because, believe it or not, zombies and the wicked humor of actually making them aside, at it's heart, Deadcraft is a cozy game. It just isn't a cozy game with nearly lethal levels of cuteness.
    From *that* perspective, Deadcraft is sadly, most likely going to be an underrated and *criminally* overlooked brilliant diamond with only a couple of rough edges which could have been polished off for a sequel that will, sadly, never come.
    The plot's good, characters are as detailed as any Marvelous has ever done, the farm/craft/hunt/explore game play is as solid as it ever was in it's painfully cute "sister franchise" Runecraft, and... Zombies, m'dude. You. Make. *Zombies*.
    So, yes, a wildly wicked sense of humor is ever-so-lightly sprinkled on top. And, again, for the genera, that is *hugely* ambitious.
    In effect, I think that Deadcraft is a bet. It's a bet that folks who loved games like Runecraft didn't play those games because they were adorable, they played those games because the game play loop is fun af for us. So: more adult story line, humor and even characters. And, from that perspective: Marvelous nailed it pure and simple.
    The only sad part is that the franchise that Deadcraft is an ambitious departure from is kinda niche and Deadcraft does fumble a little in trying to ease non-veterans of those kinds of games in with a little less culture shock.
    To be fair, there are, of course, some things that just *can't* be eased into and digging into the guts of the mechanics is just part of the nature of this particular genera but, the fact that new players need to do that digging-- even if it IS for a just a few minutes overall, could have been better explained or telegraphed just a wee bit more upfront.
    Maybe, hopefully, Deadcraft will prove to be a seminal work for games with the cozy/survival game play loops in the years to come but, yeah, I see a lot of folks overlooking this one. Which is a shame, really because it is honestly brilliant and, genuinely a most likely solid bet.
    After all, given how many people wound up digging into Animal Crossing for the first time in 2020 as well as the recent popularity of survival/crafting games (Astroneer, My Time at Portia, Don't Starve, Stardew Valley...)-- it really isn't *that* much of a stretch to assume that there are a lot of folks who would really love the kind of slow-but-steady build up that they offer but are held back from trying them by all the saccharine in the other titles. After all, Subnautica *was* a bit of a hit so, no, Deadcraft's mashup isn't 100% out of left field.
    I just wish that more folks knew all of that going in because, as it stands, while Deadcraft wears it's origins on it's sleeve for those of us that know to look for it, it really *should* be putting out the signs in 50-foot-high letters constructed of body parts.
    Because, while their bet is that not everyone who would like survival/crafting with RPG elements know or even *want* know the word "kawaii", *my* bet is that a lot of those folks are going to bounce off this title because Deadcraft itself and it's marketing just wasn't/isn't the best in explaining to those folks what they should expect going in.
    Take. Your. Time. Read things. Upgrade everything.
    And, remember: You. Make. *Zombies*!!!
    I mean, try doing *that* in Story of Seasons! :D    … Full Review »