I purchased this game on sale right after the 1.0 release because a bunch of reviews were saying this game was like cocaine for those on the spectrum. I happen to be one of such people and have been needing a game that provides that kind of kick for ages, and I honestly didn't believe you suckers, so I kinda purchased the game just to prove y'all wrong.

I got proved wrong instead. Big time. Thanks, Steam review bros.

That being said, there are just a few suggestions for the gameplay that have come up in my 150-ish hours playing so far that I'd love to see happen:

- A later-game secondary back slot so you can wear two different back-techs at once: Jetpack+parachute = controlled falls at all times (just press spacebar when out of fuel to activate secondary tech). Hell, even Hoverpack+Jetpack would be nice to conveniently switch to fuel when out of electricity. Either way, having two back slots would be killer. Perhaps unlockable through the MAM or in a tier unlock for tier 8/9

- An easier-access delete button for blueprints when you enter category edit mode in the blueprint maker (like a little trash can in the corner of each blueprint when edit mode is enabled). Maybe I'm just an idiot, but I can't find the dang delete button for the blueprints lol.

- A dismantle-only repository that you can build with Mercer Spheres (thus unlocked in the MAM probably) that can hold a ton of crap from dismantling stuff so that when you inevitably need to delete an entire massive factory because it fails you, you don't have to go around like a monkey picking up all of the dismantle crates and shoving the materials into piles of temporary industrial storages for later use... Had to do this twice now, and it's actually the most tedious part of the game right now. I want to feel freedom with deletion as much as I feel with creation.

- On a similar note to the last one: let me set how many things I can delete at once in the settings menu up to 500 items (if possible, 50 can remain the default). I'm willing to sacrifice a lag spike for a quick-delete of a lot of crap.

- A couple more basic wall textures would be lovely at minimum. I'd love to see some brick styles for that old industrial-age look. Even better if we could also get some weathered overlays that go on top of textures like that so I could make my brick near my coal plant look sooty or make the steel bridge near the ocean look rusty... In general more cosmetic stuff for factory-ing my factory for different industrial ages would be pretty neato. Just don't turn into the Sims 4 and make me pay 15 bucks for each pack of crapola lol.

- Official mod support should probably be a priority for this game. It has an incredible community that I didn't even know existed, and official mod support would inject a longevity into this game that would be unmatched. I can only imagine the Tekkit-like packs that would emerge over time with ever expanding tech trees and upgrades out the wazoo... Those would be the glory days frfr.

- The Zip-line tool needs tinkering IMO; I'd love it if I would actually go in the direction I was looking at and holding W towards when coming to an intersection in power-lines (which only seems to work when there is a designed even split), and you should be able to wrap around tighter corners than what is currently allowed. This is the least of my complaints but still makes it on the list.

It would be sick as well if you could upgrade it for SPEED and LONG-DISTANCE ATTACHMENT later in the game to give it relevancy after you get the Hoverpack. Perhaps you add zipline attachment upgrades to our legs to skate on top of power lines lol...

- Please reduce the hard-drive completion time; that s**t is TEDIOUS for no apparent reason. 2-3 mins MAX.

- *$$@#^$#^%@*^%@&$*%#$#ADA DON'T LEAVE ME FOR THE ALIENS WTF THE WORLD FEELS SO DEAD WITHOUT YOUR VOICE NOW!$#&*^$%^%#%$(&^%$^$ I KEEP COLLECTING THE SOMMERSLOOPS LET ME JOIN YOU!!!$&#&*$%#@@#&%$*(^%

TL;DR: Worth the money full-price, even if development came to an end right now - the fun is there already even if it isn't fully flushed out. Definitely worth the money with a sale. There's definitely Early-Access aspects still, but it's definitely a banger for Early-Access with plenty of polish already present. Bought it on Friday and reviewing it Sunday night-Monday morning.

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The GOOD:
- If this sh!t had mods, it would be making news headlines right now. Jaw-dropping release for its current state; the gameplay beats several full-release AA-titles I've played full-stop. Especially giving consideration to the combat system; it feels AWESOME once you have some skills. The skill tree could use some reorganizing in places though and the enemy AI is a bit silly sometimes, but for the most part it delivers - especially for how I play. (see note on my playstyle below; I am not playing with default difficulty settings.)

- The Building system is better than expected after using it for awhile; you figure it out as you go along, and definitely later in the game it feels very versatile. It's a cuboid building system, but with tinier cubes than you'd think, and you can build preset groups of them at once with different shapes. Pro-tip: you can use the rake tool to rake a road around your building/house, and the raked road gives on-road bonuses.

- The map design is LOADED with plenty to find and do at this point, and both the natural erratic distribution of materials and the nature of the crafting system keeps you on your toes for new materials. I haven't run into a dull point in 50 hours of gameplay, and I haven't even explored half of the map yet. The areas are leveled (and certain areas are extra deadly depending on your progress), so if you go running deep into the map without any perks on your world flame, expect some pretty intense setbacks. The verticality adds a level of challenge and wonder to the map that can only be experienced; there's a lot of ways to go up and down.

- Custom game difficulty settings let you control the experience you want to have pretty dang well, with a solid array of options to modify player stats, enemy stats, enemy behaviors, total loot drops, and other options related to NPCs and building. Not a completely extensive list of modifiers, but definitely a step up from the average game's custom difficulty settings.

The BAD (right now):
- The story and dialogue in particular needs some heavier work done, but it's serviceable for what it's worth right now as an Early-Access state. Not a fan of how the blacksmith in particular will say "Get out!" rather rude-like after some dialogue, which is pretty weird and immersion-breaking. I am fully expecting a dialogue and even a bit of a story rework upon full release.

- Where the heck is the gamma/brightness slider? This sh!t is moody af without adjustments; if you don't like dark-screen gameplay, turn the amount of time night-time lasts wayyyy down in the game settings.

-Character Creation is really meh for customization options right now, and those faces are especially 2012-lookin' and give off a low-poly vibe due to poor shading or skeleton, but mods would fix that no problem...

- NPC AI for pathing needs a bit of work. Mainly: when I walk into them, they should move away from me like Moses parting the Red Sea, but I see them get stuck in places often, and even worse it's often in my personal bedroom or some sh!t next to the doorway. When I am building or using the rake tool, they will often walk in front of me and obstruct my building, which can be EXTREMELY infuriating. They should buzz out of my FOV anytime I have a building block/object in my hand or when build mode via the hammer tool is enabled. I'd also love it if I could place character-specific static markers to give them places they prefer to be while still roaming on occasion.

- Shroud Roots need protection and shielding to spawn when they are first struck as a countermeasure to cheese - I've cheesed so many roots already it's dang silly at this point - and the skill points are gold from them making them a prime target to go after. Ideally, they should have a set of rune-mobs (like some that appear in certain dungeons; they have a glowing rune above their head that unlocks a force-field in the dungeon when killed) that need to be killed to lower a shield around the root.

- There's no FPV - I kinda wish there was because building in FPV is a lot less annoying of a perspective; aiming where you want to place things is rough in 3PV IMO - I grew up building in Minecraft not Fortnite lol. FPV is also a must for future VR support, and this game would be SICK in VR, so definitely hope they add it down the line.

The INTERESTING:

- All terrain is destructible one way or another, which makes for some absolutely hilarious workarounds and methods of navigation if you're a power-leveler and have the time to whack some things for awhile. Have you ever found yourself at a place that needs a key to get in? Beat that door down with an axe. Ain't nobody giving a dang in this post-apocalyptic world, and you know the loot is good on the other side. Might even sneak around a boss fight or two with this tactic lol... Have a slope you need to ascend that is a bit too steep? Use your pickaxe and mine pockets into the wall to climb on! Boss run off into the red shroud river and can't get back into the arena? Pickaxe out a pathway for him to get back and continue facing off like nothing ever happened! It's pretty neat tbh and could be used for a LOT.

- The glider is funny and definitely tech-able. Especially after learning double-jump (a practically mandatory skill), you can use it to ascend certain slopes and cheese uphill sometimes as kind of a triple-jump. It will also get you killed more than once (careful about holding W by accident and hitting a wall face-first just shy of your mark).

- It be day. Until it's night. Then it be night. You get 2 seconds of warning. That's it.

(Note on my playstyle:) I play with these custom difficulty settings:
Player: 300% Max Health, Mana, Stamina, 200% Body Heat. 100% EXP Gain. Survival ON. 150% Time in Shroud. NO Inventory loss on death. Day: 1Hr, Night: 8 mins. Time until Starvation: 20 minutes. Harsh weather: Often. Glider Turbulances ON. Weapon Upgrade cost 50%, Weapon Recycling yield 100%. Mining Damage 200%, Loot amount 200%. <Many of these settings are for QoL so I don't spend hours on end gathering resouces from farming; others are to balance out surviving the hoard mode below; others yet to balance out the fact that I play in sessions of 8-12 hours with this game; night-time is a reminder to get up and stretch lol...>
Enemy Stats: Normal enemies have half-health, damage, and perception range. Simultaneous enemy attacks: Very Hard. Enemy Attack Freqency 300%. Enemy Amount: Many. Bosses are 150% health and damage. Obviously no pacify enemies mode (hoard mode setup).

Not everyone opts to play this way, so experiences are going to vary given your difficulty settings upon starting up your game. I highly recommend playing this way if your PC can handle processing a ton of NPCs during combat as it's a blast fighting and darting through hoards of enemies and still feel like you have to manage your dodging and blocks well enough to survive.