Edit:

I still suggest the game, but note if you're not running with a decent sized group, you're going to hit the "tablet" wall, which is make equipment for fragments, find fragments, make equipment for torque, gather torque, then drop 100 fragments and 400 torque in random spawn fabricators, that you can find 2-3 per hour maybe longer, that'll give you 0-3 fragments (3 different types) which you need a number of the same type to get something. I.e if an item needs 16 tablets to be learned, you'll need 16 of the same type of tablets out of the various 3 types. You can only get these tablets in hardzones which are infested with Zergs.

Game is fun no doubt, but this one crap mechanic is holding it back in a huge way.


TL:DR
1. Graphics 9/10
2. Immersion 8/10
3. Handling/Connection/Stability 8.7/10
4. Progression 8.9/10
5. Concept/Unique Mechanics 10/10 - Does some industry firsts
6. Skill based PvP 9.5/10
7. Anti-Grief Mechanics 8/10
8. Solo players ability to play 4/10
9. Community - 7/10


I'd like to preface this article with I'm still in the throws of the starting stages of the game.

So overall, I'm deeply saddened that this game was review bombed on its opening week, as a game Last Oasis is a unique take on the survival genre that rewards skill, dedication, exploration and ingenuity in your approach to problem solving. When comparing other Early Access Survival titles, Ark, Conan, Rust, you'll quickly find that not only is Last Oasis more optimized, it looks better and just generally feels better than its predecessors.

Last Oasis aims to stand out with a compelling back story to its world, paired with an in-depth combat style that not only rewards you for min/maxing your gear, but the way in which you approach fights, the way you move your body, the points you strike an opponent and the speed (imagine diving off your walker to crack someone in the dome at 20mph) all contribute to the damage received and dealt. Furthermore Combat is directional, push up with your mouse as you strike and then pull back for a beautiful overhand swing, swipe to the left and right for directional swings, pull back to block low etc etc. What is most surprising is just how much effort was put into the directional combat, and in many ways it feels more smooth than games which entirely focus on directional combat such as the beautifully crafted Mount and Blade Bannerlord.

Progression feels gritty, you'll need to earn the items you need, but aside from the expected resource gathering, you will not find yourself scavving 10,000 berries to make a dinosaur end its life through terminal bowel movements. No, I've found a steady progression to the materials I need/want, and in a common sense delivery, I want cattails to weave into forester armor, well they're down by the lake, I want bone soup (cement) to make some weapon and armor pieces with, I mix purified water and bone fragments in a cooking stove. Etc etc. You pair this with a wonderful on-going story driven tutorial that gives you lore of the world (I'm lvl 30 and still have quests) and it's a steady progression that I enjoy.

Now here if where it gets truly interesting however, Last Oasis has taken a concerted effort to get rid of the cliche "Get griefed restart" mindset of other survival games. As a player you can build your first walker, whether you decide to run solo or as a group, you don't want to be offline griefed, you want people to fight you in your prime, so not only can you build an entire base, and with a simple click of a button store said base into your walker (yes I mean foundations, walls, all of it, store it as it is, and place it back into the world fully constructed as you left it), but you can go to the edge of the map and enter your walker into a sort of limbo (lobby) which cannot be touched at night. This means PvP guilds are fighting eachother at their best, and solo players don't have to restart every other day. Furthermore, large guilds are incentivized to protect solo's and small guilds living in their territories, because as long as they survive, they'll contribute tax for that first life that they're on. So the pressure is there to protect your solo's living from baddies.

Physics are also a huge part of Last Oasis, whether you're swinging on your grappling hook, shooting harpoons to hook loot and drag it to bust it open, or piloting your walker, physics come into play. Torque build up, gradual acceleration, on your walkers, and the quickness of which you turn your body to slice are all directly coded to have a gradual impact on the world and how you as a player can skillfully interact with it.

Now I could go on, I could tell you about weapons, armor, land claiming, and or how this is the dream game 100% of you wanted Atlas to be but failed completely, but I think I'll just continue to play, pull my friends in and recognize Last Oasis for what it is, the absolute premier survival game hands down on the market. I really hope you won't be swayed by the review bomb that happened, the devs listened to feedback, took the servers down and offered refunds on their opening week, they're truly committed to their craft. I hope you'll give them a chance.

Bonus:

The Community outside of some Chinese Zerg elements, has been wonderful, friendly.

Edit: I still suggest the game, but note if you're not running with a decent sized group, you're going to hit the "tablet" wall, which is make equipment for fragments, find fragments, make equipment for torque, gather torque, then drop 100 fragments and 400 torque in random spawn fabricators, that you can find 2-3 per hour maybe longer, that'll give you 0-3 fragments (3 different types) which you need a number of the same type to get something. I.e if an item needs 16 tablets to be learned, you'll need 16 of the same type of tablets out of the various 3 types. You can only get these tablets in hardzones which are infested with Zergs. Game is fun no doubt, but this one crap mechanic is holding it back in a huge way. TL:DR 1. Graphics 9/10 2. Immersion 8/10 3. Handling/Connection/Stability 8.7/10 4. Progression 8.9/10 5. Concept/Unique Mechanics 10/10 - Does some industry firsts 6. Skill based PvP 9.5/10 7. Anti-Grief Mechanics 8/10 8. Solo players ability to play 4/10 9. Community - 7/10 I'd like to preface this article with I'm still in the throws of the starting stages of the game. So overall, I'm deeply saddened that this game was review bombed on its opening week, as a game Last Oasis is a unique take on the survival genre that rewards skill, dedication, exploration and ingenuity in your approach to problem solving. When comparing other Early Access Survival titles, Ark, Conan, Rust, you'll quickly find that not only is Last Oasis more optimized, it looks better and just generally feels better than its predecessors. Last Oasis aims to stand out with a compelling back story to its world, paired with an in-depth combat style that not only rewards you for min/maxing your gear, but the way in which you approach fights, the way you move your body, the points you strike an opponent and the speed (imagine diving off your walker to crack someone in the dome at 20mph) all contribute to the damage received and dealt. Furthermore Combat is directional, push up with your mouse as you strike and then pull back for a beautiful overhand swing, swipe to the left and right for directional swings, pull back to block low etc etc. What is most surprising is just how much effort was put into the directional combat, and in many ways it feels more smooth than games which entirely focus on directional combat such as the beautifully crafted Mount and Blade Bannerlord. Progression feels gritty, you'll need to earn the items you need, but aside from the expected resource gathering, you will not find yourself scavving 10,000 berries to make a dinosaur end its life through terminal bowel movements. No, I've found a steady progression to the materials I need/want, and in a common sense delivery, I want cattails to weave into forester armor, well they're down by the lake, I want bone soup (cement) to make some weapon and armor pieces with, I mix purified water and bone fragments in a cooking stove. Etc etc. You pair this with a wonderful on-going story driven tutorial that gives you lore of the world (I'm lvl 30 and still have quests) and it's a steady progression that I enjoy. Now here if where it gets truly interesting however, Last Oasis has taken a concerted effort to get rid of the cliche "Get griefed restart" mindset of other survival games. As a player you can build your first walker, whether you decide to run solo or as a group, you don't want to be offline griefed, you want people to fight you in your prime, so not only can you build an entire base, and with a simple click of a button store said base into your walker (yes I mean foundations, walls, all of it, store it as it is, and place it back into the world fully constructed as you left it), but you can go to the edge of the map and enter your walker into a sort of limbo (lobby) which cannot be touched at night. This means PvP guilds are fighting eachother at their best, and solo players don't have to restart every other day. Furthermore, large guilds are incentivized to protect solo's and small guilds living in their territories, because as long as they survive, they'll contribute tax for that first life that they're on. So the pressure is there to protect your solo's living from baddies. Physics are also a huge part of Last Oasis, whether you're swinging on your grappling hook, shooting harpoons to hook loot and drag it to bust it open, or piloting your walker, physics come into play. Torque build up, gradual acceleration, on your walkers, and the quickness of which you turn your body to slice are all directly coded to have a gradual impact on the world and how you as a player can skillfully interact with it. Now I could go on, I could tell you about weapons, armor, land claiming, and or how this is the dream game 100% of you wanted Atlas to be but failed completely, but I think I'll just continue to play, pull my friends in and recognize Last Oasis for what it is, the absolute premier survival game hands down on the market. I really hope you won't be swayed by the review bomb that happened, the devs listened to feedback, took the servers down and offered refunds on their opening week, they're truly committed to their craft. I hope you'll give them a chance. Bonus: The Community outside of some Chinese Zerg elements, has been wonderful, friendly.