Frozen Ship Alpha Gameplay: My First Impressions
Disclaimer
I was sent an early alpha build of Frozen Ship to review for my blog. I understand the game isnât done yet, so I will be a bit more lenient with my review. That said, these will still be my honest first impressions.
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What is Frozen Ship?
Frozen Ship is a survival game with village management elements coming soon to Steam Early Access.
An eternal tundra has devastated humanity. Some were fortunate to find refuge near the warmth of a volcano, but that warmth was only temporary. In their efforts to continue surviving, they have built a giant ship that will take them to their new home. Navigate the deadly tundra as you captain your colony of survivors, gather resources, upgrade your facilities, and find the last remaining hope for salvation. What will you find against this frozen landscape?
Gameplay
There are two parts to this game, village management and exploration.
As captain of this frozen ship, players will need to command their colony to gather and process materials or build upgrades. Resources are scares, so efficiently utilizing what is available is key for humanities survival. Most importantly, players must keep hope alive to keep the colony from collapsing. As players traverse the tundra, the colony will grow, and this growth will bring its challenges as it puts a strain on systems players put in place.
The other part of this game is exploration. Players can get off the ship throughout the warmer parts of the day to scavenge the remains of the old world. Players can build tools to gather resources or scavenge from buildings. The cold is brutal and staying out in the elements for too long means death. To add to the difficulty, the ship does not stop moving. Players must navigate the cold, but also make sure they can always find their way back to the ship.
The main game will have a story, but the demo only allowed a limited free build mode with a good amount of direction.
Impressions
In its current state, Frozen Ship doesnât have enough to it to keep me excited. The village management aspect is more of a text based game. Its not a bad way to do things, especially since the main game is exploration, but I like to watch my villagers do things. The exploration is fine, but the world feels too empty. I do like that the game lets players adjust the difficulty for the ideal experience. I get lost easily so I appreciate that there is a mode that guides me back to the ship. I also appreciate the options for a more hardcore play through for the times Iâm feeling more sadistic.
Graphics-wise, the world makes sense but it isnât anything special. Youâre either going to appreciate the low-poly style or you are going to play a more realistic looking game. I am sure this is a choice to ensure good performance, but also makes the world a little less fun to explore.
The cold mechanic is fine. Eventually players will have the ability to extend the amount of time they can spend in the tundra, but those early levels feel tedious. Having to return every time you clear a single house is boring. I can see the intention. The game is supposed to be a hard journey and resources are meant to be scares, but when the art style is boring and the world feels too empty, it just feels like a chore.
I also donât recommend playing this game on the Steam Deck. At the moment, some of the tasks feel very tedious with a controller. You will need to remap, and even then it is just better to play with a keyboard and mouse.
I need to see more of the game before I can feel confident in recommending it. If you are looking for some hardcore survival and donât mind the village builder elements, I would wait for the demo. Iâll try to get a different build and will return with my update. Until then, you can wishlist Frozen Ship on Steam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpy7Gi6mNgI&ab_channel=IGN
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