Hurtworld

Originally released on Steam as part of its Early Access Program, Hurtworld was made as a sort of budget alternative to other, more expensive FPS Survival games on the platform. It was certainly rough around the edges in a number of places, but the fanbase it did have was eager to see it improve, adding additional content and quality of life features over time.

However, it’s been about five years now since its initial release and Hurtworld isn’t an Early Access Game anymore. Now that it’s been released in a somewhat complete state, how does it compare to other FPS Survival titles like Rust or ARK: Survival Evolved? Does it do enough to set itself apart on the platform? Is it a quality survival game?

Surviving the Elements

To anyone familiar with the FPS Survival genre, Hurtworld ought to look and sound pretty familiar. Players are dropped into an expansive map with five different biomes, each featuring different environmental conditions and resources. Players start the game virtually naked, but by collecting loot, hunting the surrounding wildlife, and killing or befriended other players, they can gather the food and gear they need to survive. Players have to vigilant though, as dying allows other players a chance to claim their resources for themselves.

Over time, as they progress further in the game, players can craft various tools, weapons, and machines to help in their survival. Campfires can be used to cook or smelt metals, Axes and Pickaxes can be used to harvest different materials needed for crafting, and Storage Lockers can hold on to a player’s goods, even after death. Eventually, players will be able to construct simple bases to protect their items as well as vehicles to make combat and traversal easier. Theoretically, Hurtworld should offer its players a strong sense of progression.

Surviving the Uninspired, Derivative Gameplay

However, while its core gameplay is okay, Hurtworld lacks the polish and variety that it needs to sustain its player-base. The game’s visuals, while basic, lack the care and attention needed to make its art style pleasant. Player characters border on cartoon caricature, with flat colors and stilted animation, while the world around them is coated in overly simplistic, unappealing textures. While this does mean the game runs fine on even weaker hardware, that’s no excuse for the overall poor art direction.

Final Verdict

The game also seriously lacks in variety. There are only sixteen weapons in the entire game, with over half of them being slightly upgraded versions of other weapons. For a game with such expansive landscapes, it only features around six kinds of creatures to hunt and sixteen types of loot total. This leaves most of the map feeling completely barren, especially when other players aren’t around. While these other players can, in fact, add a lot of spice to the game, the overall fanbase has dwindled so much that Hurtworld is practically a no man’s land.

Pros:

• It offers the very basics of a FPS Survival game
• PvP can potentially be fun with friends

Cons:

• The game’s graphics are lackluster
• It does nothing to set itself apart in the FPS Survival genre
• A lack of items leads to a lack of variety
• It’s just not a good value for its price