Recent reviews by XipherZen

I've decided with the recent 1.0 release to change up my review, because I think there's some very important aspects that need covering.

First of all: the 1.0 release was messy, absolutely. But this was not the fault of the devs on any part. Rather, thus far its been a testament to the type of devs and community this game holds. A game that has held a close knit playerbase of around 300 since 2016 suddenly, and without warning, leapt to 2,300 in the first day. And naturally, everything crumbled. Area's lagged, there wasn't enough resources, and new players got overwhelmed quickly and weren't able to enjoy the best aspect of this game.

So what did the devs do?

IMMEDIATELY updates rolled out, one after the other. More servers were opened, adjustments made, things were tried, disliked, and removed. New hardware was purchased, new fixes made. They heard the community. THEY LISTENED. And they worked their entire team to exhaustion (and still currently are at the time of writing this review) to tackle the problem that came out of nowhere.

And the community stood by them.

I could yap on and on about the features, that nostalgic oldschool mmo vibe, the goofy skill options and exciting riddles, puzzles, and exploration vibe. But these are all things you can enjoy and encounter trying out the free demo available (15 lvl cap and 2 areas may seem low, but with HUNDREDS of skills and secrets everywhere, it'll keep you BUSY).

But what really sets this game apart isn't just the design. It's the community and dev team that aren't afraid. Aren't afraid of the flood, aren't afraid to do things that are out there, that no big name AAA mmo would dare to touch. They aren't afraid to be goofy, and ridiculous, and cringe and so on. You're not just trying a game at this point. You're trying a community, and taking part in a feeling that's become so lost in the modern day.

My best advice? Don't go it alone. Grab some friends and party up right away, or make some new ones on tutorial island. IT NEVER HURTS to party up, especially early on. No XP loss, and loot can always be set to rotate or discussed. You can absolutely go it solo, but nothing beats the sense of companionship this game creates. There's no tutorial quest. A few quick pop ups will give you tips, but the game wants to instill that sense of free exploration and "the world is your oyster" from the start. So take your time, and explore. This game isn't a marathon, or a race. It's a leisurely stroll.

Dying and getting lost are skills to level, afterall ;)

And when a veteran says "explore", they aren't shutting you down. They are always happy to help, but the greatest feeling in this game is experiencing the discovery of the world and new things yourself. They just want you to feel that feeling too.

So grab some friends, new or old, and experience a feeling that's been lost to time. Join us. We're happy to have you.

Like most, I was skeptical as hell when I snagged this freebie off the Steam shelf. But I have to say, for as bizarre as this game is, and for the multitude of buggy jankiness it suffers, this game is amazing.

It's very clearly a mobile-to-pc port, sure. The UI has that over-complicated nature and the tutorial screams Chinese translated platform ported game. But in a way that's just another bonus, because its cross-play, meaning pc and mobile people can play together.

On top of that there is just... so much to this game, it scratches every itch. Rust-style building, resource collection and crafting, house decor, pet collection, bizarrely hilarious pet mutation, and so on. And the race selection/character customization is a class all its own. I don't think I've ever seen such an in depth and strangely beautiful mmo with so much variety in its race selection.

And the best part? The world screams hidden lore. There's so many new things to discover. My brains already buzzing with questions about the strange underground cave markings and giant skeletons tucked around the map.

Yes, the game is janky. Buggy. Weird af. But it's finally doing something every AAA game is scared to do. It's bringing something incredibly unique to the table, stuff that nobody else is quite doing, and its doing it for FREE. Yes, there's cash shop options but as a penniless wolf man riding about on my fly headed wolf tailed horse about 40 hours into the game, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything by not shoveling my life savings into it.

Seriously, it's free and at its worst will at least net you and your friends a good laugh. What's there to lose?

Considering how long this game has been around and in development, it's disappointing to see the kind of state it's in. Broken tutorials, a mountain of bugs, and a single developer with little time. I don't see this project reaching a playable and enjoyable "game" state for a very long time. There is a 'premise' here that might have been enjoyable in even an alpha playable state, but I wouldn't even consider this an alpha. Disappointing, considering the idea behind it shows promise.

Not worth the install.

There has been a lot of reviews comparing BoB and the Isle. Personally, I play both. I will not say one is greater than the other. In my belief, each game serves its own purpose.

While it may not have the high realism graphics and build that makes you feel on the edge of your seat, constantly looking over your shoulder like the Isle does, what BoB does have allows it to stand out as its own game.

For one, the amount of customization to your appearance in phenomenal. Skins allow you to pick and choose, and the mixing from nesting can be either catastrophically hideous or absolutely gorgeous, with enough room for one to fiddle and still adjust whats there. What absolutely sets this game apart, however, are the mechanics. Every dinosaur has its own role, its own skill set. From Acro's that can screech at you to drop your stamina and attack power, to Ptera's that grow stronger when they dive, to Mosa's that can snatch the unsuspecting drinker to the oceans depths, every single dinosaur feels unique. No two dino's are the same, every system feels like thought and heart were put into it. Diving creates momentum when travelling long distances, burrowing can be used as both defense and a trap for the unaware. There is SO MUCH to this game, that its easy to be entertained for long periods of time exploring various caverns, nesting for those gorgeous glow in the dark colors, and so on. Not to mention the weather, the talent tree that allows every player to build their dino how they want to play, this game may not have the looks of the Isle, but it has its own niche in the sort of miraculous content it offers.

I play both, I love both, because both offer their own thing, and are only comparable under the loose definition of "games that let you play as dinosaurs." I would easily spend this kind of price on this game again, for the sheer amount of hours it has entertained, and continues to entertain.

Surprisingly, this game is a lot more charming than I expected at first glance.
As an old-time MMO player who grew up in the 90s/early 2000s, this game scratches and oldschool itch that's been nagging for years. Yet, at the same time, it doesn't feel completely cut and dry once you dig past the surface layer and see what the game has to offer. It's simple, and yet somehow complex. There's no handholding here, and plenty of death and loss to go around. Yet it makes it so satisfying when you finally get past that hurdle, especially with friends. And learning the game via experimenting and clicking around or digging through information other players have churned up is beyond satisfying.

And hey... it's free! Seriously, give it a try.

Or you know... just stack 30+ crates in the middle of the city and stand atop your new throne. That's cool too.

Editted this review due to my opinion DRASTICALLY changing.
The release was a mess of empty promises and lies, and when things finally looked hopeful again? The creators only showed their greed by immediately dropping DLC's for an unfinished product. The drama and lies surrounding this game have long completely broken my trust in the developers. The game itself runs terribly, and is heavily oriented towards one pack running the server. The promised systems still haven't been finished after five years of "release", and they continue to talk about new ways to earn money despite the mountain of funds from their first fundraiser.

I've only played a few hours so far, but I'm in love with this game.
This is something that takes battle royale games to a new level. Giving a player power over others and the tide of the game is one thing, but they've managed to balance it so that not only do you have to earn the right to direct the game, but even if you play favorites people can still rise up and topple your choices. The twitch integration for voting is phenomenal as well, and updates have brought new and interesting additions to the table.
This is a game that takes it to the next big step and is all about entertainment.

There is something silly and charming about this game. With the freedom to upload your own avatars, and the support given for PC users to avoid feeling excluded just because you lack a VR set, and the humor and fun when you just let people roam free, it's easy to lose hours upon hours in this game. The creativity of the players and creators is astounding, even though the upload limit for models can get annoying sometimes. It's sort of a roll of the dice what you'll run into when content is left in the hands of the community, but it's well worth a wander.

Life forge is a charming game with a strong throwback to old rpgs, like runescape, and others that you just can't quite remember the name of. The game has it's bugs, of course, being so new to the steam life, but the fact it's an online game with its own servers built by indie developers who are frequently active, updating, patching, and working towards a better game? Not to mention the surprisingly great community and the fact that it has its own discord which admins are often watching and responding to? It's a feat all its own.

As for the game itself, it is a bit of a grind. Gaining exp for things like crafting and gathering make it worth it, and you can make the grind faster by making better weapons. The game feels simple, and the trio of choices for advancement leave plenty of room for unique builds, especially since you can allocate stats and use any weapon you like, and there's a number of cross-class spells to buy. Having only three base classes in the beginning that split into a total of 9 down the road is a good move, leaving things a little easier to choose from in the beginning.

Obviously the game still needs work. But the admins are always patching, and fixing things. Always active, always listening. It's what a community loves, to feel like they can influence the game in some way with their suggestions, and that the dev's are listening. I fully support and look forward to what it becomes in the future.