You find yourself alone in the middle of the ocean. Fortunately, you somehow found a small wooden raft and a hook with a rope. Your only goal becomes how to survive. That is the simplest way to explain Raft, the new release developed by Redbeet Interactive and published by Axolot Games. It might be interesting to mention that this game has been on itch.io for a while, but it has only recently entered the Early Access phase on Steam.
I Will Survive!
At its core, Raft is an aquatic survival simulation that reminded me at one point of Minecraft on water. It doesn’t have nearly as much depth, but the crafting and survival are both there. The game doesn’t give you too much to start with (the aforementioned raft and hook), but if you can rely on your skills, you will turn that raft into a boat. And, since this is a co-op multiplayer game, with the help of your friends, perhaps even a ship just like those luxury ones the rich guys use for cruises!
The primary way of getting resources will be to monitor the water. Perhaps the authors wanted to send a message regarding the ocean pollution or they did that accidentally. Either way, you will use your hook to retrieve various items. At first, you will focus on plastic and wood to expand your raft and make room for more stuff. You will need to monitor your hunger and thirst levels, but it is not that hard to keep your character full.
Sharks Everywhere!
Aside from grabbing things off the surface, you can also dive into the ocean to explore it. However, you need to beware of shark, which can’t wait for human prey to appear. There is a way to deal with sharks, but at this point, that is limited to distracting them. The game is in early access and we hope to see content added in this section.
As you collect stuff, you will build new items. You can also invest the loot you collected into research and discover how to build new and better stuff. At the same time, you will have fresh options for food at your disposal, which might include harvesting mangos off trees or grilling sharks.
When it comes to graphics, everything seems vivid and colorful. However, Raft still has a lot of glitches that need to be fixed. For example, you can’t climb some platforms, which is annoying when you see loads of stuff over there. Also, although the graphics are beautiful, there is no sea life whatsoever apart from sharks.
