REVIEW: Crashlands

   Let’s get straight into it, since I have quite a bit to say. First off, let’s have a chat about derision. When something is derivative, it is blatantly stealing or copying a design from an already existing object. This practice, as one can deduce, is harmful to creativity since it fails to introduce new ideas to the medium or genre, therefore stagnating the medium. 

   Frustratingly, this can easily be describing Crashlands, a game recently released for PC and mobile systems. I apologize if I sound a little displeased with this game right off the bat, but I’m afraid that this feeling only continued as I tried to play. The story, for one, is a little anemic. You are an intergalactic deliveryman who is attacked by a monster and crashes on a planet. Scavenging for supplies is soon revealed to be a major mechanic, along with crafting and other survival elements. When these are introduced, it soon becomes apparent what this game really is: A Sci-Fi Don’t Starve clone. 

A quick glimpse of combat within the game. Unfortunately, the game's interface doesn't allow for the quick execution the game requires of the player. (Image courtesy of the Google Play Store)

   Sure, the aesthetic and storyline are different, but only in the sense that they’re somehow more bland than the game they're trying to ape. Don’t Starve at least had a delightfully grim art style, with thick scratchy lines and simplistic features. Crashlands has brighter and more cheerful graphics, but in a very by-the-books generically “cute” fashion. The combat is genuinely fiddly, especially when your character has little health and even less armor, and the different “attacks” are awkward to deploy at the quick pace the game demands. The menu is somewhat unintuitive, with slow loading times and a cluttered interface that conveys a lot of information in a very scrambled manner, making it a genuine pain to use.

   With all of these issues, it became harder and harder to find the will to continue playing the game, and the core gameplay certainly wasn’t helping. Scavenging and crafting works well if implemented properly, as seen in games like Minecraft. You wanted to build a strong house in case the zombies come knocking, and the need to eat necessitated farming and hunting for survival. Crashlands fails on both of these fronts by offering these options without giving us a reason to use them. Sure, you could build a house, but what would the point be? You'll only be leaving to scavenge and quest anyway, so you'll be away more than you'll be here. You can hold all they want in their roomy pockets as well, meaning you don’t even have to go back to unload your inventory. Sure, you could cultivate healing items, but you'll be able to find these items wherever you go, and in greater quantities as well. 

Though you can build as big of a house as you like, it still begs the question: Why would you set up a base of operations if the game requires you to be continually on the move? (Image courtesy of the Apple App Store)

   On the whole, I’m afraid that I can’t recommend Crashlands. With the unintuitive interface, generic and somewhat irritating graphics, and mechanics still bloody from when they were ripped off of other, better games, Crashlands is something that genuinely has no reason to exist. Even a game like Thomas Was Alone, with dull graphics and non-challenging gameplay, had some wit and a good story to redeem it. Crashlands just feels like a Free-To-Play game that excludes the micro payments to make room for token, niche-appeal gameplay elements. While I try to remain optimistic, I’m afraid Crashlands would have to do more than build a house for me to be favorable in my sight. 

   Want to defend or discuss Crashlands? Write a comment down below or on our Twitter, @GamerGweek!

   Written by Spence