There’s been a whole explosion of early access open world survival crafting games since early access first became a thing. Saying “open world survival crafting” is itself a bit of a mouthful, and whilst some gamers may be sick of seeing these, they continue to be one of my favorite modern genres.
Raft by Redbeet Interactive is more of the same whilst also being quite unique. Instead of building a base in a singular location and going on a scavenger hunt across the land for supplies, in Raft you build your base on water – a raft, in fact – and you float across the sea in search of supplies! Whilst the game is still in early access as of this review, the devs have been hard at work releasing new story chapters and content to keep you coming back for more and are in constant contact with their community via dev blogs.
I’ve sunk (pardon the pun) a good 40+ hours into this game already and have yet to stop playing it.
What I’ll whine about:
Being early access, you may run out of things to do once you’ve blasted through the story’s content. Though there’s a lot of customisation options already, there’s potential for a lot more growth. The underwater areas can feel a little empty at times, so I’m hoping for more content coming there.
Raft can be played solo or multiplayer with friends, but I think you’d have a hard time balancing the needs of your character and piloting a ship on your own. This one is better played with friends.
Also, being a multiplayer game, I’d like the option to customise my character. Right now you can only choose from two default avatars.
What I’ll gush about:
The base-building in Raft is excellent! You start off stranded with just a few planks of wood, but once you start gathering resources, you’ll be able to build whatever floating fortress you design. You are limited only by your imagination. There’s also a great selection of paint colours so you can sail your own rainbow across the seas.
Check out my boat:
There’s a lot to keep you busy and on your toes whilst piloting your ship, so there’s never a dull moment.
And watch out for sharks!
Final Words
If you love open world survival crafting games and want something a little different, then try out Raft, but bear in mind it’ll be much more fun with friends.
