Aground Zero
- January 18, 2024
- Fancy Fish Games
- 13h median play time
Get on Steam"Aground Zero" is a 3D survival game set during the same events as "Aground." After waking up from sleep, you find out that the world has ended, and it's your job to survive by mining ores, building an underground base, and gathering other survivors. As you progress, you'll need to expand and automate your base, get help from familiar faces, and be prepared to encounter creatures that are not native to Earth. Knowledge of the original game is not required to play.
Reviews
- The game is fun and engaging, with a solid gameplay loop reminiscent of popular titles like Minecraft and Factorio.
- It runs smoothly and has great potential for modding, with a developer known for their commitment to improving the game.
- The early access content is polished and provides a good foundation, with players looking forward to future updates and expansions.
- The current content is limited, with many players finishing the game in just a few hours, leading to concerns about its value at the current price point.
- There are some bugs and frustrations present, such as issues with item distribution and NPC pathfinding.
- The multiplayer option is limited to split-screen remote play, which may not meet the expectations of players looking for a more traditional multiplayer experience.
- gameplay8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its smooth mechanics, particularly the streamlined factory systems and fluid building controls, making it enjoyable and accessible. Players appreciate the engaging combat and crafting elements, which echo the successful gameplay loops of titles like Minecraft and Factorio. While it may not appeal to everyone, especially those unfamiliar with similar genres, the overall experience is considered solid and promising for future improvements.
“Good fun with some streamlined factory mechanics - the power and conveyor belt systems are particularly convenient compared to most factory games.”
“Gameplay is very smooth (60fps), dialogue is short and sweet, building controls are 8.5/10 - and, in general, everything you do in the game is very fluid; it's a joy to play.”
“The gameplay at the moment is rock solid.”
“Aground has a solid Minecraft-esque gameplay loop; mine, refine, build, explore, rescue, repeat.”
“It's not a direct sequel to the first game, but the grinding and crafting mechanics are similar enough to feel connected.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story, while building on the foundation of Aground, offers a basic narrative that some players find underwhelming and lacking engagement. Although it includes elements of exploration and resource management, the storytelling feels minimal and is primarily conveyed through AI text boxes, leaving players wanting more depth and development as the game progresses. Additionally, players have noted potential bugs related to quest availability, which can detract from the overall experience.
“A little exploration with mining, building, and a story to boot: a definite two thumbs up from me and thoroughly recommended!”
“The factory building aspect is a little simple, but I must admit that I handicapped myself by spending the majority of the early stages mining tunnels when you unlock robots and helpers that will do it for you fairly early on if you follow the story prompts.”
“Sure, although it piggybacks off of Aground's story and paths, it is its own game.”
“Do not save all the survivors before you meet the scavenger or your game will bug and some quests will become unavailable.”
“It does have half decent graphics and a storyline to follow.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered simple but effective, complementing the engaging gameplay. While some users note that the character models and overall visual quality may not be top-tier, the art style is appreciated and contributes to a smooth gaming experience without technical issues. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose, enhancing the enjoyment rather than detracting from it.
“I love the graphics and feel of the game.”
“The art style and graphics are as shown, and the gameplay is generally smooth, with no bugs or anything to make the experience worse.”
“It’s so fun; the simple graphics belie the powerful gameplay.”
“The graphics are subpar and feel outdated compared to other games in the genre.”
“The character models look bland and lack detail, making it hard to get immersed in the game.”
“The environments are poorly designed and lack the visual appeal that would enhance the overall experience.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding and crafting mechanics in this game evoke a sense of connection to its predecessor, with players likely to experience mixed feelings about the changes made. While some may appreciate the depth and additional systems, others might find the grinding tedious, leading to a divide in player enjoyment. A more robust tutorial and meaningful choices could enhance the experience, influencing whether players choose to fully engage or abandon the game after the initial progression.
“If you played the original Aground, you'd naturally get some Terraria vibes, and you'd either love or hate how the additional grinding and systems changed how the game itself played.”
“Having a good tutorial in that game along with different big choices would help ensure that you'd want to 100 percent or quit after all the beginning crafting and grinding progression wore off.”
“Similar to this game's predecessor, I think most players will either love or hate this game as you'll figure out after the beginning crafting and grinding progression if you want to 100 percent the game or quit.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for its rough visuals and lack of polish, resulting in a gameplay experience that feels unrefined and simplistic. Players can complete the current content in about eight hours, but the overall presentation and manufacturing processes appear poorly executed.
“I beat the current content in 8 hours, and it felt like a very rough and unpolished experience. The gameplay was brainless, and nothing looked appealing. The manufacturing system isn't optimized at all.”
“The game suffers from poor optimization, making it feel clunky and unrefined. It's frustrating to see such potential wasted on a lackluster performance.”
“Despite the interesting concepts, the optimization is severely lacking, leading to a disjointed experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
