- January 15, 2015
- Daybreak Game Company
- 18h median play time
Just Survive
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Platforms
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About
Just Survive is a post-apocalyptic game where players must scavenge for supplies, craft items, and build strongholds to protect themselves from both living and undead dangers. Staying quiet and alert is crucial to avoid attracting zombies, and gathering raw materials is necessary for crafting various tools and weapons. Building strongholds in various locations helps secure a foothold in the struggle against the undead.
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gameplay
1,768 mentions Positive Neutral Negative29%58%13%The gameplay of H1Z1 has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the engaging survival mechanics and base-building features, but criticizing the clunky controls, technical issues, and the prevalence of hackers. While some find the tension from environmental threats and player interactions exciting, others feel that the grind-heavy mechanics and unbalanced PvP detract from the overall experience. Despite its potential, many players express disappointment over the game's reliance on microtransactions and the lack of polish compared to its genre peers.
“The constant need to stay alert to both environmental and human threats adds an engaging layer of tension to the gameplay.”
“The base-building mechanics are particularly satisfying, allowing players to erect fortifications that serve as both functional shelters and showcases of ingenuity.”
“The gameplay was fun, looting was rewarding, and interacting with people was exciting.”
“The gameplay is clunky and unresponsive, with controls that feel sluggish and unresponsive.”
“Cheaters are on every corner, zombies are teleporting, guns do not work and the shooting mechanics are completely broken (if they even exist).”
“The mechanics are weak.”
stability
1,453 mentions Positive Neutral Negative3%97%The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly detract from the overall experience. Many reviews highlight issues such as erratic AI behavior, frequent game freezes, and unresponsive mechanics, which have led to a frustrating gameplay experience. While some players acknowledge the potential for improvement, they emphasize that the game remains in a notably unstable state, making it difficult to recommend for those seeking a polished experience.
“10/10 no glitches, bugs, exploits, cheaters, nothing.”
“The game runs great, the core gameplay is working well, the devs are very interactive with the community and the roadmap and updates seem to be taking the game in the right direction.”
“Runs great, no lag, no frame drops, and most importantly, no glitches.”
“The game is buggy as hell still, and I'm speaking of bugs that have been here since release.”
“End result = buggy unplayable game.”
“This game has lost its way; it used to be a fun game to play with friends, but now it's just a buggy mess.”
graphics
1,268 mentions Positive Neutral Negative36%49%15%The graphics of "H1Z1" have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they are subpar compared to contemporary titles, often likening them to games from previous generations. While some appreciate the aesthetic and atmospheric elements, others criticize the low-quality textures, graphical glitches, and overall lack of polish, especially in an early access game. Despite these criticisms, a segment of players finds the graphics acceptable and enjoyable, particularly when considering the game's performance on lower-end systems.
“The graphics are amazing, definitely worth buying!”
“The graphics are great, the player vs. player aspect is wonderful as long as you don't meet hackers, but you will meet them, every single day.”
“The graphics are beautiful, especially for an early access game like this, the ambiance is astounding, and the gameplay itself is really awesome.”
“The graphics in Just Survive are also a letdown, with low-quality character models and environments that lack any real detail or visual appeal.”
“The graphics are trash even on ultra; the zombies are the most poorly scripted piles of garbage I've ever seen, and they can still run through walls and doors.”
“The graphics are incredibly subpar; the game has been running rampant with stupidity for a while.”
monetization
562 mentions Positive Neutral Negative2%44%54%The monetization model of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many players expressing frustration over the introduction of microtransactions in an early access title that was initially promised to be free-to-play. Reviewers highlight the unfair advantages provided by in-game purchases, particularly in the form of airdrops and cosmetic items, which detract from the overall gameplay experience. The game's shift from a survival focus to prioritizing monetization through separate paid titles and frequent microtransaction updates has left many feeling exploited and dissatisfied.
“This game costs money, and even so, is riddled with microtransactions that would only be acceptable in a game you'd play on your phone waiting for the bus.”
“The only microtransactions involved in the game allow you to make your character look different by purchasing skins.”
“Although the developers lied about not having microtransactions, this is a very good game.”
“The in-game purchases in Just Survive are a blatant cash grab, with overpriced items that give players an unfair advantage over those who choose not to spend real money on the game.”
“Started out great, turned into a cash grab.”
“This game is a cash grab for the game devs. The game was good at one point, I had a good review on Just Survive for around a year.”
optimization
543 mentions Positive Neutral Negative25%43%32%The optimization of "Just Survive" has been widely criticized, with many users reporting significant performance issues, including frequent frame rate drops, stuttering, and server instability, particularly during its early access phase. While some players noted improvements in specific updates, the overall consensus is that the game remains poorly optimized, requiring high-end hardware to run smoothly, and often resulting in frustrating gameplay experiences. Despite occasional praise for graphics and gameplay, the persistent optimization problems overshadow these positives, leading to a generally negative reception in this aspect.
“For an early access game, I could almost say this game is now nearly complete, has tons of stuff to offer, very minor bugs, and is insanely well optimized.”
“The game runs smoothly even on ultra settings for me and I'm running a GTX 680, which is no longer considered high-end by any means.”
“H1Z1 shines when it comes to optimization and graphics; it runs great and is up there with the top 3 best-run zombie survival games.”
“Performance issues, such as frame rate drops and server instability, plagued the game, particularly during its early access period.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate on my system, with frequent drops and stuttering that ruin the immersion.”
“Game is poorly optimized and is very buggy.”
humor
424 mentions Positive Neutral Negative98%2%The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a major draw, with players enjoying the absurdity of glitches, unexpected player interactions, and the chaotic nature of gameplay. Many reviews emphasize that playing with friends enhances the comedic experience, leading to memorable and hilarious moments, despite the game's numerous bugs and issues. Overall, while the game has its frustrations, the humor derived from both the gameplay and the community interactions keeps players engaged and entertained.
“But you'll also laugh, because it's hilarious to watch your character run in circles, trying to fend off a horde of the undead.”
“Funny part is, the ship they built was worse than the original ship they talked about building in the first place, and thus, damn dirty pirates came and sunk the ship by being able to weasel their way into the bowels of the ship because of incompetent crew members.”
“I still have some fond memories of this game with my friends but the fun was mainly coming from the fact that the game was so broken that it was hilarious.”
“I like the game, but all this zombie fighting is so not funny, and the grinding gets boring after a while.”
“Pretty good game, but it's not funny when you are playing solo and you will get bored of it. Playing with friends is funny though.”
“I've installed and deleted this game so many times it's not funny anymore. I try to play this game with friends, but every time I think it's a great game and install it, it only takes 5 minutes to realize what's wrong with it all.”
story
416 mentions Positive Neutral Negative9%84%6%The story aspect of "Just Survive" is widely criticized for its lack of depth and meaningful narrative, with many players noting that it feels non-existent or merely a backdrop for survival gameplay. While some users appreciate the potential for personal storytelling through player interactions, the absence of structured quests, NPCs, or a coherent plot leaves the game feeling empty and repetitive. Overall, players express a desire for more engaging story elements to enhance the survival experience.
“This game has a lot of people who put their passion into it to make it unique and it allows you to show other people your story on how you are surviving this terror of the zombie apocalypse.”
“I do think this game can evolve to a better game, it is really good now, but it's got room to be better, there needs to be a story or some quests, so you can form a bond with your character and also just add lore to the game.”
“The story is simple...you are in a zombie-infested world and you need to survive.”
“The story, or whatever little bit of 'story' there is, is difficult to find let alone enjoy.”
“There is no story of any kind.”
“Without any story or meaningful quests, the only thing there is to do is explore the map, make a bigger base, make stuff...and that's it.”
grinding
205 mentions Positive Neutral Negative1%1%97%The grinding aspect of the game is widely regarded as tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to invest significant hours into farming resources for base building and crafting. While some players find satisfaction in the grind and the eventual rewards, many express frustration over the repetitive nature of resource gathering, especially when progress can be easily lost to hackers or raids. Overall, the experience of grinding is polarizing, appealing primarily to those who enjoy survival challenges but potentially deterring others who seek a more dynamic gameplay experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“If the grind for loot wasn't tedious enough, you are always hungry. Your character is like 'the blob' from those 80's horror movies; you can't stop eating blackberries. They give you 2% food and 2% hydration. If you leave it too long and can't find a berry patch, you find yourself picking the ones you can and eating those, but not having sufficient energy to move on to a better patch. You are essentially stuck there until you are beaten to death by some German dude with a master race superiority complex.”
“I hope they continue to update regularly and make sure the game remains fun and not tedious. Early in the game, you just went around picking blackberries... hundreds of blackberries just to survive.”
“This game can be very time-consuming, farming a lot of items to craft your structure.”
“You spend weeks farming and building your base, only to lose everything in a few moments.”
“If you enjoy the arduous process of learning crafting blueprints and farming materials for a month just to have someone blow up your work in a night, you will enjoy this game.”
music
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative19%71%10%The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the atmospheric and creepy soundtracks that enhance the survival horror experience, while others criticize the generic sound effects and forgettable tracks. Many users note that the dynamic music effectively sets the mood during tense moments, although some find it distracting or repetitive, especially when combined with player-generated music in lobbies. Overall, while the game's music contributes to its immersive environment, there are calls for improvement and more variety.
“You have such a good start going, the scenery is very nice, the zombies at night are creepy as all hell, and the music is a nice touch.”
“The atmosphere of this game is amazing... the sound, the music, the ability to hear the voice of that strange person running towards you with an axe screaming...”
“The music sets the scene very effectively and helps to immerse you in the environment with the in-game audio working well as you move closer to other players or away from.”
“The music in this game is bad; I understand that it's trying to set a realistic atmosphere, but the sound quality is a little poor. If you fire one bullet from an automatic weapon, it sounds like two bullets are being fired.”
“This game seemed like it was fun at first, but the constant blaring of songs and mic spam just ruin the already dry game.”
“The random music that was put in is too loud and unrealistic. Thankfully, you can turn it down because it's extremely annoying, especially when listening for footsteps or other sounds needed to stay alive.”
atmosphere
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative45%46%9%The atmosphere of the game is a significant highlight, with many players praising its immersive and eerie qualities that effectively evoke a sense of danger and urgency in a post-apocalyptic setting. While some reviews note issues with optimization and gameplay mechanics that detract from the overall experience, the game's sound design, environmental details, and crafting elements contribute to a compelling atmosphere that many find engaging and thrilling. However, there are mixed opinions, with some players feeling that the atmosphere lacks depth or is undermined by gameplay elements, suggesting that improvements are needed to fully realize its potential.
“The setting, a bleak, ruined countryside dotted with towns and encampments, creates an atmospheric backdrop, evoking a genuine sense of danger and urgency.”
“The atmosphere is great.”
“The atmosphere of this game is amazing... the sound, the music, the ability to hear the voice of that strange person running towards you with an axe screaming...”
“The atmosphere of the game is lacking a lot.”
“The game just seems absent of an apocalyptic atmosphere.”
“Well, you won't like this game... most of all it lacks atmosphere.”
emotional
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative100%The emotional aspect of the game is highly polarized among players, with some expressing deep connections and moments of genuine sadness, while others criticize the lack of emotional depth in voice acting and repetitive gameplay. Many players report feeling a rollercoaster of emotions, from joy and excitement to frustration and heartbreak, particularly in moments of loss or betrayal. Overall, the game's ability to evoke strong feelings is noted, but it is often overshadowed by technical issues and a lack of content updates, leading to mixed emotional responses.
“Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
“I purchased this game in early 2015, and it has been a complete emotional roller coaster for me.”
“Despite this, it has been one of the most immersive, scary, emotional experiences I have ever had in front of a monitor.”
replayability
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative34%61%5%The game's replayability is a mixed bag among users, with many praising the battle royale mode for its high replay value and engaging gameplay, while others criticize the survival mode for lacking depth and excitement. Overall, players report significant replayability, especially in battle royale, with some expressing optimism for future updates to enhance the experience further. However, a few users caution that the game may not hold long-term interest for everyone, particularly if the novelty wears off quickly.
“Having said that, it is a nice game with a high replayability factor.”
“I find the game very interesting and I've devoted over 70 hours so far trying to win a battle royale. The game is extremely replayable; as I said before, it's an amazing game.”
“This game is completely replayable and it will keep you hooked for a long time.”
“No replay value and don't recommend wasting twenty bucks for a title that you will want to refund.”
“Survival mode is just boring garbage with no replay value.”
“The game is fun for a few minutes but has very little replay value, and once the initial novelty wears off, there is little to bring you back to it.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative40%20%40%The character development in Ark is praised for its potential to significantly enhance gameplay by offering unique skills that promote diverse group dynamics. Players express a desire for more character design features, emphasizing the importance of character development in a zombie survival context.
“Those are going to be a game changer because it's going to allow for more character development and a much more unique set of skills that can allow groups to really come together in far different ways.”
“Ark has a better character development aspect.”
“Ark has better character development aspects.”
“We were promised a zombie survival character development game.”