Plains of Pain

About

Plains of Pain is a single player and multiplayer open world role playing game. It was developed by Cobra Byte Digital and was released on February 17, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

Survive a brutal open world alone or with friends. Explore a procedural wasteland scorched by chaos. Build and defend your base, trade for what you need, complete deadly quests, and fight to claim faction outposts before someone else does.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+22

Skip User Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 310 reviews

gameplay15 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of survival mechanics reminiscent of Kenshi and Mad Max, providing a challenging and immersive experience.
The developers are actively updating the game, showing dedication to improving gameplay and addressing community feedback.
The randomly generated environments and dynamic events keep the gameplay fresh and engaging, encouraging exploration and resource management.

The inventory management system is clunky and can be frustrating, with items not auto-stacking and requiring multiple clicks to manage.
There are significant bugs and performance issues, including game crashes and problems with NPC behavior, which can detract from the overall experience.
The combat mechanics feel unpolished, with awkward animations and hit detection that can lead to frustrating encounters.

gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
6%
The gameplay of this survival game is characterized by a mix of challenging mechanics, including hunger and thirst management, which some players find engaging while others see as overly punishing. Despite its rough edges and lack of visual polish, many reviewers appreciate the depth and addictive nature of the gameplay loop, with mechanics reminiscent of titles like Kenshi and Fallout. While the game shows promise and has a dedicated development team, it still requires improvements in areas such as UI and building mechanics to enhance the overall experience.
- “It's got the survival mechanics you'd expect - you need to keep an eye on your hunger and thirst, which adds another layer to the gameplay without being too annoying about it.”
- “The game is constantly being updated by a small team of awesome devs. The gameplay loop is simple yet very entertaining.”
- “At first, I really thought this was just incomprehensible jank, but it truly is a hidden gem. After several false starts in single player getting to grips with the mechanics, I finally got my head around it and lost 30 hours in a few days just like that.”
- “I played around 30 minutes and was frustrated and angry with the game mechanics. It's another attempt to reinvent the wheel instead of making a good game. I'm refunding.”
- “The traders on the map disappear often, and the thirst/food mechanic is pretty draining as it goes down really fast. I know it's supposed to be hard, but I still wouldn't mind creating drinks or meals that sustain you for longer.”
- “You know, I'll tell you what, the game has a lot of potential, but the building mechanics are horrible. Things don't snap properly, and you can't place certain items for no apparent reason. The snap feature is too overpowering, giving you no freedom of creation. Also, you literally can't deconstruct anything, which is insane for a survival game.”
story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
69%
12%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of a cohesive narrative, with many players noting that it feels more like a collection of fetch quests than a compelling storyline. While some quests offer intriguing interactions, particularly with characters like Ron and Frank, the overall experience is marred by repetitive objectives and minimal impact on gameplay. Players seeking a rich narrative may find the open-world exploration and quest system insufficient to justify the game's price point.
- “Whelp, let me tell you a story of plains of pain!”
- “"plains of pain" is an exhilarating game that combines immersive gameplay with captivating storytelling, offering players a compelling experience from start to finish.”
- “You can follow many quest lines or do whatever you want getting lost in the wastelands.”
- “Plus there isn't a real story to this game, some quests here and there, but not worth the price point.”
- “It's just an open-world game, there is no main plot as of yet.”
- “If you like shitty animations, weird visuals and no story or context then this game is for you.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the atmospheric visuals and aesthetic that effectively capture a post-apocalyptic wasteland. However, some players express disappointment with the overall graphical quality, noting issues like low performance on high-end hardware and poorly fitting AI-generated NPC portraits. While the game excels in ambiance and style, it is suggested that further improvements are needed to meet the expectations of players accustomed to AAA titles.
- “Love the atmosphere, the visuals, the sense of isolation and desolation, and the freedom to do whatever you want, alone or with others.”
- “The art style and graphics of the maps are just what you would want a wasteland to look and feel like.”
- “It's not the most graphical game, but there are times when the scene on the screen is absolutely gorgeous and the developers have this unique ability to nail the ambiance.”
- “Mechanics are super delayed and graphics are extremely bad, even with RTX 4090 at max resolution.”
- “The game has a nice style to it, so it threw me off when I saw that the NPC portraits are AI-generated and don't fit the game's aesthetic.”
- “If you like poor animations, weird visuals, and no story or context, then this game is for you.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some describe it as tedious and monotonous, particularly in resource gathering and vehicle repairs, others appreciate the engaging gameplay and potential for improvement. The initial grind can feel overwhelming, but many note that it becomes more manageable as players progress. Overall, the game is seen as fun and promising, despite its current grind-heavy mechanics.
- “Gathering (mining, salvaging, lumbering, etc.) is deeply tedious, requiring multiple button presses to finish a given resource node.”
- “I think it's a fun enough game, but it's very hard and has a lot of grinding, which can be tedious after a short amount of time.”
- “The game feels very grindy in the beginning, but once you get going, you'll have plenty of resources.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive visuals and a strong sense of isolation and desolation, creating a unique and engaging experience. Players appreciate the gritty survival elements and the beautifully crafted environments that encourage exploration and adaptation. While not the most visually stunning, the atmosphere effectively captures a blend of freedom and oppressive challenges, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- “Love the atmosphere, the visuals, the sense of isolation and desolation, and the freedom to do whatever you want, alone or with others.”
- “The game’s dark, atmospheric world is beautifully crafted, with challenging environments that push you to adapt and strategize.”
- “It's very atmospheric to see hordes in the distance or the city lights at night.”
- “-- the atmosphere is oppressive in that 'walk outside into a blast furnace' heat-wave kind of way.”
- “It's not the prettiest survival game, and none of the mechanics are particularly original, but it has just the right pacing and atmosphere to make me completely zone out and forget about the world.”
- “Nails the gritty survival atmosphere, can’t wait to see how it develops.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer and building systems. While some players have experienced minimal issues, the overall consensus is that the game feels buggy and grindy at times, though it remains engaging and shows promise for future improvements.
- “Half of the items in this game are wonky and buggy, and forget about the meteor's RNG.”
- “No one is playing multiplayer, and single player is super buggy.”
- “Overall, the game does feel buggy and grindy at times, but for such a young game made by a relatively young development team, it's extremely engaging, very fun, and has immense future potential.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some players report solid performance with high settings and good frame rates on mid-range hardware, others experience significant performance issues even with more powerful GPUs. The game features long rendering distances and efficient asset management, but the visibility of smaller remains can hinder gameplay.
- “I play on an AMD 3600 with a GTX 1080 GPU. My settings are high in 1080p, and I get a solid 60 FPS even with tons of walls and stuff placed inside and around a town after 20+ hours of building, so performance-wise I'm slightly impressed.”
- “Last but not least, the performance is impressive.”
- “Stuff killed will poof into a pile of bones on the ground, which I suppose is for optimization, but the animal remains are tiny in comparison to what they are, making finding the remains among grass a pain.”
- “Performance was really bad for me, and I have a 3060.”
- “Optimization-wise, it runs rather well (RTX 3050 laptop), and the game has very long rendering distances for both NPCs and lights.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express cautious optimism regarding the game's monetization, noting that the update frequency has been reasonable and hoping the developer avoids the pitfalls of aggressive cash grabs seen in other titles like 7 Days to Die.
- “The update speed has been reasonable, and with any luck, the developer will resist the cash grab that sunk 7 Days to Die.”
- “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “I feel like the game is designed to push players towards microtransactions rather than rewarding them for their time and effort.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is highlighted as a multifaceted experience, allowing players to enhance their characters through various gameplay elements such as base building and exploration across diverse biomes. The presence of brutal enemies and environmental dangers adds depth to character progression, making it a challenging and engaging aspect of the game.
- “The character development in this game is incredibly deep, allowing players to truly shape their heroes through meaningful choices and experiences.”
- “I love how the character development system is intertwined with the gameplay, making every decision feel impactful and rewarding.”
- “The variety of character customization options and the ability to evolve your character's skills and abilities create a truly immersive experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is primarily driven by the robot NPCs, Frank and Ron, whose clever dialogue and distinct personalities enhance the overall experience. Players also find amusement in the quirky enemies encountered in the desert and the entertaining aspects of building vehicles and exploring new settlements.
- “The highlight of the game is undoubtedly the robot NPC characters, Frank and Ron, whose witty banter and unique personalities add humor and depth to the adventure.”
- “Discovering new settlements is fun; the cars you can build are cool, and the sounds are great. The baddies in the desert are hilarious.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game features a subtle, funky soundtrack that plays on radios in various bases, creating a laid-back atmosphere. While it may not be groundbreaking, it effectively enhances the overall vibe of the experience.
- “It's not heavy, but there's funky music on radios randomly in bases. Again, nothing wild or groundbreaking, but the vibes are there.”