Rend

Rend is a fantasy role-playing game that combines survival elements with competitive and cooperative play. Choose to play solo or join one of three factions in Faction War mode, battling enemy players and taming creatures in the harsh world of Nordic myth. With deep talent trees and skill systems, players have the freedom to choose how they want to play and fight, earning metaprogression and rewards as they ascend to legendary heights. Despite some bugs, Rend boasts awesome game mechanics, perfect graphics, and a phenomenal soundtrack. However, be prepared for a lot of grinding.

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 933 reviews

gameplay30 positive mentions

grinding103 negative mentions

The game has a unique concept that combines survival, crafting, and faction-based gameplay, making it engaging and fun.
The graphics and art style are beautiful, creating an immersive environment for players.
The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively work on updates and bug fixes.

The game suffers from significant balance issues, often leading to one faction dominating and causing others to abandon the server.
There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with taming pets and server stability.
The game is heavily reliant on teamwork, which can be frustrating for solo players or those who encounter uncooperative teammates.

gameplay
139 mentions
22 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has been described as a mix of solid mechanics and unique features, such as faction-based systems and crafting, which provide a rich experience for players. However, many users have noted issues with balance, bugs, and certain mechanics that can lead to frustration, particularly in PvP scenarios. Overall, while the game shows potential and offers engaging gameplay, it requires further refinement and updates to address its shortcomings.
- “The gameplay was fun, there was a lot to do, learn, and explore.”
- “The systems, mechanics, crafting, building, pets, mounts, and combat feel fleshed out already and this game is still in early access.”
- “I am really enjoying the gameplay and hope the game continues to grow.”
- “My biggest issue with the game are some of the game mechanics.”
- “Community has been ravaged by its poor mechanics, desync problems, griefing, elder abuse, overpowered factions, and a host of other issues that will drive you away after about 50-100 hours in.”
- “The game mechanics like taming, gathering, food, and hunger are much more confusing and time-consuming than they need to be.”
grinding
103 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Grinding in the game is a polarizing aspect, with many players finding it both tedious and essential to progression. While some appreciate the cooperative nature of grinding and the sense of accomplishment it brings, others criticize it as overly repetitive and time-consuming, often leading to frustration, especially when progress can be easily lost. Overall, the game caters to those who enjoy grinding, but it may not appeal to casual players or those seeking a more balanced gameplay experience.
- “It's a grindy mess whose simple UI and charming art style hide several obtuse and barely functional game systems.”
- “The game is extremely grindy, combat is relatively poor, menus are extremely unintuitive and unfriendly to new players, and nothing in the game tells you how to do vital things.”
- “If you have a life and a lot of things to do instead of losing too many hours playing (farming), do not buy!”
graphics
82 mentions
57 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful art style and vibrant visuals, often comparing them favorably to other titles. However, some users criticize the graphics as outdated or poorly optimized, leading to performance issues on various systems. Overall, while the aesthetic appeal is highlighted, concerns about functionality and technical execution persist.
- “The graphics of this game are amazing, and the music is as well.”
- “Beautiful and unique art style.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous, albeit the AI skeleton/animations can be a bit wonky sometimes, they look beautiful being that.”
- “Outdated graphics, animations, literally everything; the worst survival game I've ever played.”
- “Runs like a potato on my PC, which is a pretty great machine and can run plenty of games of similar graphical quality.”
- “Literally Rust when it came out, but worse, with failed Fortnite wannabe graphics.”
stability
35 mentions
9 % positive mentions
-6 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting a variety of bugs, glitches, and lag issues that hinder gameplay. While some acknowledge that these problems are typical for early access titles, many express frustration over unaddressed exploits and a lack of communication from the developers. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," with core mechanics often rendered unplayable due to these stability issues.
- “Greatly fleshed out system for early access, runs great!”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or major bugs.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is, even during intense moments.”
- “Had potential but was way too buggy and had major snowballing and balance issues.”
- “Terrible game full of bugs, glitches, exploits, and has no balance.”
- “It's current state is a buggy mess with no populated servers, a direct result of their decision to rush early access and ignore the critical feedback that resulted.”
optimization
32 mentions
16 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and minimal bugs for an early access title, while others highlight significant issues such as lag, glitches, and poor performance on lower-end systems. Many agree that while the game shows great potential and is well-crafted, it still requires substantial optimization work to enhance the experience, especially as gameplay progresses and bases become more complex. Overall, players recommend it for those willing to overlook early access challenges, but caution that optimization remains a critical area needing improvement.
- “Let me tell you that this game is amazingly made. This game is extremely well made for early access; not only does it look beautiful, it runs smoothly with no framerate drops whatsoever. Everything I have seen is balanced gameplay-wise; you will rarely find game-breaking bugs. I have spent 20 hours straight and not encountered one bug that frustrated me, not once, and the class system is balanced. You level up by doing whatever you want: material farming, gathering, killing enemies, building, anything.”
- “I have played almost every single early access survival game that has come out, and this is by far the most polished and optimized this early into the game.”
- “It's early access, so of course you'll have to deal with some bugs and optimization issues, but the core of the game is beyond excellent, and you can tell the AAA devs are just warming up with this after playing a good 10 hours.”
- “There are also many bugs, lags, glitches, and optimization issues.”
- “I mostly blame it on the fact that it suffers from poor optimization, which is common for games in early access.”
- “The farther into the game you are, the more memory leaks and unoptimized issues you have to deal with, so odds are you will make it just far enough for most of your friends to get beyond the refund time limit and then the game becomes unplayable.”
story
17 mentions
12 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The game's story is primarily centered around faction-based conflict and survival, with players engaging in strategic battles against rival factions. While there are elements of lore and player-driven narratives, the overall storytelling is minimal, lacking complex character development or quests, which some players find disappointing. Instead, the focus is on the dynamics of faction warfare and the challenges of maintaining territory and resources.
- “Let me tell you the story of my first ever reckoning event I had a part in, since that was the selling point of this game for me, and I'm guessing it might be for you: so this time it was the second reckoning of this circle of the server and we (the order faction) were prepared and expecting an attack from the revenant faction since they were the ones dominating the server because they had their armory upgraded. The conclave were just there; the lost attacked all our bases and we won pretty easily since we were rushing the armory too so they died with 2 shots.”
- “Your mission is to progress your faction through a season, while stopping the other factions from succeeding.”
- “While some things are obviously going to make more sense when tooltips, story, or any of the actual substance makes it into the game, other parts seem like they're going to stay bizarre or dull for a long time to come.”
- “There are no quests to follow; you need to guess what you need to do.”
- “That is the most story you get out of the game.”
music
14 mentions
50 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many players describing it as fantastic and evocative, particularly in relation to the Norse theme. While some find the soundtrack to be repetitious, it still contributes positively to the gaming experience. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features of the game, complementing its impressive graphics and pacing.
- “The music adds to the ambience and accentuates it.”
- “Best music in any game I've ever played.”
- “The norse-based theme is fun, both aesthetically and in their choice of background music.”
- “The soundtrack, although repetitious, does help further the experience.”
- “The game could use VOIP as it is team-based, but let's be honest, we would all mute it when someone played their music over it.”
- “As an example, the 'top played music songs of the year' - and like all markets, popularity wins.”
monetization
13 mentions
8 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many users expressing disappointment in the developers for prioritizing profit over quality and long-term support. While some players have found value in their purchase, the overall sentiment is negative, with calls for the game to be avoided and the developers to be held accountable for their practices. Notably, there are no microtransactions, which some players appreciate, but the lack of ongoing support and dwindling player base has left many feeling disillusioned.
- “There are no microtransactions (thank you, Frostkeep Studios).”
- “It was a cash grab, do not buy; it's an unplayable dead launcher.”
- “Please do not buy this game or support this company. Although they can fashion a great game, they choose to not stick with it and instead just cash grab and run.”
- “Shameless cash grab.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by intense moments of anticipation and heartbreak, particularly during pivotal events like the reckoning. Players experience a mix of camaraderie and tension as they prepare for battles, with personal stories reflecting the highs and lows of teamwork and conflict, ultimately showcasing the game's ability to evoke strong feelings through its narrative and player interactions.
- “It's a little heartbreaking.”
- “Let me tell you the story of my first ever reckoning event I had a part in, since that was the selling point of this game for me. This time it was the second reckoning of this circle of the server and we (the order faction) were prepared and expecting an attack from the revenant faction. They were dominating the server because they had their armory upgraded. The lost attacked all our bases and we won pretty easily since we were rushing the armory too. We were just anticipating an attack; nobody said it, but it was obvious. We were in our positions of high ground, and everyone was on their toes since we were waiting for the enemy faction.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its gorgeous landscapes and immersive settings, particularly noting the eerie ambiance of the swamp. Recent patches have improved the overall experience by addressing issues with greifers, enhancing the game's mood. While the graphics are described as decent, certain views stand out as particularly impressive.
- “The landscape is gorgeous and the atmosphere feels just right.”
- “The graphics are decent, some of the views are actually really great (and the atmosphere in the swamp is kind of creepy).”
- “At the beginning, there were griefers, but the recent patches have improved the atmosphere and allowed for the termination of griefers.”
replayability
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the ascension system for enhancing replayability, noting that it significantly increases the game's longevity compared to similar titles like Ark or Dark and Light. However, some reviews have shifted from mostly positive to mixed, suggesting that not all players are fully embracing the game's potential for replay value.
- “This is a lot more playable than Ark or Dark and Light in early access; it's a shame it's gone from mostly positive reviews to mixed due to people not giving it a chance.”
- “I truly like the ascension system; it really adds to the replayability.”
- “This is a lot more playable than Ark or Dark and Light in early access. It's a shame it's gone from mostly positive reviews to mixed due to people not giving it a chance.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from the chaotic interactions during base raiding, where players can steal resources and engage in amusing encounters with others. However, some users express frustration with the lack of optimization, which allows for disruptive behavior that detracts from the overall experience.
- “Raiding bases, outposts, and having hilarious interactions while raiding people's houses for loot.”