Savage Lands

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"Savage Lands" is a brutally unforgiving open-world survival game set in a harsh, frozen landscape. Players must gather resources, craft tools, and build shelters to survive against the elements and dangerous creatures. With a focus on player-versus-environment gameplay, cooperation with other players is key to survival, but ultimately, only the strongest will prevail.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

56%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,805 reviews

graphics105 positive mentions

stability99 negative mentions

The game has a unique atmosphere and engaging lore that keeps players interested.
The crafting system is straightforward and allows for a variety of items and upgrades.
The new development team has shown dedication to improving the game with regular updates and community engagement.

The game has been in early access for years with many players feeling it has been abandoned.
Combat mechanics are clunky and hit detection is often unreliable, leading to frustrating gameplay.
Inventory management is cumbersome, lacking features like auto-stacking and easy item movement.

graphics
405 mentions
26 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players describing them as outdated and unpolished, often comparing them to titles from previous console generations. While some appreciate the game's atmosphere and art style, others criticize the lack of optimization and the presence of graphical glitches, leading to a clunky experience. Overall, the visuals are seen as a significant area needing improvement, especially in comparison to more modern titles in the genre.
- “The graphics are amazing and I run my video settings on medium.”
- “The graphics look good.”
- “Beautiful game, graphics and scenery are stunning.”
- “The graphics are unpolished, the textures stretched and mushified, grass is flat like paper, the contrast between the ground, objects and sky is very odd, old style, it conflicts, it's not easy on the eyes.”
- “The graphics look like they are from around 2008, I'm talking about first generation PS3 games, worse than Fallout.”
- “The graphics are both horrible and beautiful at the same time.”
gameplay
335 mentions
22 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players highlighting issues such as clunky mechanics, poor inventory management, and a lack of depth in combat and exploration. While some appreciate the survival elements and potential for fun in multiplayer, others find the experience frustrating due to bugs, repetitive tasks, and a lack of engaging content. Overall, the game shows promise but requires significant improvements to its mechanics and gameplay experience to fully realize its potential.
- “The gameplay is fun but as it's early access it is severely lacking items and monsters.”
- “I love how the environment seamlessly integrates with the gameplay.”
- “The mechanics are well built, it looks nice, and the devs stick with it.”
- “A game where inventory management is this central to the gameplay loop should never make storage this obnoxious.”
- “The gameplay is so watered down compared to what it used to be that you can see fish swimming around in it.”
- “The world is, I'm assuming, deep and interesting, but the game is so riddled with bugs and bad gameplay that it is honestly unplayable.”
story
153 mentions
22 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the lore and notes scattered throughout the world, while others find it hard to follow and lacking depth. Many reviewers note that while the story has potential and is better than most survival games, it often feels incomplete or poorly integrated into gameplay, leading to a sense of aimlessness. Overall, the narrative elements are seen as a positive aspect, but there is a strong desire for more structured quests and clearer storytelling to enhance the experience.
- “Great lore and well thought out placement of lore objects, notes, etc. There is an actual story here which a lot of survival games miss the mark on.”
- “The story right now is actually pretty interesting, and I find that finishing the pieces of the story is what keeps me playing through the general slog that this game can be.”
- “Discovering the story of the land as progressing is quite fun and the scenery is entertaining to explore.”
- “Story: 5/10 - this is generous considering how hard it is to follow the story.”
- “The gameplay is shit, the graphics are nothing special and the story is non-existent.”
- “Minimal amount of storytelling (told in notes left around the island) and no real direction in the game beyond build a hut, make a sword, kill a skeleton and try to kill a dragon.”
optimization
143 mentions
21 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been a significant concern among players, with many reporting poor performance, frequent stuttering, and high system requirements that limit accessibility for those with lower-end hardware. While some improvements have been noted in recent updates, players still experience issues such as frame drops and lag, particularly in graphically demanding areas. Overall, the consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization work to enhance performance and stability before it can be recommended for a broader audience.
- “While it's not perfect (yet), I can now play the game reliably without it crashing, having detrimental performance issues, or other odd things that I remember having.”
- “The new devs have made some great progress improving performance and fixing bugs since they took over.”
- “Performance has improved as well, leaving me with a solid 60 fps (graphics settings have it capped) with minor dips here and there around certain portals.”
- “This game must not be very optimized.”
- “Not to mention that this game is horribly optimized; even with a high-end graphics card, it runs poorly on low settings.”
- “The game has performance issues, demanding extreme hardware even if it's not that graphical at all, has a lot of bugs, some of them critical to the playability like resources not respawning in multiplayer, and the worst of it all, it says early access but it's like that for years.”
stability
110 mentions
10 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
90 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with many users reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly detract from the gameplay experience. While some players note minor improvements and a few non-game-breaking glitches, the overall consensus is that the game remains unpolished and often unplayable, particularly in multiplayer mode. Despite occasional updates from developers, many feel that the game is still in a rough state, resembling an unfinished product rather than a complete experience.
- “The devs keep constantly updated and the game so far runs great.”
- “The old map is solid and complete and is a great way to learn the game in a relatively bug-free environment.”
- “In my experience, the game is pretty bug-free at the time of writing.”
- “Stay far away, this game is a buggy mess.”
- “The game is fucking buggy as hell and all around is a shitty, unenjoyable game.”
- “From constant crashes that erase progress to a barrage of glitches that disrupt gameplay, it's an exercise in frustration.”
grinding
108 mentions
1 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and time-consuming, particularly in resource gathering and crafting. While some enjoy the grind as part of the survival experience, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, making progress feel slow and frustrating. Overall, the game is characterized by a significant amount of repetitive tasks that can lead to boredom, despite some players appreciating the challenge it presents.
- “There's no farming in this game, so you can expect to be dependent on hunting, though it's not a problem.”
- “It's absurd how frustrating this is, and how tediously long it keeps me from the parts of the game I'm trying to get out and enjoy!”
- “The final thing I found mildly irritating was I spent 4 hours on the first island... spending all that time grinding to get better gear to beat the 2 bosses to get off the island is a little insane.”
- “Gathering anything mineral-related is still quite tedious.”
atmosphere
63 mentions
67 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, immersive, and foreboding qualities, effectively creating a spooky and engaging environment that enhances the survival experience. While some players note that the graphics and animations may not be top-notch, the overall ambiance, including sound design and environmental details, contributes significantly to the game's appeal. Many reviewers express optimism about the game's potential, highlighting the atmosphere as a key strength that could elevate future updates and gameplay.
- “The atmosphere is enthralling, making those first hours really challenging when you need to get clothed, fed, and find some shelter.”
- “The atmosphere of waking up on the shore of a cold, unforgiving island, plagued by undead creatures, and a dragon is truly awe-inspiring.”
- “Extremely atmospheric and tons of fun, I highly recommend you play this with friends.”
- “The environment atmosphere is dark and foreboding, which does set a spooky tone but also creates moments where you cannot see what you are doing, especially in moments of attack.”
- “The atmosphere is bland, animals are scarce, the only sound is the ambient noise of wind and nonexistent birds.”
- “Content and basically everything else will come in time and can be added in the future but the atmosphere is something that has to be done right early on.”
humor
24 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding amusement in its broken mechanics and the absurdity of gameplay situations, often laughing at the game's flaws rather than its intended humor. Many reviews highlight the enjoyment of playing with friends, where the shared experience of navigating the game's challenges leads to laughter. Overall, while the game may not be polished, its comedic elements and the camaraderie it fosters make it entertaining for those who appreciate its quirky nature.
- “I love this game, it's hilariously broken but still fun to play with my friends.”
- “10/10 made me laugh more than Goat Simulator or any other game I have ever played.”
- “All in all, this game is hilarious if you don't mind dying a few times to get the hang of things.”
monetization
20 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been overwhelmingly criticized by users, who label it as a "cash grab" with many expressing frustration over perceived lazy development and lack of progress. Players feel that the game exploits early access as a means to extract money without delivering substantial content or improvements, leading to calls for better filtering of such titles on platforms like Steam. Overall, the sentiment is that the game prioritizes profit over quality, leaving many users disillusioned.
- “Because I'm not going to reward lazy cash grab development companies anymore.”
- “Early access forever, just a stupid cash grab, no progress at all for years.”
- “This game not only isn't good to buy, it shouldn't be on Steam at all; it's a cash grab 100%.”
music
14 mentions
36 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding the soundtrack lacking or irritating, leading them to prefer their own music. However, others appreciate the ambient sounds and score, noting that it enhances the gameplay experience and creates an immersive atmosphere. Overall, while opinions vary, the music is generally seen as decent but not exceptional.
- “This is the best music game I have played since Legend of Zorldo!”
- “Furthermore, the music complements the gameplay extremely well.”
- “Audio-wise, I actually quite like it; the ambient audio is really nice, it's fairly good quality, and simple enough to be both pleasant and immersive.”
- “The lack of music, or ambient music.”
- “I found it irritating and ended up listening to my own music.”
- “The soundtrack is kind of meh, but that's forgivable.”
replayability
10 mentions
20 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is currently limited, with some players expressing that it lacks content and has no replay value. However, there is optimism for future improvements, as updates may enhance playability and potentially increase replayability. Players believe that once optimizations are made, the game could offer a more engaging experience.
- “The game has great replayability, and I expect great things from it for no other reason than how much the devs love this game.”
- “The game has been upgraded to be much more playable.”
- “This is a fun game, but it has no replay value whatsoever.”
- “Like many others have stated, it has potential and will likely reach a more playable state in a few months, but as of now, it lacks content.”
- “If the devs ever get the new build more playable, I'll honestly feel like I got 2 games for the price of 1.”
emotional
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional experience of the game to be deeply engaging and wholesome, often leading to immersive interactions that resonate on a personal level. Despite some technical issues and a lack of updates since its 2015 release, the game's ability to evoke strong feelings and connections, especially in multiplayer settings, is highlighted as a significant strength. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking emotional depth in their gaming experiences.
- “It was probably the most wholesome thing I have sunk twelve hours into.”
- “Honestly, if you play games for their immersion and emotional interactions, this game is priceless (especially with a good pair of headphones, as well as a headset as you can hold tab to talk to other players).”
- “Overall they actually made me think that DigitalDNA can really pull off a wholesome title; the graphics were completely adequate.”
character development
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Character development has been criticized for its lack of updates and modern design, resulting in a stagnant experience that does not resonate with contemporary players. While there are hopes for a more engaging storyline and inclusivity in character options, the current state is seen as underwhelming, earning a mixed rating of 5/10.
- “Character design hasn't been touched since its creation, leaving it far behind the times, though good intentioned updates in other areas have been pushed.”
- “Character development: 5/10 (I hope to see a storyline develop - and hey, lots of us gamers are girls - we need a female model).”
- “The lack of depth in character development makes it hard to connect with the characters, resulting in a less engaging experience.”