Start Over

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"Start Over" is a survival game that lets you experience a dynamic world on your own or with others, with intricate day and night cycles and changing weather conditions. An expansive crafting system with over 4 technology tiers allows you to craft a variety of items and structures for survival. The game offers a cooperative experience, or the option to join forces with other survivors online.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 245 reviews

graphics22 positive mentions

stability11 negative mentions

The game has a lot of potential and offers enjoyable gameplay, especially in co-op mode.
Graphics and sound design are praised, creating an immersive experience.
The crafting system is well thought out, allowing for creativity in base building and resource management.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including issues with saving progress and disappearing items.
AI behavior is often criticized for being unbalanced and unrealistic, making combat frustrating.
The game lacks content and variety, with many players finding the world empty and the gameplay repetitive.

graphics
37 mentions
59 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising their beauty and attention to detail, while others criticize them as outdated and glitchy. Many players appreciate the stunning visuals and immersive environments, but note that performance issues and clunky animations detract from the overall experience. Overall, while there are commendable aspects, significant improvements are needed to meet modern standards.
- “The graphics in the game are very pleasing to the eye.”
- “Incredibly cool graphics, texture detail.”
- “The graphics are very good, with stunning visuals and attention to detail that bring the game world to life.”
- “Graphics are from the 1980s; it's just a bad game, period.”
- “Its bad coding is evident in every aspect, from the glitchy graphics to the broken controls.”
- “Controls are clunky and the graphics are last-gen console, at best.”
gameplay
31 mentions
45 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay is seen as having solid mechanics and potential, though it requires significant improvements in areas like animations, movement, and environmental interactions. Players appreciate the addictive nature of the gameplay, the stunning graphics, and the freedom of choice in survival mechanics, especially in co-op mode. However, issues such as bugs, janky animations, and some unfair mechanics detract from the experience, indicating that while the foundation is strong, further development is needed to reach its full potential.
- “The dynamic shooting, interesting hunting, and pumping mechanics are all fun.”
- “The gameplay is smooth and intuitive, allowing for an enjoyable experience that is easy to pick up and play.”
- “The variety of choices and unique experiences guarantee hours of exciting gameplay.”
- “An engine overhaul and movement mechanic tweaks would have been the difference in keeping this and refunding it.”
- “I'm seeing bugs that existed 7 months ago from videos I watched of gameplay.”
- “Downsides: the map feels empty at times, gunplay when having decked out weapons is poor, precision sniper is pointless at distance, either desync or just bad mechanics. With a 4x scope, over 80% of shots went through targets without killing them. Playing with friends, I could see and shoot some AI, but teammates couldn't see AI I could and vice versa, which resulted in deaths to invisible AI.”
stability
11 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with users reporting frequent freezes, bugs, and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players experienced issues such as inventory management problems and AI glitches, leading to frustrating encounters. While some see potential in the game, the consensus is that it requires substantial improvements to achieve a stable experience.
- “Along with that, you could be involved in combat and all of a sudden the game freezes.”
- “However, the game is very buggy and laggy even on the lowest graphic settings.”
- “Start over is the perfect name; the game fails to auto-save and freezes on you, so you have to start over frequently.”
optimization
9 mentions
44 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including low frame rates even on high-end hardware. While some users noted that it runs smoothly on lower settings, the consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization to address crashes, autosave problems, and general performance inconsistencies. Players are urging developers to improve these aspects before they can fully recommend the game.
- “My not very powerful computer configuration was enough for the game to run smoothly, but I advise you to look closely at the minimum requirements.”
- “It's optimized well.”
- “Runs smoothly maxed out.”
- “The core game is pretty fun, but before I could recommend it, it needs to be optimized and the devs have to fix the crashes and the autosave.”
- “The game is also horribly optimized with 80 fps on a 4090. It is not a triple-A title, but how hard can it be to make a game that runs higher and looks better than this?”
- “Not recommended... because the AI is terrible and the game is not optimized at all. This game really adds nothing new to the already over-saturated survival game genre here on Steam.”
music
5 mentions
80 % positive mentions
-40 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as calming and fitting, enhancing the overall experience without feeling out of place. However, some players noted an issue with the raid music continuing to play after the event, which detracted from the immersion. Overall, the soundtrack complements the game's graphics and gameplay effectively.
- “The soundtrack in the game is not bad; the sounds fit well, and there was no feeling that they were 'plastic' or unsuitable.”
- “The fingerboard is pleasant to the eye, the music is not stressful, and the gameplay is interesting.”
- “The game has great graphics and music that matches the game well.”
- “The raid music continued to play for the entire game session after I attempted a military post raid, which became really annoying.”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged during long play sessions.”
- “The music doesn't fit the game's atmosphere, often feeling out of place and detracting from the overall experience.”
story
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the exciting storyline and immersive gameplay, others criticize the lack of a clear introduction and the emptiness of the world. Additionally, there are concerns about quests pushing players in directions they may not be prepared for, impacting the overall experience.
- “With realistic gameplay, beautiful graphics, an exciting storyline, and opportunities for experimentation, this game will be an unforgettable experience for every player.”
- “Follow the mission and it will blow your mind!”
- “No story, no introduction before dropping in, and the world is incredibly empty.”
- “Don't care for the fact that supply drops only seem to be correlated to completing quests or that the quests themselves are propelling you into a direction you are not ready for.”
grinding
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with significant time investment required for basic resources and crafting, such as needing 14 planks for a single foundation. Issues like losing items when moving workbenches, a lack of effective auto-saves, and frustrating respawn mechanics contribute to a sense of frustration. While some acknowledge the game's potential and fun elements, the overall consensus is that the grinding experience is overly punishing and detracts from enjoyment.
- “I wasted days grinding and getting items only to find out that when you move your workbenches and storage you lose everything inside them, and the game doesn't do multiple auto-saves, so I couldn't go back in time far enough to get my stuff back.”
- “What can I say, it's early access and it has its issues, many of them. I mean, it has some potential but it's grindy as heck. 14 planks for 1 foundation, which is 28 wood, is a bit much in my opinion. Then you have a timer for when you put your sleeping bag down, which is only used as a respawn point. The timer brings a new fresh hell; after 1 hour and 30 minutes, humans with assault rifles and bigger weapons than your crossbow and blunderbuss come and lay waste to you and your base. So you respawn on your sleeping bag only to die again and again and again. Sure, you can go to the town and buy a pistol, but only after you have grinded things to sell. Now there's a bug where you save the game and it can take up to 8 minutes (I timed it) to save a bloody game!”
- “After grinding for a couple of hours for stuff and getting the workbenches and guns, it's all good, but the guns miss way more than they should even when perfectly lined up.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is enhanced by dynamic weather and immersive sound design, contributing to a cinematic experience. However, some users feel that the overall atmosphere falls short of expectations.
- “Nature lives around me, the weather changes, and this creates an amazing atmosphere.”
- “The sound design adds to the overall atmosphere, creating a cinematic experience.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has raised concerns among users, with many perceiving it as a cash grab due to the presence of misleading ads and a lack of transparency regarding its development. Critics highlight the game's reliance on superficial tips that resemble advertisements, suggesting a focus on profit over quality, and express skepticism about its long-term support and viability.
- “What is with tips in the corner looking like ads on a mobile game?”
- “Regardless, combine this with the influx of obvious fake reviews for this game, all key redemptions immediately at launch as shown in my video.. and I think we have plenty of red flags that this asset cobbled together crap is likely just a cash grab that won't be supported for more than a month or two before it's long abandoned by the 'devs'.. err I mean asset cobblers who put this together.”
replayability
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Players express optimism about the game's replayability, highlighting its potential for high replay value, especially with the promise of consistent updates. Many are eager to continue playing and see how the game evolves over time.
- “There is a lot of potential here to develop a game with high replay value.”
- “It's definitely playable, and I'll continue to play it with hopes of consistent updates.”
- “The lack of variety in missions makes it hard to stay engaged after the first playthrough.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to dive back in.”