Worlds Adrift

About

Worlds Adrift is a multiplayer open world role playing game. It was developed by Bossa Studios and was released on May 24, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Worlds Adrift is a sandbox MMO where players explore a vast, procedurally generated world in airships. Harvest resources, craft and customize your vessel, and engage with other players in a constantly evolving environment. Collaborate or compete as you navigate the challenges and mysteries of a fragmented, earth-like world.

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63%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,640 reviews

gameplay192 positive mentions

stability260 negative mentions

Worlds Adrift offered a unique and immersive experience with its shipbuilding mechanics and exploration of player-created islands.
The game fostered a strong community where players could interact, trade, and form alliances, creating memorable moments.
The grappling hook mechanics provided a fun and exhilarating way to navigate the world, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

The game was abruptly shut down by Bossa Studios, leaving players without the ability to play or access their purchased content.
There was no option for private servers or single-player mode, making the game completely unplayable after the servers were closed.
Many players felt scammed as they were not offered refunds or adequate compensation for their investment in the game.

gameplay
580 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
61%
6%
The gameplay of "Worlds Adrift" is characterized by its unique mechanics, particularly the grappling hook, which many players find exhilarating and integral to exploration and movement. While the shipbuilding system offers significant creative freedom, the game suffers from bugs, server issues, and a lack of engaging content, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall enjoyment and replayability. Despite its innovative concepts, the balance between PvP and PvE elements, along with the game's current state of development, has left some players frustrated and disillusioned.
- “The gameplay with the grapple hook, falling from your ship only to quickly recover with it, or fighting off players, or just learning about the people who came before you, and before the world fractured, was all very smooth.”
- “The freedom, the constant tension of being surrounded by could-be pirates, the insanely fun grappling and movement mechanics, the creative ships you could build, tons of player-made islands to explore.”
- “Worlds Adrift was an absolute gem in the rough in a time where no other survival games really shone through, not to mention the absolutely stunning art style and quirky mechanics, it allowed creativity to thrive through ship customization, and endless hours of progressive exploration and full loot PvP action in a player-generated star system, what more could you possibly ask for?”
- “The incredibly punishing gameplay mechanics (and yes, even PvE servers had them) turned away most people right at the beginning, but these combined with the ridiculous stability issues causing players to lose ships in a single lag spike finished off everything.”
- “The game suffered from several bugs that tore core gameplay down, and drove away easily frustrated players.”
- “The actual gameplay is very very slow, and overall pretty meaningless, with each island being more or less the same as the last.”
stability
263 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
99%
The stability of the game is a significant concern among players, with many reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. While some players find the glitches amusing or part of the charm of an early access title, others express frustration over game-breaking bugs and server instability that can lead to lost progress and frustrating gameplay. Overall, the consensus is that while the game has potential, its current state is marred by instability that may deter new players.
- “This game is mostly bug-free, but has some annoying and irritating bugs.”
- “This is not a bug-free game, so keep that in mind. Also, remember that we support the development of this game.”
- “The game is buggy, and I do think fixes for this will come along with development, but I mean really buggy sometimes with randomly kicking the bucket for looking at the physics engine wrong.”
- “I honestly don't believe this game is worth the $25 for how buggy, laggy, and glitchy it is.”
- “Had high hopes for this game, but even after so long it's still an incredibly buggy and laggy mess, doesn't really feel like work has been done on it for quite some time.”
optimization
249 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
65%
22%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frame rate drops, lag, and server instability. While some users noted improvements over time, the consensus is that the game remains poorly optimized, particularly in populated areas and during intense gameplay. Overall, players recommend waiting for further optimization and bug fixes before fully engaging with the game.
- “The game had potential, even with all the glitches, cheaters, and numerous performance issues.”
- “It's a really pretty game, and it's tons of fun, although for the moment still has some maturing to do performance-wise.”
- “The devs listen to their players and have polished and optimized multiple things, thereby increasing FPS in the game.”
- “The game is absolutely abysmal, completely unplayable on a 1050ti no matter what resolution or settings.”
- “The performance is horrible, especially in lower level zones since everyone makes half of a ship and then just abandons it when they realize they would rather be doing literally anything else.”
- “The game has some bugs and optimization problems, but outside of huge island stuff rendering, my gameplay was mostly smooth.”
graphics
208 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
53%
5%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players praising its unique art style and beautiful visuals that create an immersive atmosphere. While some found the graphics to be stunning and well-suited to the game's whimsical theme, others criticized the optimization issues and performance problems, particularly on lower-end systems. Overall, the game's aesthetic and artistic design are frequently highlighted as standout features, despite some technical shortcomings.
- “The graphics are amazing, and you'll probably find yourself in giant ruins dropping your jaws at the wonderfulness of the place!”
- “The art style, sound design, and environment design come together nicely to create a pleasant atmosphere I just want to let myself get wrapped up in.”
- “Worlds Adrift is a great game, with beautiful graphics, a deep and detailed resource system, good physics, lots of content to discover, a huge world to explore, and the possibility to build and customize your own flying ships.”
- “Due to the diversifying of the island creation, no general art style could be maintained, which is again, a huge negative for the game.”
- “It's made in Unity by a young game studio, which means it's optimized poorly and won't run on anything lower than a HD7990 at all; it will just crash your graphics driver and then crash itself.”
- “The graphics belong in the last decade.”
grinding
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
2%
96%
The reviews indicate a mixed sentiment towards grinding in the game, with many players expressing fatigue over the extensive resource gathering required. While some find the grinding enjoyable and therapeutic, especially when playing with friends, others describe it as tedious and frustrating, particularly due to bugs and the potential loss of hard-earned materials. Overall, the experience of grinding varies significantly among players, with some appreciating the depth it adds to gameplay, while others feel it detracts from the fun.
- “This can be quite discouraging, but this game isn't grindy.”
- “And getting resources isn't grindy at all to me.”
- “Resource gathering is not grindy.”
- “We're tired of endless grinding.”
- “For a company that would tout that they're 'tired of endless grinding', that's almost entirely what I felt trying to gather research.”
- “The gameplay loop is very grindy and relies on RNG for progression.”
story
121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
84%
4%
The game's story is largely player-driven, with no predefined quests or narrative, allowing players to create their own experiences through exploration and interaction. While some appreciate the freedom this offers, many reviewers express a desire for a more structured storyline or quests to enhance engagement and provide context to their adventures. Overall, the lack of a cohesive narrative leaves the game feeling empty for some, despite its potential for unique player-generated stories.
- “I see a world that trusted its players to write the story.”
- “I love the fact that each island is handcrafted, and I have enjoyed spending an hour or two at each island and getting to take in the story that the creator is telling at each island.”
- “You make your story, whether you are a lone traveler scavenging for knowledge and supplies, a crew mate who helps the new players, or a greedy pirate that likes making people mad.”
- “The game does not really have a storyline, and that is because there is no story set out from start to finish.”
- “Without a story or a goal, you really just cut down trees and break up rocks to keep building a bigger ship to find more trees to cut down and rocks to bust up.”
- “Currently there are no NPCs and no quests or missions; this game in its current state is a poor version of Rust, and while some of the features are neat, I struggle to recommend this game to anyone.”
music
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
39%
3%
The music in the game has been widely praised for its exceptional quality, beautifully complementing the stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere. Players describe it as calming and peaceful during exploration, while also being dynamic and intense during combat, creating a rich auditory experience that enhances gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, leaving a lasting impression on players and contributing significantly to the game's charm.
- “The music in this game was just phenomenal.”
- “With stunning visual scenery, and music to move the soul, each day and flight feels like a wonderful dream that I never want to leave.”
- “The soundtrack coupled with the soft yet colorful visuals makes this a relaxing experience.”
- “There is no real music to speak of in this game; you will get little tidbits here and there but nothing major.”
- “I start it up and get a beautiful black screen with an update version in the lower right and obnoxious background music.”
- “Balance issues, and the developers' lack of acknowledgement of the elephant in the room that is abhorrently balanced PvP and an entirely unfocused atmosphere (calming music, tons of islands to explore, and a meta that says to kill anything that moves) means I have entirely checked out of this game.”
atmosphere
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
35%
8%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of beautiful art style, immersive sound design, and a whimsical yet dangerous environment that encourages exploration and creativity. Players appreciate the relaxing ambiance, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack, which allows for hours of enjoyment, whether solo or with friends. However, some critiques mention inconsistencies in the atmosphere, particularly regarding the balance between PvE and PvP elements, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “The perfect mix of sandbox survival, atmospheric exploration, and creative base-building PvP.”
- “The art style, sound design, and environment design come together nicely to create a pleasant atmosphere I just want to let myself get wrapped up in.”
- “There is such a strong atmosphere to this game that makes it so addicting to me.”
- “Good coop/multiplayer fun, but atmosphere and weather on the islands is lacking.”
- “Balance issues, and the developers' lack of acknowledgement of the elephant in the room that is abhorrently balanced PvP and an entirely unfocused atmosphere (calming music, tons of islands to explore, and a meta that says to kill anything that moves) means I have entirely checked out of this game.”
- “Even when the game was a buggy mess, the atmosphere created by the music and pace of the game often sufficed to make something relaxing, enjoyable, and beautiful.”
humor
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its chaotic physics and amusing glitches, which create memorable moments, especially during multiplayer sessions. Players enjoy the comedic potential of shipbuilding and interactions, often leading to hilarious outcomes, such as unexpected deaths and absurd scenarios. While the game has its share of frustrating bugs, these often contribute to the overall fun, making it a delightful experience when played with friends.
- “This game was a blast with friends, even through all the bugs, which actually made things more hilarious.”
- “The physics in this game are insane, and so funny to watch!”
- “I can't count the number of hilarious moments--mostly involving someone's untimely demise--that have happened while playing alongside my fellow military gamers!”
monetization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
20%
72%
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with many players feeling that the introduction of microtransactions was poorly timed and indicative of a lack of commitment from the developers. Despite some players expressing willingness to support the game through purchases, the overall sentiment is that inadequate advertising and a focus on monetization over player experience contributed to its rapid decline and eventual shutdown. Many reviews highlight the disconnect between the developers' promotional efforts and the game's actual support and maintenance, leading to frustration within the community.
- “Then I heard shortly after they wanted to put microtransactions into the game, which didn't bother me at all considering the only people who complain about them are those who fall for the microtransactions in the first place.”
- “Thing is, they were planning on introducing microtransactions to help fund the game, and rant on those as you will, but I would've certainly bought some and helped support the game!”
- “One-time purchase, no microtransactions, and no DLC that finishes the game.”
- “This game shut down in just over a year after release; such a good game but now seems like an attempt at a cash grab.”
- “This game has a ton of issues and the fact that it only goes on sale for 10% while a ton of more popular titles are going for way cheaper just shows how much of a cash grab it is.”
- “This game, despite being treated with love and care by the devs, is nothing more than a glorified cash grab, which has definitely damaged the fanbase and Bossa Studios' future endeavors.”
emotional
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express deep emotional connections to the game, often reflecting on personal experiences and nostalgia tied to their time spent playing. Many describe feelings of heartbreak over the game's impending shutdown, recalling how it fostered friendships and provided a sense of belonging during lonely times. The emotional weight of both triumphant and devastating moments in gameplay further amplifies the game's impact on their lives, making it a poignant part of their gaming history.
- “I don’t know how to start this without getting emotional.”
- “The shut down was a very emotional moment for me; I was a very lonely child and met mature, nice, and varied people through this game that contributed to the man I am today.”
- “I feel like with this game I've lost a huge portion of my emotional well-being, even though I thought it wasn't possible anymore after No Man's Sky, DayZ Standalone, or Infestation Survivor Stories. But I guess some things just hurt in different ways... I miss it so much that I would wish for the very first time that I would have never played it in the first place.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players highlight its "endless replayability" and potential for enjoyment, others express disappointment over the developers' lack of follow-through and the game's current state in early access. Many believe that with further development and additional objectives, the game could significantly enhance its replay value. Overall, it shows promise but requires more work to fully realize its potential.
- “Endless replayability; you will get your money's worth.”
- “This is an exploration game in the open sky, with plenty of replayability here.”
- “Massive amounts of replayability - this is one of the main things for a few people.”
- “It does need some work/objectives to make it more playable.”
- “This looks like the biggest game that they have embarked on and may take longer than other games to come out of early access. I still don't know exactly what they are planning with the game regarding the future and replayability; however, I know that they have probably thought up something that is pretty cool.”
- “While we found this to be far more playable, it doesn't address a number of glaring balance and game mechanical issues that will simply rear their head again when the next wave of players arrive.”