Worlds Adrift
- May 24, 2017
- Bossa Studios
- 23h median play time
Get on SteamWorlds 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.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Worlds Adrift offered a unique and enjoyable experience with its shipbuilding mechanics and exploration of player-created islands.
- The grappling hook mechanics provided a fun and exhilarating way to navigate the world, allowing for creative movement and exploration.
- The community aspect of the game was strong, with many players willing to help each other and engage in cooperative gameplay.
- The game was shut down without providing players the option to host their own servers or play in single-player mode, leaving many feeling cheated.
- Bossa Studios failed to deliver on their promises of continued development and support, leading to disappointment among the player base.
- Many players experienced significant bugs and performance issues, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- gameplay588 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
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 extensive creativity and depth, the overall experience is marred by bugs, server issues, and a lack of engaging content, leading to a mixed reception. Players appreciate the potential for emergent gameplay and community interaction, but frustrations with PvP dynamics and the game's unfinished state hinder its enjoyment.
“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 gameplay was slow, with the grappling hooks being extremely glitchy.”
“The actual gameplay is very very slow, and overall pretty meaningless, with each island being more or less the same as the last.”
- stability264 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly in its early access state. While some find the glitches add a humorous charm to the experience, many others express frustration over game-breaking bugs and server instability that detract from overall enjoyment. Overall, the consensus is that while the game has potential, its current state is marred by instability that makes it difficult to recommend for regular play.
“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 right now.”
“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.”
“It's a real shame because at its best this is a nice relaxing game, but at its worst, it's a laggy, buggy, annoying rage simulator.”
- optimization250 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including low frame rates, lag, and crashes, particularly in populated areas or during intense gameplay. While some users note that the game is playable on modern hardware, the overall consensus is that it requires substantial improvements to its optimization and server performance to enhance the gaming experience. Despite ongoing updates aimed at addressing these issues, many players remain frustrated with the current state of optimization, often leading to a recommendation to wait for further improvements before purchasing.
“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 its players and have polished and optimized multiple things, thereby increasing FPS in-game.”
“The game is very unoptimized, has quite a lot of bugs, and has zones that dip your FPS down to 1 FPS until you restart your game.”
“Performance is absolutely abysmal, completely unplayable on a 1050ti no matter what resolution or settings.”
“The game had potential but it was ruined by poor optimization and laggy servers, and now you can't play the game at all because the servers are closed and there's no offline mode.”
- graphics208 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received a mixed reception, with many players praising its beautiful art style, soothing visuals, and immersive atmosphere that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some users have criticized the game's optimization issues, leading to lag and performance problems even on high-end systems. Overall, while the aesthetic appeal is widely appreciated, technical shortcomings in graphics settings and performance have detracted from the experience for some players.
“The graphics are amazing, even on its lowest setting, and the game runs wonderfully on my low-spec laptop.”
“The art style and music are great, and the gameplay is fun.”
“The visuals are stunning, and the atmosphere created by the art style and sound design is incredibly immersive.”
“They shut down this game to make a bird simulator with bad graphics and another bad surgeon simulator.”
“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.”
- grinding145 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a mixed sentiment towards grinding in the game, with many players expressing fatigue over the extensive resource gathering and crafting required. While some find the grinding aspect therapeutic and enjoyable, especially when playing with friends, others describe it as tedious and unfulfilling, particularly when compounded by bugs and loss of progress. Overall, the grinding can be seen as a double-edged sword, offering both a sense of accomplishment and frustration depending on the player's experience.
“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 gathering of resources is nothing but a tedious task which can only be described as a painful time sink; it's not so much that you have to gather the resources, but you constantly have to battle the wonky camera system, the horrific player controls, and the complete roll of the die for what resources you will be getting.”
- story119 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely player-driven, with many reviewers noting the absence of a structured narrative or quests, leading to a sense of emptiness in the gameplay. While some players appreciate the freedom to create their own stories through exploration and interactions, others express a desire for more cohesive storytelling and NPC-driven content to enhance the experience. Overall, the lack of a defined storyline is a common critique, with many hoping for future updates to introduce quests and a more engaging narrative framework.
“I truly enjoyed the game; it was a really good game to see it shut down. The ragdoll physics are funny, and I love the grappling hook. The story was great and kept me wanting to advance further. If we were able to start our own servers instead of it shutting down, I would reinstall it, but now it's just a sad memory that I wish would come back.”
“I love the fact that each island is handcrafted, and I have enjoyed spending an hour or two at each island, getting to take in the story that the creator is telling at each island.”
“Worlds Adrift has the allure of an unspoken story, and for this, I relate it to the likes of Journey, another brilliant title.”
“In the end, the story goes that the players never got what they wanted, but neither did the developers, so it came as some form of relief to the players that something so awful had befallen the creators of their game and the pillar of their community.”
“Currently there are no NPCs and no quests or missions; this game in its current state is a shittier version of Rust (feels like a full-time job that doesn't pay), and while some of the features are neat, I struggle to recommend this game to anyone.”
“The game does not really have a storyline, and that is because there is no story set out from start to finish.”
- music91 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience of exploration and adventure. Players appreciate the calming and immersive soundtrack that complements the stunning visuals, creating a peaceful ambiance while navigating the world. However, some users noted that the music can sometimes feel disconnected from the multiplayer gameplay, with moments of intensity that contrast with the otherwise serene atmosphere.
“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.”
- atmosphere37 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
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 in multiplayer. However, some critiques mention a lack of balance in gameplay elements that can detract from the overall atmospheric experience.
“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.”
“The atmosphere of the game is this beautiful mix of beautiful but dangerous, being that as you hop island to island you run the risk of encountering new dangers as well as new parts to slap onto your ship.”
“This game has a great soundtrack and beautiful atmosphere that really sets the world in a cheerful way, but trust me - don't go thinking you are safe.”
“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.”
“Ok so normal rules of 'it's early access, forgive the bugs' apply here but I'll say this, this game has an atmosphere unlike anything else and that more than makes up for any issues I've had.”
- humor37 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its chaotic physics and the amusing interactions between players, often leading to hilarious moments, especially when playing with friends. Many users highlight the comedic value of glitches and ragdoll physics, which contribute to memorable experiences, despite some frustrations with bugs and balance issues. Overall, the game's lighthearted nature and imaginative design foster a fun atmosphere that players cherish.
“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!”
- monetization36 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 72 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with many players feeling that the developers prioritized microtransactions over genuine gameplay improvements and community engagement. Despite attempts to introduce microtransactions to fund the game, the lack of effective advertising and server support led to its early demise, leaving players frustrated and disillusioned. Overall, the monetization approach was seen as detrimental to the game's success and reputation.
“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 just over a year after release; it was 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.”
- emotional23 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, describing it as a source of comfort and nostalgia that evoked feelings of childhood exploration. The impending shutdown of the game has left many feeling heartbroken, as it not only provided a sense of community but also facilitated meaningful relationships. Overall, the emotional impact of the game is profound, with players reflecting on both the joy it brought and the pain of its loss.
“It's truly heartbreaking.”
“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.”
“10/10 would cry again.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, particularly for those who enjoy exploration, but some players feel it lacks depth and objectives to fully capitalize on this potential. While many express optimism about future updates and improvements, concerns remain about the current state of the game and its balance issues. Overall, players suggest waiting for further development before diving in for a more polished experience.
“Massive amounts of replayability - this is one of the main things for a few people; well, from what I can understand, it is - you get bored of playing one day?”
“Endless replayability, you will get your money's worth.”
“This is an exploration game in the open sky, plenty of replayability here.”
“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 regards to the future and replayability.”
“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.”
