Aground Review (PlayStation 4)

As one of the last human survivors, you find yourself stranded on an uninhabited island. With a few other victims of the crash, can you craft, mine, and build your way to survival?

Pros:

• Decent graphics.
• 424.3MB download size.
• Platinum trophy.
• 2D survival gameplay.
• Seven difficulties-casual, easiest, easier, normal, harder, hardest, and one hit death.
• UI options-text scale slider and notifications pop-up options.
• 10 save slots.
• Medals-own in-game achievements.
• Character creator-skin color, hair color, hairstyle, facial hair, eye color, shirt color, shirt style, and pants color. Also a random button.
• Cool pixel art animation cutscenes.
• Tutorial pop-ups along with big icons for controls.
• Quest log-accept and reject quests as you find them.
• Earn EXP and level up to get points to put into your skills- max health, max stamina, weight, critical, evasion, attack, defense, cut, and range.
• You unlock new skills to upgrade as you play.
• It plays as a 2D but not like a Terraria game instead it has an almost top-down feel but on a 2D perspective.
• Map uncovers as you play.
• Supports analog or/and d-pad.
• Hut-your main building where you can save and rest to restore stamina.
• Day/night cycle.
• Full stats and item management screen.
• Stamina system in play that goes down as you do actions like attacking or grabbing materials.
• Farm-once built you can grow different food which can heal and also recover stamina.
• NPC will visit you and you can find them for tips and tasks.
• Storehouse for storing stuff.
• Encumbered is a state you can hit, you can negate it with a setting slider and also upgrading your stats.
• Simple hack and slash combat.
• Cool cutscene interactions when in your hut.
• Very addictive and time-consuming.
• Orchard-once built will have you planting fruit to farm which is needed.
• The lower down you go, the darker it gets, and the more dangerous the enemies.
• The workshop is where you can craft tools of different types like stone/steel.
• Shortcuts-can assigns items/weapons to the right stick directions.
• Different enemies at night.
• Play how you want.
• Very easy to get into.
• Random events can happen like food being stolen or people helping you.
• Crafting or refueling lanterns can be done without having the items on you.
• Workbench-craft weapons.
• Both ranged and melee weapons including the ability to block with a shield.
• Excellent interactions with new characters.
• Laboratory-mix potions but also create enchanted items and unique items.
• Leveling up will refresh your stamina and health.
• Marketplace-you can buy and sell items.
• Can capture and store animals/enemies.

Cons:

• A lot to take in.
• Busy-looking menus.
• Initially, it’s tricky to set up shortcuts.
• Slow starter especially in regards to the stamina system mostly die to crap tools and stats.
• The combat feels a bit bland.
• Very busy screen as you build more structures as the line gets bigger.
• Combat against so many enemies feels spammy but also unrewarding.
• Typical gatekeeping of having to upgrade tools so you can then break the blocks down.