I could write a review if those feral dogs wouldn’t find and eat me at the start of every damn game :(
Article date: 27-Nov-2022
Genre: survival role-playing video game;
Release date: 15-Nov-2014 ;
NEO Scavenger is a game where you must survive in the wasteland long enough to figure out who you are. Each turn, you must decide where to go, how to scavenge for supplies, and how to deal with anything and anyone you encounter.
- Unique Setting - Near-future, post-apocalyptic Michigan with local cryptids and folklore. And something else beneath the surface...
- Turn-Based Play - Take your time with each turn, and play at your own pace. Save and quit when you want, and resume later.
- Permadeath - If you die, that's it. NEO Scavenger is balanced around a single difficulty level: permadeath. Your save will be deleted if you die. So choose every action carefully!
- No Grinding - There is no XP in NEO Scavenger. No levelling-up. Instead, progress comes from learning how to play the game better, and using your strengths to your advantage.
- Semi-Random - Much of the map is randomized each game, including the location of ruins, creatures, weather, and certain quest branches.
- Sandbox or Story - Search for clues to your identity, what happened, and who's hunting you. Or simply test your mettle against man and nature alike. Play how you want!
- Abilities and Flaws - Choose abilities and flaws each time you play. Different combos unlock different abilities and quest branches.
- Crafting - Extensive crafting system which allows for substitutions of similar items. Make a rifle scope from half a pair of binoculars, or a noise trap from a pill bottle and pebbles.
- Desperate Combat - Detailed combat with moves like "Tackle," "Lure," "Kick While Down," "Demand Surrender," and "Threaten."
- Realistic Wounds - Creatures have complex wound simulation, with multiple wound locations, infection, bleeding, and pain management.
- Realistic Metabolism - Hypothermia, fatigue, thirst, hunger, disease, intoxication, shelter...everything is tracked.
- Realistic Inventory - Complex inventory system with slots for holding, wearing, containers, and more. Fit items in grid spaces, and manage encumbrance.
- Hex-Based World Map - Navigate ruins, hills, forests, and plains in a hex-based map. Line-of-sight, elevation, and daylight matters.
- Tracking - Creatures leave their tracks and spoor on the map, which can be followed by others. Players can also hide their tracks.
- Hiding - Players can use hiding to avoid being seen while traveling the map, as well as during story encounters.
- Hunting - Trap small game for food and fur, or track and kill larger prey on the map for butchering.
- Hacking - Use hacking skills to unlock scavenged laptops, cellphones, smartphones, and tablets. Mine them for paydata, or snoop through personal files.
- Foraging - Search for edible plants and water, and use special skills to identify what's safe to eat.
- Haunting Soundtrack - Music composed by Josh Culler, specifically for NEO Scavenger, plays periodically, lending an atmosphere of loneliness and desperation. (Also accessible as mp3s outside game.)
- Creature AI - Wandering creatures go about their own business, hunting, scavenging, and hoarding. Morale affects their choices, and some will gang-up and cause trouble.
- Dynamic Weather - Temperature, rainfall, and night/day are based on real-world data for autumn in the area. If you live long enough, you may see snow fall.
- Detroit - Take refuge from the wasteland in one of mankind's last bastions of safety. Buy supplies, get medical care, and seek clues in a cyberpunk-styled city.
- Trading Cards - Collect NEO Scavenger trading cards, badges, emoticons, and profile backgrounds!
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