Raft

- Reviewed on PC -

Raft released on May 23rd, 2018.

Developed by Redbeet Interactive, Raft is a survival / adventure title, that puts you literally, in the middle of the ocean! 

What started out as a small indie title, Raft quickly gained popularity and now is one of my favorite survival games to play in my down time (as of writing this blog post).

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

You can toggle specific settings in your world before creating it, such as time duration, who can join, and of course, naming your world. 

The overall goal of Raft is to take your starting platform (four by four) and simply... survive!

Using your trustworthy Plastic Hook, the main (essential) way of gathering resources is by casting your hook (like a fishing rod), hooking on to resources in the water near you, and pulling them in to use. 

This game mechanic is by far (to me), the gold factor of enjoyment. It is so relaxing to sit back and cast your plastic hook(s) and gather materials, that surprisingly build up over time. 

These so-called resources range from planks of wood (which are essential also), to plastic jugs, and even to palm leaves. 

Using another tool called the Building Hammer, you can use your gathered resources to increase your raft's size, build new items, and repair your raft as well.

Keep in mind though, that tools like your Plastic Hook do decay over time, but others like Plastic Cups or the Building Hammer don't (as of writing this blog post). 

I mentioned building new items, and what I mean by this is (using your building hammer), you can make other key mechanisms that will aid you in your survival. 

Raft is in the survival genre for a reason, and that's due to your Health, Hunger, and Thirst bar, that you must maintain 24/7. 

Using your gathered resources, some of them (like the palm leaves) can be broken down into other resources like rope and / or nails. 

Every single resource you find and / or make are crucial for the other items you can build, like the Water Purifier or even a Simple Grill. 

Your health bar should not be overlooked either as the famous Shark, called Bruce, will constantly stalk your raft and bite pieces of it off randomly. 

I understand Redbeet Interactive probably put this shark in for realism, but they also could've put Bruce in for more stable (balanced) gameplay. 

If there was no shark (or birds) to fight off, then survival would be a lot easier and a lot less enjoyable (in my opinion). 

One item you will (hopefully / eventually) build, is the Research Table.

The research table is used to unlock recipes for other items, to advance your knowledge in crafting. 

You can also collect Decoration Packages that automatically unlock them (in your crafting menu), via crates found in the ocean while gathering. 

Redbeet Interactive truly thought ahead with longevity, as these new recipes that unlock later in game, allows the player to not only focus on survival, but also decorate your raft to feel more like a home.

The graphics in Raft are tailor made for Redbeet Interactive's vision, which I admire deeply. 

The appearance doesn't look too cartoony and / or realistic, but the graphics are very clear and enjoyable to look at, especially since you will most likely be playing for a while per session. 

Another great aspect of Raft is their music / ambience of the constant waves, thunderstorms, or even birds chirping on islands. 

Islands can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they serve as another place to gather unknown resources.

These new resources could be new seeds (for planting on your raft, in crop plots), or they could even be tree seeds! Painting can also be used via the flowers, found on nearly every island. 

Raft doesn't really have a "story", but if you count the addition of unlocking characters, via finding them with their coordinates, then Raft does have an interesting (yet not needed) story for you to complete.

So, whether you set sail by yourself, or with a friend, Raft is an amazing title to try out, and really does give you an immersive feel, as if you really were stranded in the middle of the open ocean. 

Pros: 

    - Amazing Ambience / Music

    - Great Longevity

    - Smooth Gameplay

    - Lots of Mechanics / Features

    - Multiplayer

    - Clear / Soothing Graphics

    - Good Controls (Easy to Master)

    - Immersive Atmosphere

Cons:

    - Lackluster Story (for Base Game)

My Rating for Raft (on PC):

5 / 5

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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.