Been playing this with my brothers and the game is fucking great. So many fantastic elements working together!
Proximity chat doesn’t just stop at changing how you sound at a distance. It will also change based on environmental factors (e.g. you sound muffled if something drops on your head), communicating info to anyone who can hear you. When you die your mic cuts off and you get to watch as your teammates figure out (or completely miss) your demise. Whatever happens, you’ll be ready to laugh at them should they join you in the afterlife chat.
Each monster feels like a unique threat that must be dealt with in its own way. Sometimes that means needing a friend to whack ya with a stop sign. Sometimes that just means running the fuck away faster than your friend lol
The procedurally generated indoor areas of each map offer a surprising amount of variety, even if you’ll be familiar with each room’s structure already. It’s navigating that with your fellow crew that makes it all the more rewarding to explore.
The ship also has so many cool functions; from a store you can purchase new tools with, to a bestiary, to a radar which you can use to provide information to your teammates (walkie-talkie required) as they navigate each area. It works so seamlessly with each mechanic!
I could go on and on, but the point is that this game is able to create a range of great moments. You’ll be shitting your hazmat suit one minute and laughing your ass off the next! The game does have some minor issues such as random glitches or enemy ai occasionally not functioning right (or at least appearing not to). The progression system could also do with at least something permanent too. To my knowledge nothing you purchase, cosmetic or otherwise stays with you if your team is wiped. There also seems to be some occasional networking issues between the host and other players. I’ve only experienced it a couple times and the host restarting the game seemed to resolve it at least.
I gotta try playing with randoms so I’m not sure how that goes, but I can imagine it being a blast. If you enjoy co op, horror, or just having a laugh, try it out! It’s $10 so get in there and find some scrap! The company values your contributions.