The Survivalists Review (Nintendo Switch)

Review code used, with many thanks to Team17

The Survivalists is an adventure-filled survival-lite sandbox game set in within the acclaimed The Escapists universe and released by Team17 across all formats.

Washed Ashore

You wash ashore after being shipwrecked, alone and desolate on a strange remote island. With no memory of who you are, or how you came to be there.

It’s up to you to keep your wits about you and survive in this universe, that combines crafting, building and monkey training as you explore procedurally generated islands.

You’ll need to hunt for food, build a camp and sometimes raid temples for loot, and you can craft everything from a trusty axe to a tasty smoothie. If you need a hand, you can team up with up to three mates on multiplayer, and if you’re a hermit you can instead recruit monkeys and make them fight and build for you. An army of monkey sounds interesting, I’m in!

The Survivalists LadiesGamers — Washed ashore alone!

Customise your Character

First off, when the Survivalists begins you can customise your character and give them a look that you would like. It’s limited but there are a few choices such as hairstyles and skin colour. It’s not an overly important feature but it is nice that Team17 thought to include it.

Your newfound home will change with a day and night cycle as you explore and uncover its secrets. Any activity you do will reduce the life heart icon and it’s important to hunt for food to replenish the heart. Building a bed for sleeping on is another necessity and it’s also how the game is saved. At the start of the game, I found I had an urgent need to build that bed so I could continue the game knowing I had a way to save. I would have preferred a separate way to save and not the need to save using a bed, but that’s really just personal preference.

Any tools you need have to be crafted using the resources you find in the environment, resources replenish after a set time has passed. The crafting system is pretty self-explanatory as is most of the game. Each aspect is explained well to the player by the tutorial of the game. It’s done using pop-up menus, my only complaint about the info is the writing which is slightly small. I had to hold the Switch closer to my face to be able to read the writing.

Neat Crafting System

There are two crafting systems in The Survivalists, a handy on the go crafting for simple tools like a crude tool head. And as long as you have the resources to make tools in your limited inventory, the item can be crafted anywhere while you’re exploring the island. Then there is build mode that uses blueprints, which you set up and work at over time. That’s a great idea having two crafting systems as such. The crafting on the go lets you make a quick weapon if the one you’re using breaks. And crafting the bigger items like a chair is something to work towards and a constant feel of progression.

As the game progresses and you craft more items, this, in turn, opens up more recipes to craft. You start with a crude tool head and then you receive more recipes for stronger weapons to craft. Stronger weapons require a crafting table to be built and allow for crafting items such as a bow and arrow. You’ll also need to find food in order to survive, either by collecting berries or by killing wild animals and cooking their meat.

Monkey Business

You can earn money through combat, opening chests and concluding the Survivalists monkey tutorials, all of which can be spent at a mystical shopkeeper located somewhere on the island. Legend has it the shopkeeper holds the key to your escape from the island!!

Exploring the island you’ll find caves, and raid temples for loot. You’ll find upgrades to gear up and more resources in the caves and temples if you’re lucky. But make sure you go armed as they have a few unfriendly folk running around inside.

As you’re not alone on the island, pretty soon you’ll encounter some of the local residents. Some not so friendly hostile Orcs who can raid your camp, destroy structures and steal your items. A few very friendly monkeys are also on the island who you can tame and train. Some of the monkeys won’t trust you at first but you can win them around by feeding them or freeing them if they’re trapped in a cage.

Once you have a few monkey mates, you can teach them to perform basic actions by copying your actions. They can cut down trees, gather resources and build items or even battle your foes with you. For me, this is where the game became interesting, having my own buddy primates armed with wooden clubs is a lot of fun. Exploring the temples with my happy band of monkey fighters armed to the teeth is addictive and enjoyable.

Curiosity Rewarded

The Survivalists is a game where curiosity is rewarded. Exploring the island you arrive on and you’ll find lots to discover. But the real end goal is to leave that island behind and discover what is beyond it. It’s also a game that can be played at the player’s own pace. Maybe you’re in no rush to leave behind the camp you have crafted with such care, or you can’t wait to explore further afield. Either way, the choice is left to you as the player to make.

The monkey mimic-system works well most of the time, though the monkey AI can be a little off I found. This can result in the monkey not doing what you require them to do. Each time you start another save file of which there are ten, you’ll be washed ashore on a procedurally generated island. The Survivalist allows for numerous playthroughs as each time you play the islands are different places to explore.

The game comes with a four-player co-op mode, which I have yet to try out. I can already see that playing co-op would offer lots of freedom for creativity and be great fun with a few of your friends.

Visuals and Controls

The Survivalists is set in a 2D visual world of charm and everything in the world is pretty detailed. It looks great and has a soundtrack and effects to match. The game is controlled by the joy-con and everything works as it should.

Conclusion

While you won’t find anything new or overly surprising in The Survivalist, however, it does offer an entertaining time and a good take on the survival genre.

Having the monkey’s do your bidding is a very fun part of the game. The crafting system is well-made and doesn’t feel like it was added onto the experience as an afterthought.

Having a band of monkeys armed to the teeth to watch your back, I mean who wouldn’t want that!

Final Verdict: I Like It A Lot.