In a survival game, you are used to instant construction, instant cooking, and occasionally instant mastery. But in Survival: Fountain of Youth, a new Early Access release on Steam, a considerable amount of time passes whenever you do something. That forces you to strike a balance between creating everything your heart desires and your actual survival.
It’s the 16th century and rumours of the Fountain of Youth have reached explorers. They set off on a daring adventure, only to have their ship wrecked by a storm. One sailor manages to evacuate but ends up on an island with fuzzy memories. They must recall their former self and survive on the island while continuing their quest.
At first, you are getting your bearings and finding out where everything is. You learn to get a quick food and water source, then make a quick bed of leaves. Then you craft a wooden spear and do some simple hunting. After getting a lay of the land by climbing a tree, you’re on your own and free to explore.
What makes Survival: Fountain of Youth difficult is that resources take a long time to respawn. When a food source takes seven to ten days to reappear, you must find alternate sources. This means exploring the land, investigating new areas, and taking risks to fill your stomach. Not all sources are renewable, and getting too greedy can work against you.
Plucking resources from trees can’t be done by hand. You must have the proper tools. Recipes for creating tools and other necessities are available to you, but you must work for them. Uncover the resources necessary to craft these recipes, then gather enough to make them. It’s hard to tell which resources you need, but picking everything is recommended to survive. You never know when you discover the leaves necessary for bandages if you never pick them.
It’s still early in development, but the survival decisions are already well done. You can explore as much as you want, but you must be able to survive at all times. Finding the Fountain of Youth is your main goal, but it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t feed yourself. It can be frustrating to get the balance down, but you eventually adapt and learn how to survive.
The graphics are also realistic, which is great for identifying plants and animals for food. Any players with phobias of spiders, snakes, and scorpions may be surprised at the level of detail. If you are easily frightened, be cautious while playing!
While it might not stand out from the other survival titles out there, it’s definitely worth a look as you must think differently compared to other survival games. Being careful and rationing your time isn’t something that’s done often, and it adds another element to your survival experience.
You can check out Survival: Fountain of Youth now in Early Access via Steam for PC.
About the Author
Victor Tan
He/Him
Victor spends his time trying to help players out of tricky situations and give them the guidance they need to succeed. Outside of the video game world, you can find him training at the gym or doing simple improv activities.
