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Game Details
Time Spent Playing: 1 hr 30 mins
Developers: Beak Berry Games
Publisher: Beak Berry Games
Graphics/Art Style: 2D Illustrated
Camera Perspective: 3rd person/Top down
Rating: N/A
Recommended For: Players who like open world survival, animals, Colony sims
Overall Experience
This game has a cute 2D illustration style! You start by choosing the scenario you want to play, followed by your world settings. I found this part really interesting because of the different seed options. Now, I'm not quite sure what a seed is, but I do know Minecraft uses them, too. I think seeds generate unique worlds for players? Anyway, you get to choose from seeds with some pretty interesting names, like Plane, Chicken, Soup, and more. I ended up choosing the Historian seed because I had no idea what any of them meant or what to expect when starting the game. Now I want to try out the different seeds and see what makes them unique. Is the Chicken seed just filled with chickens? Is the Soup seed a world where I can only eat soup? I HAVE NO IDEA, but I want to find out!
After choosing my world settings, I got to pick an animal character and customize its appearance. I chose a wolf because I didn't see a fox option at first. Then I discovered all the different customization options, including animal skins, tops, belts, and pants. THIS is where I finally spotted the fox option. It's basically an orange wolf, lol. Close enough, I guess! I started with the Historian seed on normal survival difficulty, and I'm already thinking about all the different playthroughs I could do. Anyway, it's time to jump into the game!
There's a LOT to learn, and the tutorials pop up the at the most inconvenient times. The game doesn't stop just because you're trying to learn something. Oh no, you better learn on the run, or those ghosts and other enemies will start beating you up! Now imagine me trying to learn the game, fend off ghosts, record gameplay, AND take notes at the same time. Lordt have MERCI! It got to be a bit much at times, lol. And don't even get me started on that annoying duck that kept honking while I was trying to talk to Rosie, a squirrel NPC. I was like "CAN YOU PLEASE BE QUIET?! I'M TRYING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION HERE! XD"
Anyway, moving on! I have a wolf family consisting of a husband and child, and as I explore the world, these two follow me around like the loyal, loving family members they are. When you die in the game, and trust me, I died A LOT, you turn into a ghost and have to find another body to possess. I wasn't expecting that mechanic, but I found it pretty fun and interesting! It's a lot faster and easier to move around as a ghost. What made me happy was that my family still recognized me and continued following me even as I transformed into all sorts of different animals throughout my playthrough. Aww, they really are my ride-or-dies! 🩷
Man... the three of us went through SOME adventures! From trying to find shelter during freezing rain to fending off those HORRIBLE humans, we had our work cut out for us. We eventually made it to a village called Yah'mi, which I can't help but pronounce as the slang term "Ya mean." Anyway, this is where things took a SAD turn.
While my child and I were out exploring a nearby forest, we stumbled across a portal that led to another part of the map. Naturally, I figured I could just go back through it to return to where we started. Oh, NOPE! It took me to yet ANOTHER area of the map. Because apparently, I hadn't suffered enough already. Just another challenge for me to figure out and overcome! Eventually, we managed to make our way back to the village and return home. Except... I COULDN'T FIND MY HUSBAND. 😭
Did he get hurt fighting the humans? Did he get lost somewhere? WHAT HAPPENED TO MY MAN?! I started getting worried and searched all over the place for him. And lo and behold, this... THIS... HUSBAND OF MINE was wandering around the village, acting like he didn't even RECOGNIZE ME ANYMORE. THIS MAN REFUSED TO FOLLOW ME AROUND! He must've finally gotten tired of me and decided to leave me as a single mother. THE NERVE! THE GALL! THE AUDACITY!
At this point, I had to stop playing, but now I'm INVESTED. THERE'S DRAMA NOW! I need to know what's going on with my little traitorous husband, and I'm looking forward to playing more to see where our adventure takes us next!
Controls
I find using a keyboard and mouse much more intuitive than using a controller. I do like that you can use both at the same time, which is pretty convenient! However, I wasn't a fan of moving the camera with the controller because it didn't give me enough movement. I also had trouble figuring out how to move the camera with the mouse until I discovered that pressing E rotates it. But how the heck do I zoom in and out?! I couldn't figure that part out. Aiming and shooting the slingshot was also a bit annoying to get the hang of, and I found myself wishing it was a little easier to use.
Gameplay
There's a LOT to explore and discover in this game, which I appreciate, but some of the mechanics could use better explanations. I was confused about what seeds were and what the Motor seed did for example. I know Minecraft uses seeds to generate different worlds, so I was curious to see how they worked in this game. I also love that you can choose different difficulty settings, seeds, and character specializations, along with customizing your character. Yaaaay, character customization! My character is so cute! And I was SO happy when I discovered that the wolf could actually be a fox. It's just considered an orange wolf. I'm surprised that there's no dedicated fox character option. Foxes are THEE woodland creatures!
I also like that I can walk freely in 3D space on a map that looks 2D. Traveling in spirit form is pretty fun, too, because I can move around quickly and fluidly until I possess other characters. One thing that made me happy was discovering that my wolf family still recognized me even when I transformed into a bear. Aww, they really are loyal! The NPC interactions are interesting, and WOW, I can ask Rosie a LOT of questions. My goodness! There's also a trading system where I can choose which items I want to trade for for both me and the NPC. I also like being able to see NPC inventories. Did you know, NPCs can get angry, which adds another layer to the interactions with them.
Survival has its challenges, though. I found it surprisingly difficult to find grass and figure out how to make a fire. I really wish the tutorial covered basic survival essentials like crafting a campfire and making a torch. I also struggled to figure out how to sleep, and I couldn't go into villagers' houses to warm up. Like, WHY can't I go inside to get warm?! And of course, I only found torches AFTER I had already traveled all the way to Yah'mi. Thanks, game. REAL helpful! 🙃
Inventory management is another thing I had to get used to. Storage is limited, weapons and tools break, but at least items can stack. I accidentally learned a recipe from a book, it gave me a few recipe choices, I clicked one and then realized the book was gone. NOOOO, WHERE DID MY BOOK GO?! I didn't realize learning the recipe would make it disappear! I also scooped up a bunny, only for it to escape. WHERE DID MY RABBIT GO?! 😭
Navigation could use some work, too. I had trouble understanding compass coordinates like -12 S and -151 W, and at first, I thought nothing was pinned on the map. When I finally noticed something, it was mostly covered up. Back in the game world, I wish large rocks and other objects didn't block my view so much. I could be missing dropped items behind them, and I don't want to spend forever searching for something I accidentally left behind!
Now, the story has given me some memorable moments, that's for sure! I was worried when I thought my husband had gone missing, but thankfully I found him again. PHEW! One less family crisis to worry about! Or so I thought! Then there was the debacle with the portal that didn't take me back to where I started. Oh and let's not forget my unnecessary struggle to just find some GRASS! Between ghosts giving me trouble, a wall blocking my way back to the village of Yah'mi, and my husband suddenly wandering around acting like he didn't even know me anymore, I've been through it! After everything we've been through together?! WHAT IN THE WORLD!? I can't wait to play again!
Performance
Nothing major to report here, other than some weird flashes happening across the screen while I was playing. It was a little distracting and honestly a bit concerning. I'm not sure what was causing them, but it's something worth looking into!
AI-Generated Content Disclosure
No Generative AI
We did NOT use any generative AI to create this game. All our art and code is made by real people.
Unique Features Discovered
Different seeds that offer unique opportunities for different playthroughs.
Character specializations to customize your playstyle.
The ability to possess other characters.
NPC dialogue options, inventories, and trading mechanics.
NPCs that react emotionally and can get angry.
Portal travel to different areas of the map.
A wolf family that continues to recognize and follow you even when you possess other animals.
Strange Seed names
Ghosts
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Cute 2D illustration style.
Character customization
Character specializations.
Different seeds encourage replay ability.
Fast and fluid movement in spirit form.
Interesting NPC interactions with plenty of dialogue options.
Trading system allows players to choose which items they exchange.
NPC inventories are visible.
Energy regenerates when standing still.
Family members recognize the player even when transformed.
Items can stack in the inventory.
Cons:
The tutorial doesn't explain enough of the basic survival mechanics.
The seed options aren't explained clearly enough.
Keyboard and mouse controls feel more intuitive than controller controls.
Camera movement and slingshot aiming can be frustrating to get used to.
Navigation and compass coordinates are confusing.
Large objects can obstruct the view of dropped items
The pinned letter takes up screen space, and I couldn't figure out how to minimize it for a while
Limited storage and breakable tools can add to the frustration.
Finding basic resources like grass and figuring out how to make a fire can be unnecessarily difficult.
Weird screen flashes were distracting.
The game took a while to get accustomed to, creating a lot of friction.
Suggestions for Improvement
Expand the tutorial to cover essential survival basics, including crafting a campfire, making torches, sleeping, and gathering resources.
Add short descriptions of the different seed options so players have a better idea of what to expect from each one.
Improve controller camera movement and make aiming the slingshot easier.
Provide clearer explanations of compass coordinates and map navigation.
Make map markers easier to see when they overlap with other objects.
Improve visibility behind large rocks and other objects, especially when searching for dropped items.
Investigate the screen flashes to determine whether they're caused by a performance issue or a visual bug.
Summary
This game has a cute art style, fun character customization, and plenty of unique mechanics to explore. From possessing different animals and interacting with NPCs to traveling with my loyal wolf family, there's a lot to discover, and I had some hilarious and memorable moments along the way. However, the lack of clear tutorials made learning the survival mechanics, controls, and navigation more frustrating than it needed to be. With some improvements to the tutorial, map, and overall quality of life, this game could offer a much smoother experience. I'm especially curious to explore the different seeds and see what other adventures await me!
Would you play this game? Leave a comment and let's chat!
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Links:
Check out the game here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3862100/Woodland_Rebels/
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