SCUM is out in early access. It’s a survival game (of which there have been so many lately…) in an open world, where every bush can be used, every stone can be picked up, and the character can be customized so that no one in the entire world can be found the same.
SCUM – Bastards, Scum, Garbage. And it’s no accident, because the main character is a prisoner, who was thrown on the island to participate in the reality show. Each character has a chip, by which it is easy to track, it also monitors all the health indicators. Occasionally, drones will fly up and film what’s going on at close range.
Huge open world. The game world map is huge – it’s an island 12 by 12 kilometers. The island is a lot of different abandoned buildings, there is a guarded objects and ordinary villages, where you can find and food, equipment, tools, clothing, and even weapons. The developers promise that the map to the release will expand more than three times and we’ll get the whole island.
On the guarded objects you can find very valuable equipment and weapons, but it is very difficult to approach them, let alone leave them alive – it’s a feat. The fact is that they are guarded by huge walking robots with powerful weapons.
Sometimes the weather changes and it starts to rain. During the rain, clothes get wet, so it is better to stay indoors or find a raincoat. You can build a tent and wait it out. Wet clothes can cause hypothermia, illness and even death of the character.
Character customization. Before your first sortie you will be offered to customize your character. You can choose weapon skills, survival skills, appearance and other things. Each parameter is important. For example, if you create a thin character, he will freeze faster in cold weather, but he will run and jump faster. If you choose a muscular character – he will be strong in close combat, but you will have to maintain the form constantly, both by diet and training.
Basic Character Parameters. There are four main parameters: Health, Stamina, Energy and Water. Health is the main parameter – if it drops to zero you have to start over. Stamina is constantly consumed by running, jumping and hitting, and is restored when the character is resting. Energy is replenished after consuming caloric food and affects the recovery rate of stamina. Water is replenished when drinking drinks, but what it affects is not yet clear.
Skills and Tools. As you explore the island, you will be able to find or make various tools. They all have a certain level and wear. The level affects the quality and quantity of items you get. For example, a stone knife can be made from a couple of stones and used to cut rags and trim bushes. In doing so, we get two or three materials – that’s the first level. But if you take the metal scissors, level four, you can get five or seven pieces of cloth and trimmings.
Do not forget that tools have wear and tear. It also depends on the level, as well as the work it performs. For example, if you cut bushes with a knife, it will break faster than an axe, for example. Some materials, such as rope or matches, have a length or quantity. This must be taken into account when making items.
Multiplayer. The game is possible as a team survival, and various matches with fights between factions. There is also a classic dessmatch.
The game has just been released in early access, so it encounters bugs. Sometimes the game completely hangs and doesn’t even let the task manager run. The game starts to glitch and freeze when traveling for long periods of time. Therefore, I recommend restarting the game every one and a half to two hours. Sometimes it happens so that the zombies stop causing damage, but they also can not kill. Optimization in the game also smells nothing, you have even on a good computer to play on minimal settings.
While the date of SCUM in the release is unknown, even the developers, and fix bugs and optimization wait a long time, you should think about buying it or not. On the gray market the price of SCUM about five dollars, on Steam about eight.