Parents' Guide to The Survivalists

While the fantasy of being stranded on a tropical island might be enticing, the reality of it falls far short. Sadly, the same can be said of The Survivalists, a by-the-numbers retro adventure/survival game that fails to stand out from its numerous competitors. The game, at its heart, is a resource gathering, go-on-a-quest title, with no real driving narrative behind it -- and a lack of unique features to distinguish it. While it does what it sets out to do well enough, the gameplay's largely generic, except for the monkey allies you'll make as you play. These do take away from some of the drudgery of resource gathering, giving you more time to explore dungeons and interact with locals.

There's not a lot of instruction, though, which makes the first hour or so of gameplay rather frustrating, since you might have trouble completing basic tasks. Combat's well done, with a stamina meter showing your energy levels, meaning you can't hack and slash endlessly at your enemies. That limitation forces you to be creative when you're fighting enemies. Again, though, there isn't much instruction, which causes frustration. It's a game that might appeal to a small dedicated group of players, but will only be enjoyed briefly by others.