Once Human Review Roundup: Is This Post-Apocalyptic Survival MMO Worth Your Time?

Once Human, the open-world, post-apocalyptic survival MMO from Starry Studio, has finally arrived, and the internet is buzzing. With its unique blend of survival mechanics, base building, and paranormal elements, it's aiming to carve out a niche in a crowded genre. But does it succeed? This review roundup gathers opinions from across the web to give you a comprehensive overview of what players and critics are saying about Once Human. We'll delve into the gameplay, graphics, story, and overall experience to help you decide if this is the next survival game for you.

Forget scavenging for basic resources; in Once Human, you're battling mutated creatures and psychic anomalies while trying to rebuild civilization. This review roundup will help you navigate the hype and see if the game lives up to its promises.

The Core Gameplay Loop: Survive, Build, Explore

The core gameplay of Once Human revolves around the familiar survival loop: gather resources, craft equipment, build a base, and explore the world. However, the game adds its own twist with the introduction of "Stardust," a mysterious substance that has warped the world and its inhabitants.

  • Resource Gathering and Crafting: Reviews consistently highlight the depth of the crafting system. Players can craft a wide variety of weapons, armor, tools, and building materials. The resource gathering is fairly standard for the genre, involving mining, logging, and scavenging. Some critics noted that the early game can feel grindy, requiring a significant time investment to acquire basic resources.
  • Base Building: Base building is a crucial aspect of Once Human. Players can construct elaborate bases to defend against enemies and store their resources. The building system is praised for its flexibility, allowing for creative and personalized designs. However, some reviews mention that the building interface can be clunky at times.
  • Exploration and Combat: The world of Once Human is vast and filled with dangerous creatures and challenging encounters. Combat is action-oriented, with players utilizing a variety of weapons and abilities to defeat their foes. The AI of the enemies is generally considered to be decent, providing a reasonable challenge. Many reviewers enjoyed the exploration aspect, praising the diverse environments and the sense of discovery.

Story and Setting: A Paranormal Apocalypse

Once Human sets itself apart with its unique story and setting. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by Stardust, which has mutated creatures and granted some humans psychic powers.

  • Intriguing Premise: The story is centered around the player character, a "Meta-Human" who possesses the ability to manipulate Stardust. The narrative is driven by a desire to understand the origins of Stardust and find a way to restore the world. Many reviewers found the premise to be intriguing and engaging, offering a fresh take on the post-apocalyptic genre.
  • Worldbuilding: The world of Once Human is richly detailed, with a strong sense of atmosphere. The environments are diverse, ranging from desolate wastelands to overgrown forests. The game's lore is explored through environmental storytelling, item descriptions, and interactions with NPCs.
  • Narrative Delivery: While the premise is strong, some reviews criticize the narrative delivery. The story can feel fragmented and difficult to follow at times. Some players found the dialogue to be clunky and the characters to be underdeveloped.

Graphics and Performance: A Mixed Bag

The graphics and performance of Once Human have been a point of contention among reviewers.

  • Visual Fidelity: The game features impressive visuals, with detailed environments and realistic character models. The art style is dark and gritty, perfectly capturing the post-apocalyptic atmosphere.
  • Optimization Issues: However, many players have reported experiencing performance issues, such as frame rate drops and stuttering. These issues seem to be more prevalent on lower-end hardware. Some reviewers noted that the game is not well-optimized, requiring a powerful PC to run smoothly at high settings.
  • Graphical Glitches: A few reviews also mention graphical glitches, such as texture pop-in and clipping issues. While these glitches are not game-breaking, they can detract from the overall experience.

Multiplayer and Social Aspects: Team Up or Go Solo

Once Human is an MMO, so multiplayer is a core component of the game.

  • Cooperative Gameplay: Players can team up with friends to tackle challenging quests, build bases together, and explore the world. Cooperative gameplay is generally considered to be enjoyable, with players able to share resources and coordinate their efforts.
  • PvP: The game also features PvP combat, allowing players to test their skills against each other. However, some reviews note that the PvP can be unbalanced at times, with experienced players having a significant advantage over newcomers.
  • Social Features: Once Human includes a variety of social features, such as guilds, chat channels, and trading systems. These features allow players to connect with each other and build communities.

Key Positives Highlighted in Reviews:

  • Unique Setting and Story: The paranormal post-apocalyptic setting and the mysteries surrounding Stardust offer a refreshing take on the survival genre.
  • Deep Crafting System: The crafting system is extensive, allowing players to create a wide range of items and customize their gear.
  • Flexible Base Building: The base building system is praised for its flexibility and creative possibilities.
  • Engaging Exploration: The world is vast and filled with secrets to discover.

Key Negatives Highlighted in Reviews:

  • Optimization Issues: Performance problems, such as frame rate drops and stuttering, are a common complaint.
  • Grindy Early Game: The early game can feel repetitive and require a significant time investment to gather basic resources.
  • Uneven Narrative Delivery: The story can be fragmented and difficult to follow at times.
  • Potential PvP Imbalance: PvP combat can be unbalanced, favoring experienced players.

Final Verdict: Is Once Human Worth Playing?

The reviews for Once Human are mixed, but generally lean towards cautiously optimistic. The game offers a unique and engaging experience with its paranormal post-apocalyptic setting, deep crafting system, and flexible base building. However, it is also plagued by optimization issues, a grindy early game, and an uneven narrative delivery.

If you are a fan of survival MMOs and are willing to overlook the performance problems and grind, Once Human may be worth checking out. The game's unique setting and engaging gameplay loop have the potential to keep you hooked for hours. However, if you are sensitive to performance issues or prefer a more streamlined experience, you may want to wait for future updates and optimizations before diving in. Ultimately, whether or not Once Human is worth playing depends on your individual preferences and tolerance for its shortcomings. Keep an eye on player reviews as the game matures; ongoing development could address many of the current concerns.

Consider trying the game during a free weekend or taking advantage of a trial period to see if it runs well on your system and aligns with your gaming preferences. This hands-on experience will provide the most accurate assessment of whether Once Human is the right game for you.