Oxygen Not Included Review

Why would anyone even review a game that's not officially buyable? I don't believe it when people say it's unofficial, but if you go to the store and look up the game, you'll see that there's no way to purchase it. The developers released it for fans of their company to play, which is why you had to access a hidden store page on a forum to buy the game.

Some players have complained about self-sufficiency issues, but I found that it's possible to be fully self-sufficient in either the normal build or the test build. You just need to know how to do it. There have also been bug reports, and if you read the FAQ, it states that you should report them on their website, which is where you had to buy the game.

The developers didn't respond to player concerns because they weren't expecting people to post important information about the game here. The reason for this is that they're not allowing reviews of the game. In fact, they stated in their post that you need to visit their website to buy the game and that it will be extremely buggy and slow on updates.

Some players have also experienced lag late in the game, depending on their machine. However, I think this could just be due to my playstyle. To me, a majority of complaints about the game stem from its early alpha state. When I should be building late-game tech, I often get bored instead and feel like there's something more.

The game needs more late-game threats and more utility for the tech that you can unlock quickly. In Shipwrecked, your base style is extremely map-dependent, whereas in Don't Starve/Stardew Valley/Civ, you can make the same base every time. The day length in Oxygen Not Included is perfect for hitting that 'one more turn' itch.

The game finds itself halfway between strict survival and exploration/craft/base build. It's a great middle ground that allows players to be creative while still having a sense of purpose. Overall, I think Oxygen Not Included is a unique and engaging game that's worth playing, even if it's not officially buyable.

Oxygen not included review