Barotrauma

Barotrauma – But how much trauma?

Who is ready for Christmas? Me neither, so on that note let us investigate seeing what the game scene has to offer for us. The first selection for perusal is an indie horror simulation. Not my usual dip into the simulation scene but variety is the spice of life and all that! This new adventure comes from the new and debut PC title from a small Finnish developer, Fakefish. The game is Barotrauma. A submarine horror simulation set on the moon of Jupiter, Europa. The game was released in 2019 but has rea started to build itself and its steam reviews. It is an overwhelmingly positive attitude. With the gameplay, set in space naturally there would be some alien for unusual creatures to add some extra spice. With the opportunity to try something new, I was more than happy to give it a whirl. Although I tend to enjoy a more light-hearted tone in my games. to cover up my lack of ability in gameplay. It was going to take some investing. Being the stubborn person that I am, I did not want to go into a campaign straight away, but I needed to do it. With it not being an ease you in kind of game at all. I soon backtracked and started the tutorials. What I like is the ability to play various roles. When getting stuck into each practice, it is a level where you learn the mechanics for five separate roles available on your submarine. And again, because I cannot decide to save my life, I made my way through each one. The tutorials are for engineering, mechanics, security officer, captain, and healer. Each one gives step-to-step scenarios to go between to give a brief overview. I do like the individual tutorial, but I did find the controls very clunky. Unlike most tutorials I have played, there was no demonstration of what each control does.

The instructions are clear in what you need to do but unfortunately, that is where the hand holding stops. And I like handholding!! I will say to my dying day, I am not the greatest thinker, I need it pointed out to me in clear instruction. That was something this game lacks for sure. Most disappointing. Whilst the information was in the tasks, there was not much direction in how to do it or where to find it. The layout of the submarine could be quite confusing and there is a pointer to go but it was of limited use. After making my way through each, the only option left for me was to begin story mode. There are multiplayer options which I would quite frankly be naff at. I am mad for my Rocket League online but that is the limit. Submarine editing was a possibility that did almost sway me but not enough. Character creations were surprisingly good and non-gender specific to a role. The details that you can go into are great but unfortunately limited because of the colour palette. The lighting in-game is very dark, even on the menu. For atmosphere it is great but for the gameplay, it does make a limit. I am a colour fiend, and this game is very dark, not a complaint as such because it does add to the story. Another pointer in the 'I am not the target audience' column. The technicalities of the game are surprisingly intricate for such a small developer, and I have to say it is extremely impressive. You can see the work and the passion in the project from the team. Its continued rise and impressive positive attitude received towards the game is an excellent indicator of the potential they have. It is very in-depth for the first foray into gaming, even with some experienced hands at creating. I wanted to check through the website for some research and they are such a new team. I am not the ideal person to play this game. Despite what may seem like a negative review, not my intention, when I managed to successfully make my way through a task on my own. I rode that high for a while. The game gave me an excellent sense of achievement. Speaking to others who may be their target audience they explained that this is quite a popular idea behind a game now. With that in mind, I would say Barotrauma is a success. What this game has also done is encourage me to keep jumping out of my comfort zone. The team should be pleased because you can see when you get stuck in, their plan and aim, you will get sunk in. If this is a game full of technical fun, that allows you to think on your own and has some cooky bits of humour in the chat with the cremates. If you want to lose yourself in logic and a game that needs you to think creatively, then Barotrauma is the game for you. Colour me impressed; not for me but an excellent example of skill. Well played Fakefish but I am afraid I am not traumatized!