Eco - Survival Sandbox Game. Is it worth a try?

[Deadeye_Rob 908]

Hi guys!

Eco has been sat on my Steam Wishlist since before it’s Early Access release in 2018. It’s high price (£25) has always put me off.

My appetite for Survival Sandbox games won’t be satiated however, and I’m always on the lookout for some new platform to stretch my creative and entrepreneurial skills!

My question is: Is it worth getting?

It seems to have everything I want in a survival sandbox game. A big open world, vast technology progression, a reactive eco-system and a detailed crafting system.

The main criticism I’ve heard from reviews is that the game is a total grind when attempting to play solo.

What do people think? Is it worth buying? Does anyone have a copy that their willing to testify in favour of? I’d love to hear your input!

Rob

[spiritchaser28 920]

I have not tried it, the premise does look interesting. More people have been raving about Valheim lately.

[Deadeye_Rob 908]

Yeah, I’ve had a dabble on Valheim and I get the hype. But it doesn’t have much of a free-placing element that Ylands has.

Also I’m a sucker for low poly cartoony games which Eco and Ylands satisfies.

 

[SandyT 129]

Thanks for the suggestion @Deadeye_Rob. I think I'm going to buy Eco and give it a whirl. I saw on a video that you can do a solo world and turn off the meteor so I can get the feel of the game before joining a server. I looked a Valheim but all the fighting and monsters are definitely not my thing.

[Deadeye_Rob 908]

4 hours ago, SandyT said:

Thanks for the suggestion @Deadeye_Rob

You're very welcome Sandy! I've not bought it yet so I cant be a credible sources of advice but it's been on my Steam Wishlist for half a decade now and I'm still 'on the fence' as to invest in it or not. I'd personally wait until the next Steam Sale. hopefully a discount is upcomming!

If you do buy it, please let me know how you get on and what you think!

[Deadeye_Rob 908]

So, my impatience got the better of me last night. As I was at there flicking through my Steam Library I felt nothing but a giant ‘Meh’. Nothing was scratching the itch I had (not even Ylands! ).

So I ended up buying a copy of Eco and gave it a run last night. I must say, I’m quite impressed but I can appreciate that others might not share my opinion.

So in a nutshell, Eco is a very drawn out survival game relying on committed players to achieve the goal of preventing the impending asteroid disaster.

Due to the fact that every task is time consuming (resource gathering, building etc) you need to build a functioning society with the other players to get things done. There’s mechanics in place to allow for a working economy, trading and even governments! You can tax rent, buy and sell hunting rights. This game satisfies every capitalists dream!

So far I have established myself in a local town as a carpenter. I buy wood logs from other players, then craft them into items to sell back. The profit I make goes into buying food for myself as well as to improving my workshop/house In the city. Eventually I’ll take out a loan from the town treasury to establish my own logging company where I will pay players a wage!

Eco has a heck of a lot of potential, not just as a survival game, but as a genuinely great economy simulator that’s all player-driven! It’s not for those who expect to build a huge house in a day though! There’s a lot to work through before you even plant a single block down!