Ultra Pixel Survive | PS4 Review

Taking it one day at a time is all some of us can do to survive this mad world that we are living in. We work hard for a better tomorrow, but that better tomorrow always seems to be just out of reach. In a similar way Ratalaika Games' and GS Studios' "Ultra Pixel Survive" takes that idea of day to day survival, and makes it into a potentially unending experience wherein day and night cycles bring forth the benefits of farming and the battle against beasties. A lucrative opportunity if you can maintain your hunger, health, and stamina as you farm for materials to craft what needs to be crafted for long term living. In the face of insurmountable odds, no less.

Not unlike Terraria or Minecraft, 'Ultra Pixel Survive" has you farming, crafting, and fighting off fantasy fiends in order to survive for as long as possible. All of which is done on a daily, and nightly cycle wherein daytime sees lesser waves of creatures encroaching on your homestead, and nighttime has them swarming endlessly and aggressively advancing towards you. At your disposal you have an upgradeable axe, pick axe, and weapon that's specific to the character chosen at the beginning of your run. That and a character specific skill that aids in the killing off of creatures, but to the tune of a cooldown timer. Things which when put to use can help you survive for the long haul.

In total there are upwards of ten unlockable and playable characters that cost a ruby currency that can be acquired by surviving nights of creature swarms, or that can be bought upon a GAME OVER using the amassed coins in exchange for rubies at the main menu shop. Characters include the initially available adventurer, elemental witches, a lumberjack, a plague doctor, a ninja, a stone knight, and several others inspired by anime tropes. Each character comes with starter stats pertaining to weapon strength, health, and stamina. Things that can be upgraded at the main menu on a follow-up run using the gold coins collected. Making them more well equipped for the undertaking the next go around. 

As the game begins, after your selection of character, you are dropped down in front of your homestead with tools and a skill on hand. That, and access to an upgrade and build menu. Using "L1" you can cycle through your axe, pick axe, and weapon on the fly. Doing this allows you to farm for materials with the axe being for cutting down trees, and the pick axe for chipping away at rocks. Additionally your weapon acts as both a harvesting tool for plant life, and livestock as well as a tool to deal damage to enemy creatures. All of which can be upgraded using specific crafting structures, and materials that are easily farmed using that simple set of tools. 

When you first get started you'll immediately want to start chopping down, and chipping away at every farmable resource in sight. From the right to the left and everything between. This will get you what you need to build your permanent crafting structures like a furnace, a cooking pot, an anvil, and patches of farm land. Doing this will set you up for an easier farming task later on that can then be focused on tool upgrades, hunger stability, and fortifying your homestead for the inevitable 10th day boss fight. 

In taking out the enemy creatures you'll also level up as a character, and increase your health as you do so. This encourages fighting. Not only does fighting off creatures level you up, but it also pays out in coin and rubies. Surviving a night, specifically, will reward your efforts with a chest that contains a bunch of coins and one ruby. An incentive to keep on keeping on. Meeting some feat based or level based milestones will also add helpful NPCs to your party which will aid it attacking enemy creatures. A useful addition that minimizes your need to deal with those threats while out material farming.

While you could theoretically play this game until the end of time, you can take a breather by using the bed in your homestead which acts as the game's only save point. A must if you hope to beat any record you've set before. Keep in mind though that the game can be played in one of two ways. Those ways being with permadeath on, or permadeath off. Each option ramping up or down the survival aspect of the game to one extreme or the other. Should you choose permadeath though nothing is carried back over to the main menu. Making it a one and done deal. Forcing you to start over with the chosen character from scratch each time. A challenge for those who really want that true to life survival experience.

The Presentation ...

Ultra Pixel Survive, is a minimalistic pixel crafted indie done in a 2D fashion with simple sprites, and animations that accompany the action onscreen. The developer really went for that Minecraft aesthetic, but in a 2D sort of way. 

One thing that sets it apart from games like Minecraft though is that messing around with individual inventory items isn't necessary. Between the build, and upgrade menus tethered to "R1 + DPad" things are fast tracked making it easier to farm and fend of foes as you go from day into night. Even the changing of items is done in a similar fashion with "L1" allowing you to cycle through the three options quickly at the press of a button. The whole hub of operations is streamlined for ease of use, but there is some getting used to it due to the game not explaining anything to you.

The Verdict ...

Ultra Pixel Survive, is a game with a lot of replay value, and a somewhat simple survival gimmick. It has minimalistic crafting options, farming capabilities, and enemy focus. Allowing for a more casual yet challenging experience that can be picked up and put down as one sees fit. 

Most of your time will initially be spent replaying the game as you farm for rubies and coins to help unlock, and experience the entire cast of characters. This adds to the replay value, and gives meaning to the grind that is the game's core feature. That being said, aside from the different character traits, the gameplay remains the same, and to a fault regardless of character. 

Ultra Pixel Survive is not as grand in scale as a crafting survival game like Minecraft. It banks wholly on the player committing to and enjoying the tedious repetitive grind that's being sold to them. I wish, retrospectively, that the game's setting was more varied and that crafting options were more deeply involved. I even think the game could have used more variety in the way of enemies. All in all it's a shallow feeling feat of prowess to have survived to the point of earning the Platinum trophy, and it does not really inspire me to commit the time required to fully unlock every character. When the undertaking is the same for all characters, and the core experience less varied it leaves a lot to be desired.