Conan Exiles is an open world survival game that lets the player take on the role of a Barbarian in an often unforgiving world. In order to survive, and thrive, players must use skill to overcome harsh terrains, hostile enemies, while learning the tools needed to craft the ultimate means for survival. It’s also hard as hell.
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When the game was first announced, the developers over at Funcom were very upfront that it would be a story that earned its brutal reputation and brutal it sure was. Though the landscapes were stunning and the beginning of the journey having such a powerful impact, the brutality of the game was less “I’m getting better” like in titles like Dark Souls and more like a chore instead.
When I begin my journey, I was a criminal thrust upon a cross, crucified and left to die. Whether from starvation or from the howling sandstorms – that was up for fate to decide. Yet the Conan himself took it upon himself to save me and ultimately left me to figure out how to live in a world that wanted me dead. It was a high note to start the game on, one that definitely let the severity of this society sink in. That being said, from such bravado only to be dropped into a lull of monotony – it was a jarring shift that was a bit difficult to hold my interest. But, there was crafting to do – and crafting I did.
Survival games are known for the added challenge of earning your way to life. You don’t get to skate by in the game just by being there – you still need to eat, to drink, and to protect yourself from danger. Conan Exiles was no different and the weight of survival juxtaposed against a looming larger picture made for a challenging experience that did keep me going in those more mundane moments. The promise of learning more held my interest, which can often be missed in games of this genre.
Crafting is not an option in this game, it’s essential and if you don’t learn it quick, you’re going to have a very hard time. From basic crafts like a bedroll to use as a save point, to entire alters to the deity of your choice; crafting is one hundred percent essential to the gameplay experience and ultimate success.
This was almost a game within a game, but at times it did become … exhausting. Seeing a small village of people that want to kill me just because I needed a scrap of leather – knowing that I could easily skirt around them was frustrating at times. Even more so when I didn’t have enough material to craft a new save point, forcing me to recount my journey at various points on the map. The mechanic and necessity of it became convoluted at times and had me putting down the controller more than once to find my interest once more. Luckily, the game did offer a stunning experience and come back I always did.
On the positive side of this build-your-own-world environment, there was a creative freedom with the larger structures. Building my first offering to my chosen god was thrilling, gave me a sense of purpose. Being able to protect myself, protect my belongings, and almost build an empire for myself – it was empowering. Much more enjoyable than crafting a bedroll 50 times.
The environments in the game were absolutely stunning, and very, very real. As a brutal sandstorm in real life would pose a danger, so would it in the game. This posed an underlying layer of immersion, constantly being aware of your surroundings and being present in the gameplay experience. I think this was a big reason why I wanted to keep coming back, a part of me was always looking to see what was on the horizon.
The world of Conan Exiles can be played one of two ways: solo – or in Player v Player. My preferred method was solo, though I did check out PvP for the sake of this review. The servers were well-maintained and the threat of other players added an entirely new way to test your skill. That being said, I hate PvP mostly because I’m just absolutely terrible at it. I’ll admit, I’m a panicker, and that panic stuck with me and made it just one giant cringe-fest. For those that do enjoy this type of gameplay, the PvP aspects of the game were done incredibly well!
Essentially what makes this game is that it is open-world in its truest form. It doesn’t hold your hand, it won’t be easy, and every accomplishment is heartily earned. The lore that can be found throughout the journey builds a much larger picture should the player choose to explore that aspect, though it’s not forced in a way for those looking to enjoy the survival aspect of that. The mysticism and magical aspects of the history surrounding the character’s almost-death made for an incredible journey that was worth those lulled moments, was worth the mandatory challenge.
For those players that are like me and crave a rich storyline, a rich narrative, this game does have that – and a stunning one at that. But it wouldn’t have earned that unforgiving reputation if they made it easy. You want that story? You’re going to have to earn it. When I finally started to unravel those narrative bits, I felt so incredibly accomplished. This was my story, this was my journey, and this was my victory. Moments like that make a game worth playing, just be patient – it’s there, it just takes a little bit to start tugging at that thread.
Bottom line is that though this game was incredibly rich in story and luscious environments to discover, it felt very unrefined at times and often unjustifiably daunting. The survival aspects are heavily imposed and just aren’t for everyone, and the repetition of “do this, do that, do this again, do that again, die, do this, do that” became like a second job at times. But don’t let that necessarily turn you away, because Conan Exiles hides a gem that is truly unique to this game – a treasure of accomplishment, of a well-deserved journey, and a gameplay experience that you’ll always remember.
WWG’s Score: 3.5/5
