Recent reviews by Piaggio

I'm the kind of player who turtles in Civ 6 and similar games. Combat was always secondary, something I actively avoided if possible. Zephon changed that. The game makes you want to learn more about what each unit does, discover new techs, new unit combinations, etc. City building is also more streamlined, but not in a way that leaves this as an afterthought. Building new districts, founding new cities or capturing outposts are all important decisions. Zephon wants you to feel like these choices matter, and they always do. The setting and art style is what ties it all together. A delightful mix of Lovecraftian horror and classic sci-fi. Everything in the world has its own beautifully written background, and the entire story and state of the world is presented to you in a digestible way, without overwhelming you, leaving you wanting to learn more at every turn. Amazing game, and bonus points for running flawlessly on the Steam Deck.

I'm a big XCOM fan, and Alien and Aliens are my favorite movies, so naturally I bought this game shortly after it came out. I was not disappointed. While not technically an XCOM-like (there are no turns in combat; the game simply slows down for you to make choices, if you choose to), it certainly scratches that itch with its fun squad-based combat and base-building mechanics. The Alien side of the game is perhaps the main attraction. I often tell friends that this game is to Aliens what Isolation is to Alien: they perfectly capture the spirit of each movie. An absolutely amazing game for fans of the genre and the films, but also just a genuinely fun time if you have any interest in squad-based alien-killing games. Now that it's been confirmed as Steam Deck playable, I'm going to reinstall it for another go.

Game has a fantastic premise if you like space/survival, but it seems to be abandoned. Shame.

I am not even closed to finishing the game, but after investing a few hours in it I can say it's definitely worth it if you are a fan of base building games in general or if you enjoyed any of the other "Surviving XXXX" games that have come out over the years. The premise is interesting, the economy-management aspect of the game, while not groundbreaking, is certainly entertaining, and the overall creepy atmosphere is very effective and ties it all together nicely.

As I get older I have a harder time getting hooked by games as I used to (even genres that I have always loved like base building, turn-based strategy, 4X, etc.), and Surviving the Abyss has managed to do that. So on a personal level, that is a big deal for me. The game could still need some polish and qol adjustments here and there (could we get a "copy building" button or hotkey, please?), but it is definitely worth the reasonable price tag for fans of the genre!

The list of serious and game-breaking bugs is probably longer than the features that actually work and/or aren't awfully unbalanced. Disastrous DLC. You are better off not buying this one and sticking with the free patch, no need to pay for bugs.