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video game reviews

Core Keeper is Your New Favorite Sandbox Survival Game

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I was sent a free copy of Core Keeper to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the Epomaker P75 Mechanical Keyhboard for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Core Keeper?

Core Keeper is a 2D survival sandbox out now on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. It is like Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and Terraria all in one.

Explore dark unforgiving caverns as you farm, mine, and build your means of survival. Fight against the mighty and mysterious creatures that roam its shadows, and the titans that lord over them. What secrets will your journey uncover? What tools will you invent? Gather your friends or brave it alone as you try to uncover the secrets behind the mysterious cores.

Gameplay

Core Keeper allows players to choose the type of experience they want from the game. Hardcore survivalists can play a mode where death is permanent, and resources are limited. Casuals can enjoy the caverns of Core Keeper at their own pace and without risks in creative mode. Those who want the best of both worlds can opt for the normal experience. I played Core Keeper on normal and thought it was perfect.

The game starts with players with only the clothes on their backs. Players mine resources to build the tools they need to advance through the caverns. Everything a player does from mining to walking levels the respective skill. Leveling skills unlock new recipes for more advanced tools. There are guides out there to help you with recipes and efficient play, but I always recommend you start a blind run and see how far you can get. You can always start over later.

The game does have a hunger mechanic, but it isn’t as oppressive as other games. Finding ingredients is a little tricky in the beginning, but it gets easier once you learn how to farm. Cooked food gives players buffs, and it’s a good idea to find a recipe that fits your playstyle. Recipes can be found through trial and error, but there are recipe books available online. I like the one on the official Wiki.

There is so much to do in Core Keeper, and it is somehow packaged in this simple and relaxing package. Mechanics are simple to learn, but the game will take some time to master.

Review

If you’re looking for a game that will eat up all your free time, go get Core Keeper. The art is cute, the gameplay is fun and addicting, and the soundtrack is amazing. There is so much to do in this game that it is almost impossible to get bored. Want to spend a day fishing? Grab a rod and get to clicking. Want to build your dream home? You better have your recipes ready and start digging. Core Keeper gives you the freedom to play the game the way you want.

There is a story and mystery that you can start unraveling as you uncover ancient tech or discover new tools. I liked the flavor that the mystery gives the game and gave me something to work towards, but I also liked that I could mess around. This is one of the games I’ll have to uninstall if I ever want to get work done because I am addicted.

If you’re looking for a new game to play, you need to try Core Keeper. The solo experience is fantastic, but I can see this game being a ton of fun with friends. This game is perfect for the folks who need a break from their current survival game, and the perfect place to start for players looking to get into the genre.

You can pick up Core Keeper on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and the Nintendo eShop for only $19.99.

video game reviews

GDC Recap: Shockbyte

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At GDC I got to talk to the founders of Shockbyte, a game hosting server provider. The company had its start with Minecraft, but it has since expanded to support other games like Ark: Survivor Evolved and Valheim. You can find a list of supported games on the official website, here.

The founder started the company at 15 when he saw a need in his community that needed to be filled. It has since grown to what it is today, but not without issues. They have since learned from their mistakes and worked hard to provide the best services for their customers. Shockbyte’s goal is to make their servers as user-friendly as possible so that even the most tech illiterate can effortlessly create a server. What sets this company apart is that while its competitors are stuck in their ways, Shockbyte continues to innovate. They plan to add game-specific features to make the user experience as effortless as possible. These features are only months away, and I hope to return with more information as soon as it is publicly available.

If you are in the market for a server to host one of your worlds, Shockbyte offers inexpensive plans with 100% uptime, DDOS protection, and 24/7 customer support. They also have a 72-hour return policy in case you aren’t satisfied. With these kinds of promises, it is at least worth some research.

I haven’t used Shockbyte, but I have used a service like it to host my Foundry VTT servers for my D&D campaigns. At the time, running it on my PC wasn’t an option because my computer was outdated and my internet was slow. The sessions I ran off my computer were terrible. I faced constant crashes, assets wouldn’t load, and my player’s moves wouldn’t register. I was only dealing with images. I can only imagine how terrible the experience would be with something more resource heavy like Minecraft. Having a dedicated server is great because it eliminates the issues. My players could access the servers, even when I was away, and the games ran smoothly on any internet speed. It also eliminated the risk of losing all my work to hardware failure, which I did. I have since started hosting on a Rasberry Pi because it fits my needs better, but I understand the value of a service like this. 

Shockbyte has a number of affordable plans for several games. I am sure there is one that is just right for you!

This isn’t a sponsored post, nor was I asked to write anything. I am doing so because the product seems great, and I felt the need to share my experience. I am very grateful that Mitch and Niek made time to speak with me to talk to me about their company and answer all my questions. I know I am still a small blog, so it meant a lot to me that I was treated like I wasn’t. It was clear from our conversation that they are passionate about their company and what they do, and I feel confident that they will succeed in providing a fantastic service. I wish them all the best. Thanks again!

Make sure you follow Shockbyte on their socials to stay up to date on all their news: Discord

*Images taken from the official website