SOS, the game show survival game, has entered Steam’s early access program today and it have a definite appeal to Twitch streamers.
The game puts 16 players on an island as they either work together or as a lone wolf trying to track down three relics scattered throughout the map. If a player is able to track down a relic, they are then tasked with shooting a flare into the sky and escaping the island via a helicopter.
Personally, my favorite part of the game is the delightful opening to the game. All 16 players introduce themselves and are given a few seconds to think of an answer on the spot. While players don’t create their own in-game avatars they do have a nice variety of contestants to choose from to represent themselves.
Once you select your character, you’ll be able to customize his or her clothing but there aren’t a whole lot of options to choose from at the moment. Since the game is in early access, that is likely to change as the game goes further into development.
The game itself is heavily reliant on having a microphone and your character’s lips sync up with your words so it looks like your in-game avatar is actually doing the talking. It’s a really fun idea that has been cooked up but unfortunately the gameplay aspect of it falls flat.
Players are dropped into an island by themselves where they will either meet up with other players or traverse the terrain by themselves. Most games you’ll be able to find at least one other player but I have seen several occasions where I have been alone for the duration of the game.
The game gets significantly better if you find a group of players to play with but the kicker is you’ll never truly know who you are able to trust or not. Players join alliances by high-fiving with each other and together you’ll be able to find relics together. As a result, you’re able to create a small death squad that will be tough for another player to topple. If a solo player runs into an alliance, things usually don’t end well for the solo player.
Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot to do on the island other than finding relics and escaping with them. There isn’t a lot of variety in the game in terms of weapons or items so things can grow stale fast if you play for extended periods of time. New loot does drop from the sky depending on what viewers voted on so there’s also an element of surprise of sorts with the game.
Streamers have the option to use developer Outpost Games’ Hero platform with SOS, which will give them another way to engage with viewers and grow their audience. It is from here where viewers will vote on what should be in the drops and other things.
At the end of the day, this game is best suited for streamers to show off their unique personalities and roleplay as their characters. I can easily see how it will be fun for people to watch but for right now, I can’t say the same about the gameplay itself. My tune might change in the coming months but right now the game is too hit or miss for me.
SOS is now available on Steam. For more gaming news stay with us here at Heavy.