In SERUM, you start with a brief introduction: you're a scientist working on a project. Unlike many survival games where you might wake up on a beach or in the desert, you find yourself in a tunnel-like sewer system. Immediately, you discover you're in a dire situation, needing to inject Serum every two minutes to stay alive. Your colleague's radio transmission doesn't bring good news, adding to the grim atmosphere. Compared to the familiar survival game settings of beaches or deserts, this scenario is far less inviting.
Mission Impossible?
You eventually find your base and learn to make Serum to survive. While you're safe from the Serum timer at the base, the game's challenge lies in managing resources and planning your trips. You can grow ingredients, craft weapons, and tools, recycle materials, and upgrade your base. However, unlike some survival games, you can't build elaborate structures; your base is more functional than decorative.
Crafting and Surviving
It took me about an hour to find the location of the spear recipe and the same with the bow (which has unlimited arrows). This meant a lot of exploring to discover recipes, and I died a lot in the process. But that's part of my approach to these games. I like to take my time. And time is something you'll need because death is inevitable. Each time you die, you respawn at your last-placed defibrillator. This adds a layer of strategy to your exploration.
Gameplay Experience
In my 10-15 hours of gameplay, I encountered noticeable FPS dips from 100 to around 50. Although these dips were not game-breaking, they were certainly noticeable. A few areas had the potential for getting stuck, but nothing too severe. The game's ambiance is enhanced by creepy whispers, making the environment even more unsettling. It freaked me out, even when I wasn't consciously noticing it.
Combat and Exploration
The spear and bow are the best weapons for maintaining distance from enemies. Planning is essential before embarking on missions. If your Serum runs out, herbs can heal and boost your Serum levels. There's a variety of recipes to make Serum stronger, last longer, and provide different abilities like higher jumps or breaking through walls and obstacles. Farming and reproducing plants at your base is reminiscent of Far Cry and Green Hell.
Check out my gameplay:
Blending Steam Overview
SERUM immerses you in a world where every second counts, navigating through toxic fog and fighting mutated creatures. As you explore various biomes, you uncover clues about past events, gathering resources to survive. The unique brewing mechanism allows for numerous combinations to enhance your abilities, and the modified weapons help in combat against the mutated abominations. Managing your health, stamina, and the side effects of Serum adds another layer of challenge.
Upcoming Features
Although I haven't fully explored the trapping and animal breeding mechanics, they add another layer to the game. An exciting upcoming feature is the addition of a 4-player co-op, which will allow you to team up with friends to tackle the challenges together. SERUM is still in very Early Access, so it's exciting to see what future updates will bring, including potential DLCs, new features, animals, quests, and more.
Final Thoughts
SERUM has a promising future ahead. I can't wait for the continued journey with this game. As we've covered here on Fix Gaming Channel before, from a demo review and a developer interview, we wish the developers at Team Game Island and Toplitz Productions all the best. Fix Gaming Channel rates SERUM a solid 9/10.
Stay tuned for more exciting features and insights into the gaming world here on Fix Gaming Channel!
Have a blast!
By Ronny Fiksdahl
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