Developer: Pugstorm
Platforms: Linux, macOS, PC (Reviewed), PS54, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Genre: Adventure, Casual, RPG
Publisher: Fireshine Games
Core Keeper is a survival sandbox game. This game was developed by Pugstorm and published by Fireshine Games. There are a few games similar to Core Keeper, like Terraria, Minecraft, Stardew Valley, Spelunky and many more. This review was done on the PC, but Core Keeper is also available for Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, Linux and macOS.
Core Keeper is a 1-8 player survival adventure game. Core Keeper can be easily played through an experience by yourself or with others. Having the ability to have up to 8 players in one world makes the multiplayer aspect of the game so much more exciting. Personally, I found that the best way to approach Core Keeper was to do the mining grinding in single-player and take on boss battles in multiplayer. The game allows players to do so many different things like cook, mine, build, fight mobs, explore, craft and upgrade. When playing in multiplayer, there was no evident lag or delay in server hosting, even if players were from across the world, which made the gameplay much more fun. I would say that neither playing it by yourself nor with friends takes away from the experience that Core Keeper brings to players, and no matter the difficulty you have chosen, you are able to progress in both ways. Additionally, Core Keeper lets you make up to 30 worlds and 30 character slots. Game mode: standard, hard, creative and casual. When I played the game in early access, there was a limitation to the game modes. The addition of casual and creative allows for players to freely explore and build in their worlds, which is a feature I quite like. Also, you can add a specific world seed and even customise world generation that includes things like biomes, ore density, etc.
Now, the controls for Core Keeper are extremely easy to get a hang of, as most of them just come to you through playing the game. There is no set tutorial in the game where it shows the player different mechanics or keybinds; the game just throws the player in blind, but this isn’t something that’s too big of a problem. The game plays in a sense where you first pick a class that will give you different starting materials and additional skill points; for instance, if you pick a miner, you will get food rations and mining skill points, or if you pick a summoner you get a summoning tool and summoning skill points. The game plays in a sense where you first pick a class that will give you different starting materials and additional skill points; for instance, if you pick a miner, you will get food rations and mining skill points, or if you pick a summoner, you get a summoning tool and summoning skill points. Now, from someone who has played Core Keeper since it came out on Early Access, I was very excited about the new classes/skills they added, Mage and Summoner, which are now available in version 1.0. Because you have an endless amount of worlds and profiles to choose from, you can interchange profiles you have made between worlds, which allows for a lot more fun.
The art style for Core Keeper consists of a spectacular 2D pixelated world. The game has a retro, reminiscent sense that feels similar to classic games. The art style is slightly similar to that of Terraria, but Core Keeper has a top-down, more cave-like feel. The game even includes vibrant colours and detailed animations that enhance the visual experience. The game captures a great dark underground environment with a span of intriguing biomes for players to explore. I love the attention to detail that is added in this game; it brings much life to the mobs and items you interact with. In addition, the character/mob designs are cute and quirky and stand out from one another, which really makes the game worthwhile. For instance, some of the designs and animations for the boss fights are so unexpected and wildering that they work so well. Even being able to customise your character at the beginning of the game and getting to wear other accessories and clothes gives the game a lighthearted tone. There are a lot of visual aspects that make the game feel fluid and overall enhance the gameplay experience. The visuals of Core Keeper are paired really nicely with the soundtrack and sound effects that surround the environment. For instance, if you’re mining through the thick cave walls, the music can change from subtle music to something more amped up when interchanging between different biomes. Some biomes have music associated with them, which matches the vibe extremely well. Personally, boss music is my favourite as it creates a chaotic environment. The sound effects in the game also capture the world really nicely, from things like the slime pounces, the mining of blocks and the automatic drill to even your characters running steps. Core Keeper does a wonderful job at embodying this mining expedition for players to embark on.
As I said earlier, I am someone who has played Core Keeper since day 1, in its early access stage, so it is coming to its full version 1.0 makes me really excited; throughout my gameplay, I noticed evident new things that made the game even more surprising. The first noticeable difference, which is a huge deal, was that floors/walls from dirt blocks can be used interchangeably, which is so much more effective. Another change I noticed was that the third boss in early access was a grub-like monster, but now it has changed to a fire warlock type of boss. I think the additions and changes that have been made are quite fun to notice, and even if you have never played early access to Core Keeper, being able to explore all the different things the game has to offer is fantastic. When I first played Core Keeper, I thought the three bosses at the beginning were the whole game only, to find out that there are six additional bosses that need to be defeated in order to gain their knowledge and skills. Now, I have never been able to fully complete Core Keeper, but the game offers hours of endless fun.
At first, it requires a lot of grinding, a slow burn indeed, but one that will set you out on a journey to explore the vastness this gloomy cave has to offer. One of my favourite things to do in the game besides build up for the boss fights is to create a charming base; I always felt that there needs to be more decoration added into the game, which will make the building aspect even more exciting. Being able to use the space and interact with NPCs in order to create rooms for them to stay near your place is such a cute feature added to the game. The main premise of Core Keeper is to mine a set of ore, build tools, gain skills and then explore to find the next set of ore. Ore progression is done in a way where the specific ore is related to a biome. Exploring, mining, cooking, and fighting is basically what is done throughout the gameplay of Core Keeper, but it truly is a game filled with much fun. I would highly recommend playing this game with friends to enhance the experience, but it does not stray away from an experience by yourself either.
Now, I had played Core Keeper with a few other people, and they wanted to say something about the game themselves. First, Vroggo said the following, “Playing Core Keeper was such an amazing experience. I believe that the premise of the game when I first started playing was that our character was transported deep underground and were left to fend for themselves in an unfamiliar cave-like region, trying to figure out a way back to the surface.
Just like our in-game character, we, as players, are also lost as to how to start the game ourselves as there was no tutorial to rely on when we started the game. I found that weird at first, and I’m not sure if that was intentional, but the controls were simple to understand, and the progression of the game was fun to discover as we kept adventuring. It really compliments the consequences of the situation in the pre-game lore.
As I played the game, I instantly noticed how well-developed the visuals and music were. The ambience which the two created made the game feel so mystical and alive for being in a place where you’d think it would be cold, damp, and dark. Instead, you’d find diverse biomes with their own set of colour schemes, ecosystems, and personalised music.
I have yet to finish what the game offers in its entirety, but I see a lot of potential in the future endeavours of the game, and I can’t wait to experience them!”.
Randomnamez had the following to say about the game, “Core Keeper is a sandbox survival game where you must mine and craft, and explore in a dark underground world. It’s a stylistically pixelated game that is similar to Terraria and Stardew Valley. What’s more, it supports up to 8 players in the co-op, allowing you and your friends to drop in and out as you please. This feature adds a whole new dimension to the game, making it a perfect choice for those who love to share their gaming experiences.
Core Keeper is a top-down 2D game that is the mainstay of modern 2D gaming and leverages well-known game mechanics in a highly stylised 2D-pixel art adventure. The controls are intuitive and straightforward, and then again, if you are used to playing the likes of Stardew Valley and Terraria, the game will be second nature before you know it—the dark and bright graphics, with each area’s unique feel and gameplay style. The controls are responsive and straightforward. The game has a superb mix of gathering, crafting and fighting enemies. Again, all these mechanics are simple and easy to pick up for the uninitiated.
For people who love this indie survival 2D pixelated and engaging but straightforward game, Core Keeper is a fantastic new entry in the genre and should give you a new journey with a mix of surprises and lots of fun.”
Core Keeper is a survival game where you can play for hours on end and still explore the vastness that this unknown underground cave has to offer. You can take on an exciting journey by yourself or with up to 8 friends. The game offers stunning 2D visuals with a great selection of music to keep you sane in the dangerous caves. As you take on this journey, you will upgrade your skill set, craft tools, build bases, cook, and fight the bosses needed to gain the knowledge that will bring light to this forgotten land. Core Keeper offers so much to players and is filled with much fun. You should definitely check out Core Keeper!
Overall: 9.5/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
