Once Human
Table of Contents
ABOUT ONCE HUMAN
The Once Human Beta Test plunges you into a post-apocalyptic world twisted and ravaged by an otherworldly calamity. The once-familiar landscapes are now teeming with strange creatures and harsh environments, pushing the remnants of humanity to the brink of extinction. As a survivor, you are tasked with navigating this treacherous landscape, gathering resources, and fighting for your existence.
Explore the sprawling open world, encountering diverse environments like scorching deserts and overgrown forests, each holding secrets and dangers. Unravel the mysteries of the cataclysm as you uncover hidden areas and fragments of the past. Hone your survival skills, crafting tools and weapons to defend yourself from the monstrous beings that stalk the land.
But the threat doesn’t solely come from the outside. Other humans, driven by desperation and greed, may pose an even greater danger. Choose to cooperate or compete, forming alliances or forging your path in this unforgiving world.
Once Human offers a unique blend of survival, exploration, and social interaction. It challenges you not only to survive but to rebuild, reconnect, and ultimately redefine what it means to be human in a world forever changed.
With every sunrise, you can leave your mark on this lonely world. Will you succumb to the darkness, or will you rise above and become the spark that ignites the flame of hope for a new human civilization? The choice is yours.
THE ONCE HUMAN BETA TEST 2.0
This is the second Once Human Beta Test. The post-apocalyptic “weird” world that has you surviving in a harsh environment makes some changes and adds functionality since the first beta test. In true beta test fashion, plenty of bugs and optimization issues exist. However, the bones for a unique post-apocalyptic survival-horror sandbox experience can be found in its weirdness.
A WEIRD WORLD
Starry Studio consistently labels the Once Human Beta Test as a weird sandbox video game. This becomes quite clear in the Once Human beta test. The story, lore, environments, people, and everything else is weird. If you are a fan of video games that push for new concepts, Once Human should be on your radar.
I love everything I see. The story is engaging and shrouded in mystery. Something is causing the world to experience paranormal events that have entities inhabiting items you see every day. Refrigerators, luggage, and radio towers come to life and attack you.
The world is beautiful in a post-apocalyptic sense. When the world comes close to an end, the world looks different. Everything appears to be in a state of decay. Mechanical items are rusted and houses are falling apart. Vegetation takes hold of anything that remains standing. The clouds, rain, and thunderstorms cast a dreary shadow over everything. Once Human does an outstanding job in this area.
THE GAMEPLAY
I find that the Once Human Beta Test lacks gameplay. There are plenty of things to do so you will never get bored. However, some mechanics need work. For example, character animations make it hard to pick up objects. I’ll find myself adjusting my character constantly in an attempt to pick something up. On top of that, my character simply feels wonky.
Combat isn’t terrible but I feel like there needs to be adjustments. I can effectively combat enemies but I feel like there may be a latency issue or something. Character animations do not help, especially in melee combat. I find movement hard to line up my melee attacks and sometimes I have to run in a circle to get my bearings.
MULTIPLAYER
My feelings on multiplayer are subjective because I do not like multiplayer at all. Multiplayer is the biggest gripe I have with the Once Human Beta Test. You are to partake in multiplayer and that idea alone is very much unappealing to me. It’s part of the journey which is a set of tasks you need to complete to advance in the game.
I spent about an hour in the Once Human Beta Test attempting to complete this portion of my journey but I was never able to. I don’t have friends that play the game and I don’t like to pair up with random people. I hope Starry Studio makes adjustments in this area. This could be what prevents me from buying this game on release
TERRITORIES
I’m not sure what Starry Studio is attempting to accomplish with territories in the Once Human Beta Test. Every player claims a plot of land as their territory. The thing is that there are a lot of players and territory takes up a lot of space. If you are late to the game, good luck finding a decent spot to claim as your territory. Territories are everywhere and they litter the world with everyone’s homes.
The game constantly notifies you when you enter and leave a territory. The notification includes the owner’s name. So, if you are out hunting, gathering supplies, or traveling, you will constantly get notifications about entering and leaving territories. Imagine the annoyance level for just a moment.
Territories are irritating with their notifications, break immersion, and simply look awful. I hope Starry Studio figures out a better way to integrate territories.
AS I SEE IT
I played the first and second Once Human beta test. I think there is a lot of potential here. There is so much to love if you are a fan of the genre. The world alone gets me excited about the game. I love what I see and the entities that inhabit the world are amazing. I’d like to see more variety but I’m sure that will come.
Forced multiplayer needs to be taken out of the game for me to be very excited about the game. Forced multiplayer may be what keeps me from investing in this game. I’d like to see other mechanics worked on in favor of those of us who like a single-player experience. If multiplayer seems to be the focus on release, I will not invest in this video game.
SCREENSHOTS
PODCAST
