Penkura Reviews

it is CRIMINAL that steam kept this wonderful gem from me for six long years. this game has some incredible potential and even though it is just a skeleton, it still provides more than enough content for it's price and has sold me on the developer's vision. i can only hope it reaches completion.

At this point, I cannot recommend this game. My major complaint is that it *requires* full-time internet connection, for a single-player game. This is a deal breaker for me, and reason for a refund. When this is addressed, I will happily update this review. That said, the game is interesting, though contains many issues (as expected in EA). I expect most of these will be addressed during EA, and well before release. As I encounter issues, i have of course been filing bug reports.

I really like the look and feel of this game, and it has some interesting mechanics - some I like, some I don't, but for early access it is impressive. Excellent work for a small team.

I rarely post reviews, but I think this is a good way to support a developer that really deserve support. I have about 26 hours in Penkura so far and I continue to be pleasantly surprised about how thoughtful the content is as I play this game. It is a slow burn when you getting started, but rewarding once you get the feel of how the crafting mechanics work. The story line is satisfying as one mission opens another. The balance of crafting, exploring, fighting hostel alien bugs is rather good. The graphics, environments, weather effects are all very good. Object models are excellent, along with the varied amount of flora and fauna you encounter. But not cutting edge as far as lighting, but still above par considering this is a Early Access game from a small developer. I would say it seems to me this developer has "pro level" experienced in game design; and I would guess has worked for a large studio before. I highly recommend it. If you are expecting a "planet crafters" type game, forget it. This is a story rich game of survival on a hostel and wild alien world with frightening encounters with creatures that would like nothing better than to eat you for lunch. Enjoy.

Every year the ship of Theseus departs Athens to undertake the pilgrimage to Delos in honor of Apollo. The sea is a harsh place and eventually the ship needs repairs. Torn sails and rotten planks are replaced. Once every piece of the ship has been replaced and nothing of the original remain, is it still the ship of Theseus? If not, then at what point did it stop being the ship of Theseus? Further, If all the old pieces were collected and built into a ship would that be the ship of Theseus? This story of this game is playing with a very interesting concept. Something akin to System Shock, Deus Ex, and Soma, with just a touch of Doom lore and Half-Life sprinkles. In the far future Roko's Basilisk meets a human ship of Theseus. If a benevolent AI oversees a medical procedure in which you are copied neuron by neuron and something goes wrong and some of your memories are lost, are you still you? No time to stop and think, there is a greater menace than your seemingly benign AI companion lurking in the shadows of this hostile alien world. The gameplay is interesting enough. Immersive sim done right, but perhaps a bit too immersive at times. There is a heavy focus on base building, which isn't a genre for everyone, but the story/exploration is much more robust than your standard factory builder. The game vibes more with Planet Crafter than with something like Satisfactory. The early access is much better than many other games I've played. I hope Penkura gets the visibility it needs to continue development because it has the potential to be a real gem.

A fun, unique twist on the survival genre. The story line is interesting enough to keep me wondering just what exactly happened. The graphics are good enough but the sky during sunrise is absolutely beautiful. I'm having a lot of fun and it is well worth the $14 USD. I do have a few critiques/suggestions for improvement but keep in mind I don't know the long game here, what the dev intends for future updates, or if these will get in the way of intended gameplay. 1. A minimap or HUD compass would be great. 2. Being able to place markers on the map would be great. 3. There is too much running around in the first area. Providing a way to unlock fast travel between bases/stations might be something to think about if it isn't already a planned feature or one that becomes available later in the game. 4. Linked storage containers would be a nice feature. Maybe not right away, but something we could unlock? One of the reasons I'm running around so much is because I'm a loot goblin and I must pick up everything but I have to take things back to main base pretty often. 5. The introduction needs some tweaking. I know there is a base computer that tells you how to do things but I think if the AI provided a little more direction and maybe if, at least for the first ore extractor, there were some pop-up tutorials, it might help smooth it out. 6. I almost submitted this as a bug in-game but I'm not sure it is a bug. Sometimes time seems to jump around. I've noticed at least twice that when I run into the main station after the intro (where you build your first real base) at sunset, it will immediately jump to sunrise. I've also noticed twice that if I enter a random facility during the day, when I exit only a few minutes later it is night. Overall, this is really great! Apologies if what I said is redundant, it's just what I noticed while playing. Definitely recommended for those who like sci fi, survival, crafting, etc.