As a lover of the writings of Robert E. Howard, the illustrations of Frank Frazetta, and the films of Arnold Schwarzenegger, I have waited most of my life for that definitive Conan the Barbarian game. Funcom has thrown its hat in the ring, attempting to give that to the fans of the series with Conan Exiles!
What Is Conan Exiles?
Conan Exiles is an open-world survival game where you do not play as the famous barbarian but as a survivor who has been left in the desert with nothing and must re-build his or her life in the brutal land of Aquilonia. The mechanics are very similar to those of many other survival games, most notably ARC: Survival Evolved (which I previously reviewed). Essentially, you gather resources like wood, stone, plants, etc. to create everything from your clothing to a palace of your very own. I find that using a keyboard for this type of game is preferred to a controller, but the PS4 controller does an admirable job with navigating the many menus you must use in worldbuilding.
Why Should You Buy?
When I received the Beta version of Conan Exiles over a year ago on PC, I was admittedly not impressed. The game often lagged and the graphics seemed sub-par. So much so that I never really has any in-depth gameplay. After the game’s recent official release, I decided to revisit it on PC and PS4. I was more than pleasantly surprised to see that the look and execution were greatly improved. The game has the style of Frank Frazetta’s artwork with the sound similar to the legendary Basil Poledouris Conan The Barbarian/Destroyer film scores. These two elements alone are crucial for lifelong fans of the series and also to introduce new gamers to what the world of Conan provides. With the technical issues now in the past, I was able to spend hours building my character and home while confronting beasts and other survivors in the wastelands. There is a lot of work to be done, so if you are looking for a plug and play Conan experience, this game may not be for you. But if you want a long-lasting immersive experience, this is exactly what you are looking for! Conan Exiles is the fastest selling title Funcom has made, and when you play it, you can understand why. It is a truly enjoyable experience for those wanting to immerse themselves in the Hyborian Age.
Scores
Graphics 8/10
Sounds 8/10
Music 9/10
Story 8/10
Gameplay 8/10
Total Score 8.2
Conan Exiles can be purchased for 49.99 here.
A copy of Conan Exiles was provided by Funcom.
To read my other articles click here!
As soon as I obtained the Beta edition of Conan Exiles within one year ago on PC, I was honestly not impressed. Conan Exiles is the fastest-selling name Funcom was created, and if you play with it, it is possible to understand why.