I was slow to dive into Icarus on PC initially, despite how much I love the team at RocketWerkz. I’m a survival gaming junkie, so on paper, the game just made sense, but something kept me back. Then, I had the opportunity to review Icarus: Console Edition on the PlayStation 5, and let me tell you something, I was hooked from the first drop. Was it without issues? No. I can’t think of a single release today without problems. But Icarus offered an enjoyable survival experience that, at times, felt overwhelming and, frankly, I think new players will find it difficult to dive into. But enough about that for now, let’s jump into the review!
Editor’s Note: The Guide Hall received a review copy of the game from the developer/publisher/PR for this review. Their generosity does not impact our overall opinion or thoughts on the game!
The Good
There are, honestly, too few survival games worth their weight on consoles. Icarus is a breath of fresh in that regard. It’s comprehensive, to say the least, with crafting, base building, persistent skills, and the usual core survival elements fans of the genre have come to expect.
Upon first landing on a world, completely alone and without much of a clue, I’m immediately in awe at the gorgeous landscape. There’s a flower river to my left, mountains in the distance, trees in every direction, and I can hear a waterfall not far from my current position. But there’s also danger: wolves. It’s a frantic bid for survival straight off the bat; otherwise, I become puppy chow.
That’s the type of survival experience I want.
At first glance, Icarus appears too open. As wide as an ocean, as deep as a puddle, I believe is the old saying. But that’s not the case. Icarus offers a strong sense of progression, varying technology tiers, and purely PvE gameplay elements that should entice anyone who wants to unwind after a long day and build a campfire without worrying about a fourteen-year-old raiding their base.
I guess you can say that Icarus nails the vibes of the survival genre to the letter. It’s immersive, progresses at your pace, plays well in both solo and co-op, features deep crafting and base-building mechanics, and varied environments, especially when you scoop up the DLC.
I forsee many hundreds of hours of gameplay!
The Bad
But it’s not all good news. There are some aspects of Icarus I can’t get behind, sadly.
For instance, the DLC. Icarus sometimes feels like it’s nothing more than a vehicle to sell DLC, considering there are 12 available on launch day. Yes, they came from PC, but that doesn’t make it any better. It will set you back $140 for the base game and a handful of the available DLC as part of the Ultimate Console Edition. To complete the package, expect to pay more.
Then, you have the mission system. It feels varied initially, but in reality, you’ll notice it’s the same mission foundation just slightly varied. There are only a handful. After some time, it starts to wear thin. You’re better off just focusing on survival and slow progression.
Lastly, the UI. Icarus is a menu-heavy game on PC, and it’s downright annoying to navigate on a console with a controller. I quickly grew frustrated trying to sift through the various menus and read the miniscule text.
The Verdict
Overall, would I recommend Icarus: Console Edition? You know, I probably would, despite my gripes. If you’re a fan of the survival genre and you need something to play from your couch, there’s little else available that scratches the itch quite like this. It’s expansive, deep in its mechanics, and the issues it does have can be easily overlooked.