325 people found this review helpful
7 people found this review funny
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Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 632.6 hrs on record (29.1 hrs at review time)
Posted: 26 Sep, 2022 @ 12:55am
Updated: 31 May @ 11:05pm

Early Access Review
THIS IS THE EARLY ACCESS RELEASE??

TL;DR: Game is already really good with minimal bugs, great new world, exploration, and Slime Science system. But a couple of problems and currently feels more like a Slime Rancher 1.5 or Slime Rancher DLC. Moving more and more into a full, new game. Still highly recommended.

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Pronto!

Prontomart, let's go!

v0.5.0 is a pretty amazing update so far, with the main feature being Prontomart! Online shopping in Slime Rancher is real. There's two sections to Prontomart, Polestar Provisions which are blueprints to buy for gadgets, and also Coo-Coo Corner, which are new exclusive deals every day at 12:00! (in-game). Slime toys are also back, which is super cool! They look super good as well. Adds a couple new treasure pods, too!

Overall, a pretty good update that changes the game in a way that keeps the core gameplay the same. Can't wait for the next update!
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My experience with this game has been amazing. I played a lot of Slime Rancher 1 across multiple platforms, so I was thrilled for this release. The new areas are amazing, with brand new nooks and crannies to explore, with each area being distinct with its colourful and playful nature. The soundtrack is once again phenomenal, although deciding to be more chill than Slime Rancher 1. (The night tracks are still the best ones in the game, in every area.)

The new Slime Science system is AMAZING. Once you upgrade your vacpack with the extractor, YOU are the apiary. YOU are the drill. YOU are the pump. I think you get the point. You find resources around the island and can vac them up instead of placing drills down in each area and waiting for their cycle to finish. It's a very polished system for being one of the biggest new features and I cannot wait to see it get expanded on.

Slime Rancher 2 does a great job with exploration too. The map is already massive, and as stated previously, each area is distinct and recognisable. Slime Keys are a thing of the past, in favour of you bursting gordos to find twisty things to activate portals, or the gordo sitting directly on top of the portal, and I think they've done it wonderfully. I'm very excited for what Monomi Park has to offer with the areas they're planning to add.

Starmail has been replaced with a little wireless communication box in front of The Conservatory, pretty neat. Nothing has been heard from Casey so far though :(

No need for the section on v0.1.1 and v0.1.2, as everything since then (bug fixes and QoL improvements) has been improved on. I've ran into even less bugs in later updates, but some areas are definitely still too bright. Definitely going to try and keep this review updated with each update, though.

However, Tarrs are still a MASSIVE problem naturally, and I find the game more fun with them disabled at this point.

Old update, but welcome in v0.2.0, the Song of the Sabers update! With it comes a brand new island, Powderball Puffs, and many new items and a couple of slimes. They've also added 4 new treasure pods to Ember Valley and Starlight Strand.

In Powderball Puffs, you can find the returning star of the update; the Saber slime. In this winter wonderland you'll also find a Saber gordo and normal slimes such as Rock, Boom, etc. Powderball Puff's real party trick is at night, when its "Auroral Anomalies" show up, revealing secret pathways and other really cool things. There's also the new Thundercluck chicken, with a new secret slime, the Yolky Slime, which is an elusive and rare slime found around chicken nests. Another elusive and rare thing is Sun Sap.

With all the new content in the update, I'm very happy with it. It is starting to feel like how Slime Rancher 1 felt in early access. Everything in this update is great, my only gripe is how rare the Yolky Slime and Sun Sap is. This game is finally culminating into something new!

Small little update, v0.3.0, "Come Rain or Slime". Adds back old favourites, like the Dervish and Tangle Slimes, with Prickly Pears, and a whole new dynamic weather system. The update is alright, but 9 months for this seems a bit... underwhelming. Would love to see a bit more in future content updates.

Gadgets My Way, v0.4.0! What an update. Entirely revamped gadget system, allowing them to be placed nearly everywhere. Revamped fabricator UI and blueprints tab in the Slimepedia, allowing you to see the resources required for a decoration or gadget. There's also new areas to explore within each area, and with that comes new treasure pods with the new gadgets showcased in the trailer! They were relatively easy to find, but not placed out in the open, which is good. Apart from that, new resources (Storm Glass, Lightning Mote and Drift Crystal) for the new gadgets, and there's some QoL additions like the new comms notification when someone contacts you at the conservatory. Pretty great update!

For now, Slime Rancher 2 STILL feels more like a Slime Rancher 1.5, or Slime Rancher 1 DLC, but with more content updates it is finally feeling like something new, definitely getting there. I'm optimistic about the future of Slime Rancher 2 though, considering how far Slime Rancher 1 came within its time. But for now, be brave, be bold, and stay wiggly. Have fun on Rainbow Island!


P.S tabby slime, you are still my beloved
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