It's not strictly necessary, as while much less inefficient, fish-hunting isn't too tall an order - although their blood will attract nearby sharks - but it's an oddly compelling minigame. Its minimalism nods to Minecraft too, but it builds deep sea doom atmosphere rather well. I should mention before I forget that there's some wonderful, appropriately ominous music too. That's really what it's all about - you know that silver or copper or manganese is out there in the depths somewhere, but can you get to it (and then home again) safely? Getting home at the end of a day's foraging is an essential concept to survival games, and FarSky's deep blue danger adds an frisson of terror. This really isn't sub-aquatic Robinson Crueso, despite at least leaning in that direction Hell, never mind, this is Minecraftbut, and that means your major preoccupation is finding and gathering said metals in the first place. Then there are 'energy orbs' harvested from certain seaweed, from which lights and 'stunning spears' can be built. The expanding base has an infinite oxygen supply and doesn't flood despite having a big old entry hole in the bottom, for instance, while you can knock up diving suits which can withstand greater depths or tanks which hold more air just by farming the right metals and clicking a button. There's a big element of fudging things for expediency's sake, which I have mixed feelings about. Especially when a hammerhead shark decides to have a go while you're at it, or you thoughtlessly swim through a flock of jellyfish in your hurry. A deep sea area which was straightforward to reach - wheeeeeee! - is a right bugger to get back from, and arduously jump-jetting back to the shallower waters your base dwells in sees the oxygen timer depleting yet more dangerously. It's agreeably stressful, primarily because it turns out there a load of hills and sheer cliff faces underwater.

How it is consumed without taking off your diving helmet is not explained, but I'm going with 'a tiny mouth on each fingertip'. Hunger plays a part in your excursions too, though you can always stab a passing fish for a quick sushi hit.

You can only leave your base for so long before your air tanks empty, so there's a big element of how far out you dare push yourself, based on how long you think it'll take to get back, and allowing some wiggle room in the event a shark decides it fancies a bit of leg. Much of the survival drama revolves around oxygen, inevitably. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.

Farsky unfinished