INTRODUCTION
The Other 99 is a first person survival game that requires you to be resourceful and strong. There are many people on the island that will want to kill you so you have to fight with all your might. You also need to collect resources such as food, water, and weapons to be able to survive.
If you’re itching for a survival game that tests your skills and resource management then The Other 99 is the game for you. It takes inspiration from The Hunger Games in the sense that when someone dies you will hear a beep on your watch signifying that a life has been taken away lowering the number from 99.
You can purchase this game on Steam for $14.99 but do take note that The Other 99 is still an early access title, which means the game is still in development and is not finished yet.
STORY
The Other 99 is more of a game that allows you to create a story of your own. The only basis of story you will have here is the fact that you’re a man who has woken up suddenly and the other understanding he has of the reality that's in front of him now is a note that reads, “THE ONLY WAY OFF THE ISLAND IS THROUGH THE OTHER 99.” From there you set off to create your own story of how you will end up surviving or dying in this ultimate survival experience. The fact that you can create your own adventure is interesting in of itself which makes for a lot of replayability.
GAMEPLAY
Since The Other 99 is a survival game there will be plenty of tasks you will have to do to ensure your survival on the island. Let’s talk about the first thing you need to understand which is exploration. Exploration is key in The Other 99 because not only are you rewarded with resources and weapons but you will also stumble upon these notes that have a message written on them. These notes provide more intrigue into the madness that is with staying on this island, some people will write things that are very depressing or some are just very angry regarding the unfairness of what is now their reality. They can also take you to secret passages, show you where more resources are, etc.
They were just very entertaining to read because it made the island have more personality instead of it being this bland desolate place, it made people go crazy. I enjoyed this portion of this game as I was eager to explore more and find more notes, it felt like island gossip which was interesting because they weren’t generic at all. I remember reading a note about a kid who said he had nothing to live for because everyone in his life treated him poorly, adding that at the very end he said, “I guess you were right dad. I do always take the easy way out.” This note was left on a cliffside that I’m assuming he either jumped off or killed himself. This was a very sad moment that made me feel empathy for this person, it’s a very powerful thing that not many games can make you feel that way. Exploration isn’t just about reading notes, you can find various camps to kill people and steal their resources as well.
Next, let’s talk about combat because you will have to learn how to fight properly so you can survive. Fighting in this game is very reminiscent of the game Condemned Criminal Origins in that you have two types of attack and your blocking has to be timed properly. When fighting an opponent you will have to lock onto them with the camera, this creates a focused one on one fighting style that makes it to where all your attention will be on battling your enemy. The camera stays steadily on him as you fight so it’s hard for you to miss really. You have two types of attack which is a lunging attack and a slash attack from the side. Each one from my experience doesn’t seem to do more damage than the other but the thing you have to realize when fighting is that you have to conserve your stamina. Be sure to time your attacks and blocking is essential to your survival because it will make your enemies stagger for a moment which makes them open for attack.
Just like in Condemned Criminal Origins you can’t hold your block, you have to time it perfectly to when your opponent strikes. You can also hold your attack to do more damage. Don’t feel like having a fight with someone? Hide and sneak onto someone behind their back killing them instantly. I enjoyed the combat a lot, it really made me test my skills in conserving stamina, blocking at the right moment and striking when necessary. The most interesting part about combat is that whenever you kill someone you will hear the beep on your watch go off signifying that you truly have killed someone.
Last but not least, I want to talk about survival. What I mean by survival specifically is conserving food and water. You will need food and water to be able to keep up with conserving your health at the highest level and water for conserving stamina so that it won’t be depleted faster. You can easily find water and food by killing people and stealing their resources as horrible as that sounds. I found myself worrying at times whether I was going to have enough water to ensure my survival but I ended up always finding some no matter what so there isn’t any worry when it comes to running out of resources.
As I mentioned earlier when exploring you will find a lot of abandoned camps also and abandoned buildings that provide these resources as well. I think this was a great system that turned the intensity up for this game more because instead of relying on your health to manage you have to consider your water and food needs. Don’t forget to pick up health kits and pills, because in this game food doesn’t replenish your health. You will need these to survive in this game so make sure to really look around, there is plenty to find.
PRESENTATION
The Other 99 looks wonderful, everything is very detailed and fits the island perfectly. When I was venturing throughout the island I actually felt like I was in one. Not some generic are that was built on a body of water surrounding it but an actual island. There is lots of variety here with grass, trees, mountains, vegetation, bunkers, broken down buildings, beaches and much more. The great thing is that there is also a day and night cycle which makes the game more intriguing. I found myself enjoying the daytime more because you can see everything better but when it was nighttime I felt like I was in a horror movie. Ultimately I felt as if it’s island theme has been presented wonderfully and it fits the game indefinitely.
SOUND
The Other 99 has a creepy tune as you explore its island. It’s a tune that I can’t really put into words but it’s full of intrigue and darkness. I was always wondering what was going to happen next and how it was going to happen. It’s a very unsettling theme that especially when it’s nighttime I felt uneasy. I especially liked when I was battling a foe that they would be screaming at me and throwing insults to think they were the better man. These made the fights more interesting and realistic as both of us are trying to fight for our lives. At nights sometimes a roar of thunder would come in making it feel more realistic, it was just a nice touch.
CONCLUSION
While The Other 99 is still an early access title it provides for a fun experience in the state that it’s in. The developers are going to add a crafting system next as well as more expansion upon the game from requests from the fans. I think it provides a truly unique experience from walking around and hearing the beeps go off from your watch knowing that certain death can come at any time. I enjoyed its combat because it was very reminiscent of Condemned Criminal Origins which is my favorite game and I enjoyed its survival aspect that made me have to be on alert at all times. There is still no known release date for the final product of this game, but I’m sure it will come out sometime in the near future. I’m looking forward to tackling this island again and finally escaping this crazy reality. Please check out this game and support the developers because they seem honest and have actually given an early access title that is worth playing and isn't full of bugs and mess ups for the most part.
