We all know that person who’s a little kooky! They hide in shadowy corners, discuss conspiracy theories, plan for the worst, and have a basement full of supplies. You wonder, are they insane or do they know something we don’t? In Mr Prepper, you take on the role of this survivalist nutcase as you try to make a better life for yourself.
Developed by Rejected Games and published by Ultimate Games, this is a survival adventure title. It’s a game that wonderfully blends crafting, adventuring, and surviving. Furthermore, it’s full of interesting characters and overbearing officials. It will test your patience and ability to plan as you grind for items and hope for luck.
Mr Prepper is a slow-burner.
Set in a world under the threat of nuclear war, you must tread carefully. Fresh from a stint at her majesty’s pleasure, the titular hero returns home. Here he is under the watchful eye of the government’s law enforcement agency. This, alongside the many dystopian rules, makes Mr Prepper search for a brighter future. With the help of his strange neighbours, he must break the law, search for prohibited items, and plan to escape.
The gameplay is very simple. Effectively, it’s a massive game of cat and mouse with Mr Prepper, as the cheese-eating vermin. Subsequently, all your illegal activities must be hidden and completed without raising suspicions. However, this is easier said than done when the end goal is to create a giant rocket. Yep, you read that right, a giant rocket! Now, where this will take you is anybody’s guess. But, maybe space is better than the risk of nuclear war?
Grind, lots and lots of grind.
Since your release from jail, you are now on probation. This may not seem like a big deal, but it allows the officials to snoop on you freely. They’ll drop by your house and you must rush around removing and covering illicit activities. If you fail to cover your plans or hide objects, their suspicions will be raised and you’ll potentially get arrested. If this happens, it’s game over, so make sure to cover your tracks. Again, this is a pretty tough ask as your atypical suburban house sits on top of your top-secret underground bunker. Here, you must grow food, build equipment, house illegal goods, and make your rocket. None of this is too challenging, but it requires time and materials.
This is where the grind element comes into play. Every task requires a hefty layer of micromanagement, and this slows everything down. Whether it’s the resources you don’t have, or a lack of energy, food, or preparedness, it’ll hold you back. Now, resources aren’t too troublesome to find as you can go on expeditions to gather food, wood, metal, and more. Furthermore, you can trade with your neighbours for anything essential. This will cost you money, but it also builds up a reputation that enhances your network of traders. Moreover, the better your friendship, the more exotic the items on offer. Consequently, this is essential during the latter game as you try to build your spaceship.
Stats, oh those darn stats.
Survival games are renowned for their heavy reliance on stats. However, Mr Prepper is just ridiculous. The aforementioned grind is negatively impacted by the awful and unbalanced stat system. With only 3 elements to monitor; energy, preparedness, and food. You’d think it would be simple. Well, think again! The hero is either permanently hungry or always tired. Therefore, this impacts his preparedness and slows the action to a crawl. Annoyingly, every task drains your life force and you spend more time worrying about eating than building your bunker.
This ruins the brilliance of the building aspect while making the gameplay repetitive. Instead of being fun, interesting, and a tactical challenge, it becomes monotonous very quickly. It was such a shame, as it has the right ingredients to be exceptional. Subsequently, I couldn’t stomach playing it for long periods and I was often left frustrated. If the developers had balanced their approach, Mr Prepper would have been exponentially better.
Mr Prepper has a striking but simple style.
The action unfolds using a side-scrolling perspective. Most of the gameplay focuses on your suburban house and the subterranean level. Alongside this, you can visit many areas that have a unique appearance. I thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity of the colourful and vivid graphics. Furthermore, I adored the 1950s American feel. Consequently, the action has a distinct cold war feeling that is chilling and uncomfortable.
Where this excels is its dramatic audio. I loved the heavy nature of the music and the blend of loud and obnoxious sound effects. You’ll explore while listening to daunting tunes and this makes it extremely uncomfortable. What’s more, the snarling of wildlife, the bang of guns, and the crashing of building works add to the realism.
Plenty of guesswork.
Mr Prepper isn’t the easiest of titles to get to grips with. Sadly, its lack of explanation and strange control layout doesn’t help. Yes, you can follow a basic tutorial, but this only explains the fundamentals. Consequently, there is plenty of guesswork if you want to get the most out of it. Therefore, the imbalanced gameplay is tougher to swallow as you consistently fail your tasks.
If you can master the controls and best the imbalanced mechanics, you’ll experience a deep game. It’s laced with interesting layers, complex moments, and fascinating characters. Subsequently, it’ll grab your attention and keep you playing. Moreover, it has the potential to last for hours if you fall for its charms.
Mr Prepper: plenty of potential.
From the opening gambit, I knew this would be an in-depth experience. It combines many great elements and has plenty of potential. Sadly, though, Mr Prepper was imbalanced and frustrating. However, with some minor tweaks, it could be amazing. If you are up for a challenge, I recommend you buy it here! No one wants to live in fear, so create a plan, hide your secrets, and blast off into space.
