Game Reviews

Conan Exiles: Barbarism and Survival

14 Feb 2024 20 min read

Updated On: February 14, 2024 by What is Esports? Team

Venturing into the heart of a savage, unrelenting wilderness is no small feat. The thrill and tribulations of Conan Exiles have become familiar to us; we’ve navigated its expansive terrains and gleaned tactics that truly make a difference.

Our wisdom will shepherd you from the rudimentary struggles for survival to carving out a realm of your own in these merciless wilds. Steel yourself for combat—the quest for survival beckons!

Key Takeaways

Conan Exiles drops players into a harsh, survival – focused world influenced by the stories of Conan the Barbarian, where they must use their wits to gather resources, build structures and fend off dangers.
The game features extensive crafting and building systems that allow for the creation of unique weapons, armour, and fortifications, with options for customising characters to suit different playstyles.
Players can choose between playing solo or engaging with others in multiplayer modes such as player versus environment (PvE) or player versus player (PvP), each offering distinct challenges and ways to interact with the game world.
Early access to Conan Exiles allows gamers to influence its development by providing feedback on features and gameplay while experiencing new content as it’s released.
With its positive reception and comparisons to established games like Minecraft, RUST, and ARK: Survival Evolved, Conan Exiles stands out in the competitive survival genre thanks to its barbaric setting and emphasis on brutal combat.

The Setting: A Brutal World of Conan the Barbarian

In Conan Exiles, players are thrust into a brutal world inspired by the legendary tales of Conan the Barbarian. As a custom playable character rescued by Conan himself, you must navigate through the unforgiving and primal lands to survive and thrive.

With early access versions available, players can explore this savage and untamed world as they seek to carve out their own place in it.

Custom Playable Character Rescued by Conan

We all start our journey in the savage lands of Conan Exiles as a custom playable character, stranded and tied to a crucifix. It’s Conan himself who cuts us down from our dire fate, setting us free to forge our own path in this barbaric fantasy world.

From that moment on, it’s up to us to survive the ruthless environment filled with danger and opportunity.

Our adventure begins with nothing but bare hands and willpower. We must quickly learn how to manage resources, hunt for food, and protect ourselves against the harsh elements or other exiled warriors fighting for their lives.

The game throws us into an unforgiving wilderness where we can make allies or face everything alone as we build shelters, craft weapons, and work towards creating a piece of civilisation within a primitive landscape.

Early Access Versions

Conan Exiles offers an early access version, allowing players to contribute to the game’s development and improvement. This provides an exciting opportunity for gamers to be part of the game’s evolution.

As players explore the harsh lands of Conan Exiles, they can provide feedback on mechanics, features, and overall gameplay experience, shaping the direction of the game.

The early access version also gives players a chance to experience new content as it is released. It allows them to have a direct impact on the final version of the game through their participation in testing and providing valuable insights for developers.

This collaborative approach fosters a sense of community among players and creates an engaging environment where everyone has a voice in shaping the ultimate gaming experience.

Gameplay

In Conan Exiles, the gameplay revolves around survival mechanics such as managing hunger and thirst, as well as combating dangerous enemies in a brutal world. Players will also engage in building and crafting to create their own settlements and weapons, while choosing between player versus environment or player versus player modes for different experiences.

Survival Mechanics

Manage Essential Resources: Gather materials, hunt for food, and seek water to ensure your character’s survival.
Construct Shelter and Strongholds: Utilise building mechanics to create shelters and fortify bases against enemy attacks.
Battle Ruthless Enemies: Engage in combat with dangerous creatures and hostile factions while managing your health and stamina.
Adapt to Harsh Environments: Endure extreme weather conditions such as sandstorms and blizzards that can threaten your survival.
Explore the Vast World: Navigate through diverse landscapes, uncover hidden treasures, and discover resources vital for sustaining life.

Building and Crafting

In Conan Exiles, players can construct elaborate structures and craft a variety of items to aid in their survival. Here are some key aspects of building and crafting in the game:

Players can gather resources from the environment such as wood, stone, and metal to construct shelters, defensive fortifications, and other structures.
Crafting stations like blacksmith benches and carpenter’s benches enable players to create weapons, armour, tools, and other useful items.
The game features a robust building system that allows for the creation of intricate bases and settlements using various building pieces such as walls, roofs, and foundations.
Utilising thralls – captured NPCs – players can improve their crafting capabilities by placing them at crafting stations to increase production efficiency.
Players have the option to decorate their structures with furniture, lighting fixtures, and other decorative items for both aesthetic appeal and functional purposes.
Building strongholds strategically is crucial for defending against hostile creatures and other players in PvP combat scenarios.
As players progress in the game, they can unlock more advanced building materials and crafting recipes through exploration, defeating enemies, or completing specific objectives.
The customisable nature of constructing buildings allows players to design unique architectural marvels that reflect their creativity and play style within the brutal world of Conan Exiles.
Engaging in complex city planning or creating expansive fortresses provides an immersive experience where players can establish their presence in the savage lands while surviving its challenges.

PvP and PvE

Players can engage in intense player versus player (PvP) battles, where they must utilise their combat skills and strategic thinking to conquer opponents and claim territory. The multiplayer online game also offers the option for players to focus on player versus environment (PvE) gameplay, where they can explore the brutal lands of Conan Exiles, encounter hostile creatures, and overcome environmental challenges.

Both PvP and PvE modes provide opportunities for players to test their survival instincts, craft powerful weapons and armour, build formidable structures, and collaborate with others to thrive in the unforgiving world of Conan Exiles.

In addition to facing off against other players or surviving against harsh environments, players can immerse themselves in a primitive civilisation setting within the game. This includes resource management, open-world exploration, crafting tools and items from scratch while mastering brutal combat techniques.

Progression and Character Creation

Progress through crafting and exploring to build up your character’s strength and skills. With the ability to customise your character, Conan Exiles offers a unique experience in the survival game genre.

Progress through Crafting and Exploring

Crafting and exploring are essential to advancing in Conan Exiles. By gathering resources and crafting materials, players can create tools, weapons, and structures necessary for survival.

These crafted items help players endure the harsh wilderness and fight off dangerous creatures. As players explore the vast open world, they uncover new locations, resources, and challenges that contribute to their progression.

Additionally, discovering hidden secrets and ancient ruins while exploring provides valuable knowledge and rare materials for further advancement.

Exploring diverse environments also allows players to encounter different wildlife, enabling them to acquire unique resources vital for crafting more advanced gear. The continuous cycle of crafting and exploration is crucial for enhancing your capabilities as a survivor in Conan’s brutal world.

Customizing Your Character

As players progress through crafting and exploring in Conan Exiles, they have the opportunity to customise their characters to fit their playstyle. This includes choosing attributes that suit their preferred approach to survival, whether that’s excelling in combat or focusing on gathering resources and building.

Players can also personalise their character’s appearance with a range of options for facial features, hairstyles, and clothing, allowing them to stand out in the harsh landscape of the barbaric wasteland.

Creating a unique character in Conan Exiles not only adds a personal touch to the gameplay experience but also enhances immersion in the world of Conan the Barbarian. With an array of customisation choices available, players can tailor their characters to align with their strategic goals while surviving and thriving in this brutal open-world setting.

Reception and Reviews

Conan Exiles has received positive reviews, with players praising the game’s open-world exploration and survival crafting mechanics. It has been compared to popular games like Minecraft, RUST, and ARK, solidifying its place in the competitive survival game genre.

Popular Survival Game Genre

Survival games like Conan Exiles have gained popularity due to their open-world exploration and sandbox adventure elements. Players immerse themselves in a brutal wasteland, using survival crafting skills to build, craft, and fight against the harsh environment and other players.

The game’s multiplayer features allow for intense player vs player battles as well as cooperative play, adding an additional layer of strategy and challenge. With its emphasis on survival mechanics, Conan Exiles provides a unique experience for both novices and seasoned gamers alike.

Next up: “Comparisons to Other Games”

Comparisons to Other Games (Minecraft, RUST, ARK)

As avid gamers, we’re always curious about how Conan Exiles stacks up against other titles in the survival genre like Minecraft, RUST, and ARK. Let’s delve into a concise comparison to see how each game challenges players to survive and thrive within their unique worlds.

Game	Setting	Survival Focus	Building/Crafting	Multiplayer
Conan Exiles	Barbaric wasteland of the Hyborian Age	Intense, with needs like hunger and thirst, extreme weather, and hostile creatures	Complex system with a wide range of structures and defensive options	Co-op and competitive modes, with a focus on community and server-based play
Minecraft	Procedurally generated blocky landscapes	More relaxed but still challenging, with a creative aspect	Simple yet deep, allowing for immense creativity and invention	Both cooperative and competitive play, with a massive community
RUST	Post-apocalyptic world	Hardcore, with a focus on PvP encounters and raiding	Focuses on fortification and defense against other players	Highly competitive, often with large clans vying for dominance
ARK: Survival Evolved	Prehistoric and fantasy elements with dinosaurs	Challenging with a unique twist of taming and riding dinosaurs	Extensive, with a variety of building options and technology tiers	Collaborative and adversarial, with tribes and environment posing threats

Each game brings its own flavor to the survival experience. Conan Exiles immerses players in a world inspired by the savage tales of Conan the Barbarian. Now, let’s move on to discuss the unique progression and character creation system in Conan Exiles.

Conclusion: The Appeal of Barbarism and Survival in Conan Exiles

Experience the thrill of open-world exploration and player-vs-player battles in Conan Exiles. Survive against the harsh environment, build and craft to thrive, and engage in epic battles with both human players and challenging creatures.

Progress from a rescued character to a powerful survivor as you navigate through this brutal wasteland. Embrace your inner barbarian and test your skills in this immersive survival game.