DYSPLACED is a half-linear, half-open-world, narrative-driven RPG with heavy crafting-survival mechanics, one that sees players taken from their average, humdrum lives and placed into the role of a universe-saving guardian. While the game was admittedly kind of slow to start, I found that as I breezed through the many, albeit well-paced, tutorials and began to progress into the story, everything DYSPLACED had to offer really started to grow on me. This is true despite the fact that the game is still in Early Access and, as such, feels as though the scope is pretty limited, with a lot of room and potential for growth.
Mechanically speaking, DYSPLACED mixes the progression of a crafting-survival game with the story- and quest-heavy linear design of an RPG. In DYSPLACED, you follow quests from location to location, clearing out camps of cultists and destroying oppressive pillars of dark magic, progressing linearly through the story as you do. Statistical progression is tied to a mixture of leveling up and crafting, with XP and levels unlocking new recipes for gear. Direct upgrades to that gear, crafted from gathered materials, are the only way to improve your stats, as opposed to receiving straight attribute boosts from leveling.
The level design, like the game’s mechanical loop, takes a sort of middle ground between linearity and open-world exploration. Maps are designed to gradually feed you toward a point defined by the story and quests you are following, while allowing you to roam freely around to gather materials and upgrade your character at your own pace.
The only other game that personally comes to mind as a comparison would be I Hate This Place, a favorite of mine. While the two games play similarly, I think that DYSPLACED handles progression and crafting much better, especially since it does not make use of any timed crafting and allows you to build your structures essentially anywhere.
The game’s building mechanics are not so much designed around having a central base. Instead, it encourages you to build small camps that serve as self-created checkpoints that you can use to prepare for difficult areas, with universal storage boxes serving as subtle suggestions of where you should set these camps up.
While I do enjoy the crafting, I will say that progression in the current Early Access state feels kind of limited. It does not take very long to progress in levels and get to the gear you really want. While it could be argued that this means the game does not have a lot of padding on its research tree, some players enjoy that sort of thing and might feel like the excitement of leveling up begins to fade around the level-20 mark. That being said, the crafting and materials of the game are clearly paced around the story, and you do not really get the chance to outpace the narrative by going out of your way to power-farm and collect resources like you can in some other crafting-survival games.
Where you do build bases, however, I have to say the current building system is less than exciting. You essentially produce large boxes, without a whole lot of variety in the building system to allow for more interesting structures. I would definitely like to see this aspect expanded on.
The game’s artwork initially did not interest me, but it began to grow on me over time. It feels as if a classic RPG, like RuneScape, was built around the ruins of a modern society. The use of modern props against a fantasy background is really fun, and I fell into the setting more as I started to understand it.
If there is one thing I am disappointed about, it is the blatant use of AI.
If there is one thing I am disappointed about, it is the blatant use of AI in the game. The use of AI voiceovers is something I personally found disappointing. If you have read any of my reviews, you probably already know that I am pretty anti-AI in general, especially when it comes to creative endeavors such as the making of video games. I really hope that the developers behind DYSPLACED find the time to remove the AI and replace it with actual actors before the game is fully launched. For me, having the AI voiceover is more distracting and off-putting than it is helpful.
I find it especially strange that AI voices were used where they were, because the rest of the game is completely devoid of voice acting. It would fit the game better, in my opinion, to simply keep it that way, and I hope the developers are not planning on adding more AI voices where there currently are none.
While it is not disclosed on Steam, it very clearly feels as though AI was used to write the Steam store page description. To be frank, this makes me worried about where else AI might have been used without the developers disclosing it. I am of the opinion that if you resort to using AI-generated content in one area, you probably would not be opposed to using it in many others, if not every area where you can get away with it.
Regardless of my feelings on AI, DYSPLACED still manages to be a fairly interesting Early Access game. The progression feels a bit limited in its current state, and the story is not the most incredible or captivating video game narrative I have experienced, but the mixture of survival crafting and RPG elements makes for an enjoyable enough experience and one that I am interested to see expanded upon as the game continues through Early Access.
Pros
- Interesting and fun blend of crafting, survival mechanics, and RPG progression
- Flexible building system replaces checkpoints with player camps
- Unique setting that mixes fantasy elements with the interdimensional junk of modern society
- Interesting enemies and boss battles
Cons
- Progression can feel limited, and your excitement to level up can fall off midway through
- Story is good, but not the most exciting or engaging
- Less than impressive base building in the current Early Access version
TryHardGuides reviewed DYSPLACED on Steam. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page!
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