Hello and welcome back to “The Backlog.” In this column I review video games based on a certain genre each month. Continuing our exploration of “I love it/I hate it” games, takes us to the ever difficult and giant world of “Don’t Starve Together.”
The wilderness survival game “Don’t Starve Together” is the 2014 sequel to “Don’t Starve.” Developer and publisher Klei Entertainment continues to update “DST” with new content a decade later. What separates “DST” from its predecessor is the multiplayer aspect. The 2D experience can be played with up to six other players. Only two players can do so locally, but others can join online.
The main objective of “DST” is to escape the Constant, a world separate from the regular one we know. This alternate dimension was originally found by Maxwell in “Don’t Starve,” who was the main antagonist but is now a playable character in “DST.” Each character that is brought to the Constant has their own unique abilities, perks and drawbacks.
Currently there are 14 base game characters with four DLC characters, each one with a name starting with “W.” For those wondering, Maxwell’s real name is William Carter. You are not limited to one character; at a certain point players gain the ability to change their character. This allows you to experiment and decide which ones work best for you.
Recent updates by Klei Entertainment have begun including skill trees for some characters. One of the most recent updates — “Staying Afloat” — adds skill trees for Winona and Wurt along with a giant overhaul of the ocean. Personally, Wurt and Walter are my favorite characters. Wurt’s skill tree lets her create a village of Merms (fish people) and Walter has a furry companion named Woby who can store items.
The storyline and plot aren’t very clear in the game itself, but instead through promotional videos and content outside of the game. Through various videos by Klei Entertainment, audiences come to understand who the characters are, how they’re connected and how they fell into the Constant. Some are crucial to the story, like Wilson, an amateur scientist, or they were just victims of circumstance like Wes, the mime.
What makes “DST” popular a decade after its initial release is the fact that you may not have finished the game 10 years later. Unless you’re a speed runner, “DST” takes a lot of time to beat, especially if you are alone. In my current playthrough, my family and I are on day 1016. For reference, one day is eight real-time minutes. I’m sure you can do the math. This does not include the time for previous playthroughs, which is shown through my hours played on my PlayStation 5 at over 1000 hours.
If you haven’t guessed, we are addicted to this game. We still haven’t reached the end of the game in any of our playthroughs, which goes to show how difficult it is.
Despite this, “DST” continues to possess players. The game forces players to continuously restock resources, battle enemies and deal with the season and elements. In essence, everyone and everything is trying to kill you.
The Constant is full of different biomes and locations, the biggest one being the caves. The caves can be accessed through a sinkhole above ground, and they may be plugged so players will have to mine them to open it. The caves are full of dangers, one of the most prevalent being the darkness. A particularly unforgiving mechanic, the darkness allows Charlie, the antagonist, to send her shadow monsters and kill players. There is one main rule of “DST,” always have a light source. Ironically starvation isn’t as big of a problem as you’d think.
As easy as it is to die, the game is much easier now than it was in previous versions. Years ago, there was no real “pause” feature, meaning that every moment counted. You’d have to exit out of the game entirely if you needed to use the bathroom. Now it can be paused and even features online companions, which is an impressive addition to the game from a technical standpoint.
Making it to the end involves exploring every inch of the Constant, completing quests from a hermit crab, defeating enemies and taking any recipes or resources they drop. As easy as that sounds, it’s 100 times more difficult than you’d imagine. The amount of time and dedication you must put into “DST” to complete it is what makes it so appealing and annoying to players. It’s easy to feel as if you’re stuck, as if you cannot reach the next milestone no matter what you do. Having friends is a great advantage, so use it to its fullest.
Because of how vast the world of “DST” is, I’d have to say it’s a game I do love. But the fact that I haven’t reached the halfway point with over 135 hours put into my current world aggravates me. It’s a special kind of torture that continues to draw me in. With every death that forces me to rollback or the immense number of spiders that causes my character to rubber-band, I’m forced to take breaks from “DST” to avoid throwing my controller.
As great of an experience as “DST” is, the developers rely heavily on players looking up information and ways to progress on the internet. It’s not always clear what your next course of action is within the game, leaving players confused and wondering what it is they’re supposed to do. The lack of direction does open opportunities as an open-world game, but it’s incredibly annoying to have to constantly reference the wiki page for “DST” to find out how to summon the next boss.
3.5/5 Torches