How to Survive

How to Survive strands you on an isolated island in a world that has gone completely off the rails. Survival comes down to scavenging the pages of a Survival Guide and working it out from there: finding food, water and shelter before you collapse, and figuring out how to make it through the dark when night closes in.

The crafting system runs deeper than the genre usually bothers with, letting you assemble over 100 handmade weapons and tools, from shotguns to Molotov cocktails, to defend yourself and your friends. You choose one of three playable characters, each with their own traits and skill trees, and explore four islands packed with distinct flora, fauna and a parade of grotesque monsters.

Video chapters of the Survival Guide turn up as collectibles, handing out genuinely useful tips. A friend can join offline through the story or online across eight tougher challenges, and an Iron Man difficulty is there for anyone who wants a properly demanding hardcore run.