8Bit/Digi

Left Alive has been a game I’ve been excited for ever since it was first announced back in 2017. However my request for a review code was rejected and then I saw all the poor reviews. I was still curious about it but not drop $60 curious. Luckily, I was able to find a new copy for $15 on Amazon. After playing for sometime, to say I was disappointed would be an understatement.

Left Alive is one of those titles that had a lot of potential but failed to live up to expectations. This is due to a broken gameplay system along with being too dependent on the legacy of the Front Mission series and those who were involved in the project.

One Day in Novo Slovo

The story follows three characters struggling to survive after the Garmoniya Military launches a surprise attack on the Republic of Ruthenia. The Ruthenia army is forced to retreat and the border city of Novo Slava is occupied. Players take on the role of Wanzer pilot Mikhail Shuvalov who attempts to regroup with what is left of the army, police officer Olga Kalinina as she tries to track down a killer and the mysterious Leonid Osterman.

To its credit, Left Alive did somethings right in regards to the world building. Players are forced to survive a gritty war-torn environment that has a strong impact on your senses. The survival gameplay are easy to learn and make the experience an actual fight to escape this war zone. Plus the few times you do get to take control of the Wanzer are the best moments of the game.

However; it has made numerous mistakes for every one thing it does right. But I’m only going to focus on the major issues.

The story does start strong but overtime becomes hard to follow. This is due to some stupid twists and too many shock moments (just to be shocking). The gameplay has not been properly optimized for a stealth action game, so players are forced to sneak around without some of the most basic functions of the genre. Making matters worse is that players will have to fight dumb enemies that are basically bullet sponges (while using a poorly mapped out control setup).

Finally there is the one issues that seems to be exclusive to the PlayStation 4, the game is not streamer friendly. If you try to stream through the PlayStation system, there are moments that will not be broadcasted. This makes no sense since the game was released back in March (I’m playing it in November). This problem will not be encountered if you use a capture card to stream.

Overall; Left Alive could be compared to a fallen protege, had high hopes only to to be a disappointment. It has very little redeeming qualities and honestly it can’t even be recommended just to satisfy your curiosity.

The Enemy is Approaching

Left Alive had so much promise only for the story not to be properly crafted and the gameplay better optimized for the experience. Instead it was too dependent on the name recognition of both the franchise and those who were (sort of) involved.

Disclaimer: I bought this game on Amazon.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides an insight into the gaming community and industry of the Bay Area.

Left Alive (PS4)

3

Bad

3.0/10

Pros

• Gritty environment.
• Controlling the Wanzer.
• Survival aspect of the gameplay.

Cons

• Gameplay has not been designed for stealth action.
• Dumb enemies are bullet sponges.
• Its not streamer friendly.
• Story gets too convoluted for all the dumb reasons.