Conan Exiles (Xbox One) Review

Crom!! Waking up in the middle of a desert after being crucified is a tough spot to wake up in. Welcome to the beginning of Conan Exiles. This adventure survival game is set in the fantasy world of Conan the Barbarian. This unique setting is the perfect place to experience the fantastic world of Conan Exiles. While this world is full of twist and turns to explore, it is also full of danger.

There are plenty of creatures that will attack you in this fantastical world. From the start, giant crocodiles and turtle people roam the dusty banks. While searching for food, players will earn experience and have points to build out survival skills. This skills range from building weapons and armor to actual shelters. Part of surviving in this dangerous world is being able to build a shelter from the elements and creatures. Just as any creature, they must take baby steps before becoming a hunter.

Players will start off in the desert and have to find a way to survive. Fight off starvation by foraging for food and make sure to stay hydrated while searching for supplies. On top of that, players must also manage their stamina. Physical activity will drain the player of their stamina. This includes running around while looking for supplies. With these supplies, players will be able to craft different items and build structures.

Building A Home And Making Weapons

There is a bit of a learning curve while starting off in Conan Exiles. There is no tutorial, so finding the right blend of materials to craft items can be tricky. Plus, it takes experience points to unlock the ability to craft items. As an exile, players will be able to craft clothes, weapons and building materials to create shelter.

Items collected from breaking rocks and chopping down trees can be combined to make early clothing for protection from the elements. For further protection, players can also build shelter, made from bark, stone and tree branches. Players can also create early stone weapons and tools. All these items can be upgraded the longer you survive in this hellish desert. Do not let this steep learning curve keep you from playing Conan Exiles, because after these first few hurdles lies a fantastical adventure.

Becoming A Bararian

After players have earned enough experience, they can begin to expand. This can be done in any number of ways,  through hostile take overs to forming tribes. Throughout the land, players will find other NPC exiles, or Thralls. These Thralls can be captured and forced into slavery. Players will have to tie up these exiles and break their will over a Wheel of Pain. These Thralls can then be used to help expand a player’s base. This is just one of the many awesome things you can do in Conan Exiles. Another fun thing is to go exploring and checking out all the cool monsters.

It would not be a Conan game without some of the key monsters from the Conan lore. From dragons to giant gods, there is always something out there lurking. Besides the monsters, there are also other players trying to make their way in this land. It is up to the players on how to interact with one another. Some may be helpful while others will quickly kill you and steal your belongings. This is just barely a scratch on the surface of what is available in Conan Exiles. So before these players crawl off the crucifix, let’s discuss a few tips and tricks for getting started.

Tips And Tricks For Surviving In Conan Exiles

After the character creation screen, players will find themselves stuck in an endless desert. Do not fret, head toward the river bed that is just over the ridge. If you find yourself stuck deep in the desert, then you have gone too far. Players can find food and plant fiber, which can be used for clothes and shelter, in the bushes through the desert. Once players have made it to the river bed, then they can start collecting real food and supplies. If you ever get thirsty, just walk into the river and grab a big drink.

Next up is to build some tools, such as the stone pick and stone ax. These will make busting up stone and cutting down trees a breeze. Once that is done, players can also create a camp fire to stay warm at night and cook food. Quality food can be found by killing some of the creatures found throughout the river bed i.e., alligators or giant turtle men. Quick tip on the camp fire once it has been constructed, pushing the left trigger starts the fire (starting a fire took me an embarrassingly long time). Players can then start to build a home or continue to explore the river area. This is just the beginners’ area you will find other players with similar experience. Hopefully these few tips will help players with the first few hours of the game.

Overall Impression

Conan Exiles is a great survival game. It is perhaps my favorite of all the survival games available on the Xbox One. Although there is some trial and error, it feels a lot more forgiving than ARK. I also feel like there are a lot more choices in the way to craft items than ARK. While playing ARK, even though it was a survival game, it felt linear. Conan Exiles does a great job of creating an immersive open world. If you are a fan of the survival genre or the Conan lore, than I would suggest picking up this game.