Info about Icarus: Holdfast Outpost:

Official game description:
Only playable in Outpost Mode
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This map is only playable in Outpost mode. Outposts are more of a creative mode, with no threats, impactful weather, no missions or quests, just build as much as you want.
About the Game
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The Holdfast Outpost is a handcrafted 1x1km map in the Forest region of Icarus.  
*   Holdfast is centered around a large archipelago lake, with multiple islands perfect to build your base upon  
*   A torrenting waterfall flows into the map from the southwest, pouring down the mountainside  
*   The embankments of the map are scaling cliffs with lush pine forests covering them
‘Holdfast’ will appear in your Outposts screen.

Release date: Aug 22, 2023

Categories: Base Building, Open-World Exploration, Survival, Crafting, Cooperative Multiplayer, Farming Simulation, Sandbox


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The only explicit playtime figure tied to the target outpost is a 0-hour record from a Supporter's Edition unlock, which does not represent a completion, story, session, or endgame duration. The 'over 1400 hours' quote appears in a general statement about a survival game and likely refers to the broader Icarus experience rather than the Holdfast Outpost, so it is rejected under the target-game-only rule. No review provides a completion time, story completion time, average session length, or endgame duration for Icarus: Holdfast Outpost, so all playtime metrics are null.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Chill Creative Builder (buy)
    - Motivation: Creative freedom to build and decorate without pressure or long travel.
    - Playstyle: Relaxed base-building and resource gathering on a small, safe map.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Cozy Immersion Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: Relaxing immersion in a beautiful, cozy environment.
    - Playstyle: Solo or co-op cozy building and quiet exploration with minimal threats.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Outposts enable threat-free creative building (weight 0.97): Outposts let players build freely without attacks from open-world creatures, making them ideal for creative or builder playstyles. They are described as the closest thing to a creative mode in Icarus.
- Outpost maps are visually stunning (weight 0.89): Players frequently praise the outpost maps as very pretty, with amazing views, picturesque build locations, and memorable effects like geysers spraying into the sun. The layout and scenery are consistently described as beautiful.
- Outposts support diverse activities (weight 0.8): Outposts accommodate a wide range of playstyles including farming, livestock raising, fishing bases, ranches, cozy cabins, swimming, and advanced base building. They offer many options for creative and casual players.
- Expansive open world with freedom (weight 0.5): The game features humongous open world maps and is extremely open, with lots and lots of options and no forced objectives. It appeals to open world sandbox players who enjoy freedom.
- Developers are dedicated and responsive (weight 0.46): The developers are praised for being open to community feedback, having outstanding communication, and showing dedication through continuous updates and fixes. Paid DLC is seen as helping keep the game alive with weekly improvements.
- Highly regarded survival experience (weight 0.32): One reviewer considers it one of the best survival games they have played, noting it is the most atmospheric of its type and suitable for hardcore gamers. It appeals to those who enjoy the setting.
- Outposts offer safe relaxation (weight 0.3): Outposts provide a peaceful, low-threat environment with minimal danger, ideal for players who want to relax, immerse in beautiful surroundings, and build without concerns. They serve as a safe retreat between missions.
- Unique geyser defense mechanic (weight 0.11): Enzyme geysers trigger horde-style defenses when a T4 condenser is built on them, adding a distinctive challenge to outpost gameplay.
- Iceholm favorite map choice (weight 0.1): Iceholm is mentioned as a reviewer's favorite map within the game, indicating a standout preference among available locations.
- Outposts praised as great addition (weight 0.1): Outposts are described as a great initiative and addition to the game, highlighting their positive reception among players.

Common complaints:
- Open world has game-breaking bugs (weight 0.15): Players encounter game-breaking bugs on the open world map, which hinder gameplay progression. This issue is a major concern for overall game stability.
- Outpost bugs remain unfixed (weight 0.15): Outposts still suffer from game-breaking bugs that were identified over two years ago and have not been fixed. This long-standing issue frustrates players.
- Initial game entry shows nothing (weight 0.15): Upon entering the game, players are met with a blank screen or no content, which is a severe issue. This prevents any gameplay from occurring.
- Outposts lack developer support (weight 0.15): Outposts appear to receive little to no developer attention or updates, leaving players feeling neglected. This lack of support contributes to an unsatisfactory experience.
- Tutorial or onboarding missing (weight 0.15): After purchasing the game, players are left without guidance on how to play, leading to confusion. This lack of tutorial hampers the initial experience.
- Outposts unsafe on non-easy difficulty (weight 0.14): The claim that outposts provide a safe place to build without fear of animal molestation is false unless the difficulty is set to Easy. This misleads players about the safety of outposts.
- Open world preferred for base building (weight 0.14): Players find the open world to be a better location for building bases compared to outposts. This preference highlights the shortcomings of outpost building.
- Caves are poorly designed (weight 0.14): Caves are described as a mess, indicating poor design or implementation. This detracts from exploration and overall game quality.
- Open world devalues existing content (weight 0.14): The introduction of the open world has diminished the value of other game areas or features. Players feel that older content is now less relevant.
- Ores hidden under aluminum skin (weight 0.13): Ores are concealed beneath a phantom aluminum ore texture, which may confuse players when mining. This visual discrepancy can lead to frustration.
- Lake too still for waterwheels (weight 0.13): The lake's stillness prevents the use of waterwheels to reach the main island, limiting transportation options. This may be seen as a missed gameplay opportunity.
- Forest biome lacks lost vibe (weight 0.13): The biome does not feel like a true forest, missing the immersive 'lost in the woods' atmosphere. Players expect more from a forest environment.

Gameplay feedback:
- Outposts are separate mini-maps (weight 0.78): The game features an outpost mode distinct from the open world, with smaller, named maps and unique biomes. Outposts are accessed as separate areas, such as Holdfast, Iceholm, and river outpost.
- Outposts enable threat-free building (weight 0.65): Outposts are designed as safe zones with mild weather and no hostile creatures from the open world. This allows players to build freely and relax without combat pressures.
- Outpost resources regenerate frequently (weight 0.49): Resources such as ore, trees, and other materials respawn in outposts, refreshing each time the outpost is opened. This supports continuous building and gathering.
- Open-world sandbox exploration (weight 0.49): The game is an open-world sandbox with exploration and survival elements. It offers open-ended gameplay with many optional paths.
- Base building and crafting system (weight 0.41): The game includes base-building and crafting mechanics. Players can construct structures and craft items, especially in outposts or scenic locations.
- Power generation varies by region (weight 0.23): Waterwheels are effective in the south-eastern area, while solar or wind power is recommended for the middle islands. Players must adapt power sources to location.
- Supports solo and co-op play (weight 0.14): Players can enjoy the game alone or in cooperative multiplayer. This flexibility accommodates different playstyles.
- Outpost building is paid DLC (weight 0.14): Access to outpost building is provided as paid downloadable content. This means additional purchase is required to use the feature.
- Outpost maps use single biome (weight 0.14): Each outpost map contains only one biome, differing from the diverse open world. This simplification makes outposts distinct and focused.
- Outpost acts as mission hub (weight 0.14): Players can return to the outpost between missions. It serves as a base of operations during campaigns.
- Waterwheels work in outposts (weight 0.13): Water wheels can be placed and made functional within outposts. This supports creative builds and power generation in these areas.
- Green biome provides building resources (weight 0.13): A green biome area contains resources specifically for base building. This area supports construction activities.
- Enzyme geysers trigger horde defenses (weight 0.12): Using a T4 condenser on enzyme geysers triggers horde-style defense events. This adds combat challenges to resource extraction.
- Smaller maps aid photography (weight 0.11): The smaller outpost maps are easier to navigate for photography. This benefits players interested in capturing in-game scenes.
- Aquatic players benefit from map (weight 0.11): Players specializing in aquatic gameplay can benefit from the map layout. This suggests water areas are advantageous for certain builds.
- Building on moon corner (weight 0.11): Players can build in a small corner of the moon. This offers a unique, limited building location.

Performance notes:
No performancepoints

Recommendations:
- Creative open-world sandbox appeal (weight 0.25): Reviewers strongly recommend the game to players who enjoy creativity and open-world sandbox experiences. It is described as a highly recommendable title, with one reviewer giving it a 110% recommendation.
- Peaceful building without threats (weight 0.14): Players who want to build for building's sake without any threats or combat pressure are encouraged to pick up the game. The setting is also highlighted as appealing for this style of play.
- Immersive beautiful environment experience (weight 0.14): The game is recommended especially for those who like to sit back and immerse themselves in a beautiful environment, whether alone or in co-op. This makes it a strong fit for relaxation-focused players.
- Zen building with fewer bugs (weight 0.13): One reviewer recommends the game for a zen little build, noting that it avoids some of the game-breaking bugs found in the open world. This suggests a calmer, more stable building experience.
- Best purchased on sale (weight 0.11): A reviewer suggests that the game is probably best snagged on sale rather than at full price. This implies value-conscious purchasing advice.

Other player notes:
- Presence of paid DLC (weight 0.22): The game offers paid DLC, including outposts sold as DLC. This indicates additional content behind a paywall.
- Weekly updates and fixes (weight 0.14): The game receives weekly updates and fixes. This shows active maintenance and improvement.
- Praise for developer communication (weight 0.14): Praise for developer openness and communication applies to the main game and all its extensions. This highlights consistent transparency.
- Suggests testing before launch (weight 0.13): The reviewer recommends that content be tested before launch. This implies a desire for better quality assurance.
- Open World diminished outpost value (weight 0.13): The introduction of Open World has diminished the value of outpost content. Outposts now feel less meaningful.
- Developer continues updating game (weight 0.13): The developer continues to update the game. This ongoing support keeps the game fresh.
- Hope for continued content updates (weight 0.12): The reviewer hopes developers will continue pushing out new content for as long as or longer than 7 Days to Die or No Man's Sky. This reflects a desire for long-term support.
- Free outpost on map (weight 0.11): The map includes a free outpost location. This provides a base without purchase.
- Detailed map features described (weight 0.11): The map features a central island, two ponds, lilypads, cattails, and reeds. These environmental details create a natural setting.
- Supports developers (weight 0.11): The reviewer expresses support for the developers. This suggests appreciation for their efforts.
- Outposts concept over two years (weight 0.11): The concept of outposts has existed for over two years. This indicates a long-standing feature in the game.
- Small archipelago islands exist (weight 0.1): There are smaller archipelago islands that are too small to build a home on. They add scenic variety but limited functionality.
- V-shaped waterfalls and stream (weight 0.1): A stream flows down from V-shaped waterfalls in the south eastern area. This adds a dynamic water feature to the map.
- Snow outpost compared favourably (weight 0.1): Compared to the snow outpost, this outpost is almost as amazing. This suggests high quality among outposts.

Emotions:
- Appreciation (weight 0.14): Players value the developers' dedication to the game, particularly their work on outposts and their responsiveness to community feedback. The green biome area is praised for its stunning views and abundant resources, making it a prime location for outpost building.
- Relaxation (weight 0.14): The outpost area provides a peaceful environment for building and unwinding, with minimal threats and no need to traverse large maps or confront world bosses. This makes it ideal for chill base building and a stress-free experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.1): Players are impressed by the beauty of the Holdfast map and the developers' exceptional communication and ongoing dedication. The continuous updates and open dialogue with the community are highly regarded.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.1): The game's extensive options and openness generate excitement, along with fun combat experiences from enzyme geysers. The outpost layout, featuring ample water and viable water wheel placement, adds to the thrill.
- Confusion (weight 0.07): Some players are puzzled by complaints about paid DLC, while others feel lost after purchasing the game due to a lack of guidance and empty initial experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.07): Caves are described as messy and problematic, and outpost-specific game-breaking bugs identified over two years ago remain unresolved, leading to significant frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Players are let down by ores being hidden under a misleading aluminum ore skin and the lack of developer support for outposts.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Reviewers consider the game one of the best survival games they've played, and they derive satisfaction from knowing what to expect from outposts and enjoying the pretty map.
- Love (weight 0.07): Players love having an outpost where they can build without being harassed by creatures in the open world, as well as the new outposts and the building system.
- Fun (weight 0.07): Building in picturesque locations and letting imagination run wild is enjoyable, along with the fun little lake and the ability to build freely with refreshing resources.
- Immersion (weight 0.03): The beautiful environment draws players in and enhances their sense of immersion.
- Awe (weight 0.03): The amazing scenery in the outpost leaves players in awe.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Using the river outpost to experiment with creative builds provides enjoyment.}