Though not quite stellar, Stranded Deep does a decent enough job of enabling the player to live out their castaway fantasies. It's just something of a shame that the occasionally clumsy UI and lack of multiplayer functionality make the game a little less compelling than it needs to be. Nonetheless, those looking for island bound thrills of escaping deadly shark attacks, delving down into forgotten wrecks and living the life of an island castaway will find much to love in Stranded Deep on PS4.

Despite its questionable development status, Stranded Deep has a lot to offer. I’d welcome further development, but even in its current incarnation, this compelling survival sim is more than worth diving into.

Stranded Deep is a beautifully crafted and engaging experience for anyone who is a fan of survival games. It may not provide the same amount of replayability that games like Rust have, but the crafting and exploring mechanics are solid and fun to use. The first time that players climb out of their raft to step onto their new island home or fight off a group of hungry sharks, they will be shown how intense and rewarding Stranded Deep truly is.

Quotation forthcoming.

Stranded Deep is a naked and raw survival, more suitable for big fans of the genre than for newbies.

It’s rarely original, occasionally frustrating, and often clumsy in execution, but when it clicks there’s a meditative vein to Stranded Deep’s grind that will make time spent indoors sunnier. [Issue#176, p.74]

There are as many things that reward you as there are things that will burden your experience with Stranded Deep. It has the potential to be a really enjoyable game, but poor mechanics shoot itself in the foot. If you are a fan of this genre then this is another game for you. On the other hand, if you have interest in getting into survival games then do not start with this. I had a good time with Stranded Deep. I spent a good amount of time with it. Thinking about all the pros and cons together, my opinion on this game is mixed.