The new survival game SCUM (PC) is becoming a summer hit for publisher Devolver Digital. How are the sales? And what do reviews on Steam say?
Scum as a summer hit in 2018 on Steam? Every year there is a summer hit on Steam that no one had on their radar. In recent years, titles like ARK Survival Evolved (2015) or Friday the 13th: The Game (2017) have been those.
In 2018, it could be the realistic survival simulation Scum.
The Twitch plan worked out
Sales followed Twitch: A few days before the launch, Scum had already gotten people talking about the game. Many top streamers were given keys ahead of the release.
The streamers could play the “fresh game” before anyone else, which drove the viewer numbers up on Twitch.
So hooked, 250,000 players jumped in at launch. This many bought the PC game within 24 hours after the release. The developer Gamepires joyfully announced this on Twitter.
Scum is affordable and looks good
What do the Steam reviews say? On Steam, Scum currently has 69% positive ratings. This is still considered “balanced,” but leaning towards positive.
The Steam reviews praise SCUM for:
- The good graphics of SCUM via Unreal Engine 4
- A large game world that invites exploration
- Decent performance
- The affordable price of €16.79
But it’s still in early access and may have hacker issues
However, there is also criticism of Scum in the Steam reviews:
- There are already early signs that hackers are about
- Some are experiencing issues with the netcode and other technical difficulties
- Some critics seem to have expected a different game that focuses more on coop content
- It seems difficult and cumbersome to play with friends, which frustrates many
Scum still in early access
Early Access Discussion: As often on Steam, people who view Scum positively refer apologetically to the game’s early access phase. It will surely get better. Scum is already impressive and has a lot of potential.
Critics, on the other hand, find it absurd to release the game in this state at all. They claim they had refunded shortly after.
Similar discussions have occurred with earlier “early access” titles that made big waves.
Scum has already had its first public conflict:
