Species: Unknown
" Atmospheric co-op survival horror with immersive sci-fi setting but limited content variety "
Species: Unknown Review
Species: Unknown is an Early Access sci-fi horror cooperative game that has garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback from its player base. Drawing strong inspiration from Alien: Isolation, it excels in creating a tense, atmospheric experience with varied enemy types and a cinematic presentation. The game is praised for its impressive graphics, solid optimization on Unreal Engine 5, and masterful sound design that enhances immersion and dread. Players enjoy the strategic gameplay loop involving different monsters with unique behaviors and customizable character progression systems.
While still limited in content—primarily featuring one main map and a partial roster of creatures—players appreciate the solid foundation and potential for future updates. The cooperative gameplay is highlighted as a key strength, although solo play is possible but more challenging. Suggestions for improvement include adding more maps, procedural generation, enhanced AI behaviors, proximity voice chat, and additional gameplay variety. Despite minor bugs and occasional balance issues, the game is widely regarded as a great value and a promising title in early access.
Highlights
Players particularly praise the game's atmospheric design, with graphics and sound working together to create a gripping sci-fi horror environment. The varied enemy types, each with distinct behaviors, keep gameplay fresh and suspenseful. The cooperative multiplayer is noted as highly engaging, fostering teamwork and tension. Optimization and performance are also commended, with many players running the game smoothly even on mid-range hardware. The character progression system and mission variety add strategic depth, while the cinematic lighting and detailed ship environment enhance immersion.
Criticisms
Common criticisms center on the limited content available in Early Access, especially the single map that can feel repetitive over time. Players call for more maps, procedural or randomized layouts, and a broader variety of monsters. The AI of enemies, while promising, sometimes lacks adaptive behaviors or can be too predictable. The game would benefit from proximity voice chat and better voice communication controls. Some users report minor bugs, occasional crashes, and balance issues, particularly in combat and resource management. Additional random in-game events and more customization options are also requested to increase replayability.
Pros
- • Atmospheric and immersive sci-fi horror environment with excellent sound design.
- • Varied enemy types with unique behaviors add strategic depth to gameplay.
- • Highly polished and well-optimized performance on Unreal Engine 5.
- • Engaging cooperative multiplayer experience fostering teamwork and tension.
- • Cinematic lighting and detailed ship environment enhance immersion.
- • Satisfying gameplay loop with multiple mission types and objectives.
- • Character progression and customization offer meaningful player choices.
Cons
- • Limited content with only one main map leading to repetitive gameplay.
- • Enemy AI can be predictable and lacks adaptive or advanced behaviors.
- • Absence of proximity voice chat reduces immersion in multiplayer.
- • Some bugs and occasional crashes reported by players.
- • Combat and resource management balance needs refinement.
- • Lack of procedural or randomized map generation reduces replayability.
- • Voice communication controls need push-to-talk and volume adjustments.
Rating Criteria
Species: Unknown is a 1 to 4 players co-op survival horror. Complete high-risk missions aboard an abandoned ship while being hunted by an unknown creature. Survive and upgrade your gear to face each new threat that lurks in the dark.