This analysis examines the Pros and Cons of Early Access games to assess their value as an investment.
Many early access games are available in the industry, and while a lot of them are enjoyable and worth your investment, some drawbacks might prevent you from fully enjoying your experience.
What is the meaning of Early Access?
Games available for early access are launched before the official release date set by their publishers or developers.
The primary goal is to obtain additional funding from interested players, ensuring the continued development of the game.
The development of every game goes through multiple versions, and some can be quite different from the final product. Some games launch as early access when they are almost complete, while others become available for play at much earlier stages because they still need significant work.
In addition to Steam, you can gain early access to many games on Xbox or Google Play—both of which are equally popular platforms.
Benefit: Contributing to the Progress of the Game
Players are usually offered a chance to engage directly in the development of early access games. By joining Discord servers, they can easily communicate with developers and ensure their feedback, bug reports, concerns, and suggestions are heard and thoughtfully evaluated.
Dinkum is my top pick for this genre. It’s a farm-building game that resembles Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley but boasts a unique Australian twist. Created by a solo developer, Dinkum benefits from active engagement with player feedback through their vibrant Discord community server.
With the advantage of early access, Dinkum has evolved into an outstanding game. It gained essential funding and benefited from invaluable real player testing and feedback during its development process.
One possible downside is that the game might remain indefinitely in early access
One drawback to keep in mind is that the game might stay in early access indefinitely. – The issue with this game lies in its potential perpetual confinement to an early access state.
BeamNG.drive is one of several games with a prolonged development period before its official release. Available in early access since 2015, the game has seen significant changes but continues to rely heavily on community-created mods, maps, cars, and plugins. Nevertheless, BeamNG.drive is earning recognition as a leading rally simulator today.
The drawback is that games in Early Access frequently contain bugs
Launching a game before it’s fully prepared is likely to lead to problems. The extent of these issues will vary based on how far along the development process is; you could face critical bugs, performance glitches, and other setbacks that might cause inconvenience.
Valheim was initially released in an early-access format, enabling players to experience and complete the game. However, several features had yet to be added by the developers, including frustrating and limited building mechanics as well as a spider biome lacking depth.
My friends and I experienced frequent system crashes accompanied by networking failures, even though our PCs had no connectivity issues.
Despite a few issues, we had an incredible time playing the game for 90 hours in just one week. We’re eagerly looking forward to future improvements.
Benefit: Early Access Games Are Usually Priced Lower
While it’s not always the case, early access prices are often lower than those at release.
Due to a game’s unfinished status, developers often hesitate to set a high price. Instead, they offer early access at reduced prices as compensation for your initial investment in their project.
In some instances, the price might drop after its initial release due to strategies focused on boosting sales or gathering early feedback from players who have experienced it. Ultimately, whether the cost goes up or down, it’s important to buy only if you think it offers value.
Fortunately, getting a refund on Steam is straightforward as long as you’ve played the game for under two hours or owned it for less than two weeks.
One possible drawback might be having incomplete narratives, settings, or gameplay elements
If the game were fully prepared, it wouldn’t still be in early access.
Consequently, it’s quite likely that you’ll encounter missing elements like storylines, locations, or even entire gameplay mechanics.
Palworld is a perfect example of this concept.
Although Palworld was a smash hit upon its debut, it only offered basic features and lacked variety in playable terrain. The game had repetitive components without challenging bosses to defeat or fully-realized gameplay elements, as it was still undergoing development.
Often, you must wait for updates to arrive before gaining access to the additional features initially promised. Games like Palworld experience a sharp decline in player numbers within weeks because players become frustrated with the lack of activities and entertainment, leading to a sense of being stuck in anticipation for future updates.
Positive: Observing the transformation of the game
Even though you know that what you’re paying for isn’t completely finished, it should still be worthwhile if you find enjoyment in it.
Discovering a major update for your favorite game is always immensely exciting. The introduction of new features, such as gameplay variations, storyline progression, or additional universes, feels like getting an entirely new game at no extra cost. Your dedication and involvement have been pivotal in shaping the game’s evolution.
Games such as Rust, Valheim, BeamNG.drive, and Baldur’s Gate 3 have evolved significantly since their early access launches.
One drawback is that the game might be changed so much that it becomes unrecognizable
A game’s transformation can be beneficial or harmful, depending on your expectations and the choices made by publishers and developers. Some games may become more profit-focused, introducing numerous microtransactions or changing direction over time. In contrast, others might enhance the player’s experience significantly.
One drawback is the risk of being left behind
While officially released games can also experience abandonment, early access games are more likely to face this issue.
When a game is launched in early access as a last-ditch effort to secure funding, there’s a high chance it may be abandoned. This risk increases if there are few buyers.
If you’re looking for reassurance that the risk is minimal, there are some positive signs to watch for. These include active communities, developers who regularly communicate and release updates, clear plans for future development, and widespread popularity indicated by high levels of game purchases.
With the growing popularity of early access games, it’s important to evaluate whether they justify their cost. Before buying one, Consider whether you’d be willing to pay for a partially finished game, accepting the wait for updates and improvements or the risk of losing your investment completely. Ultimately, prioritize getting enjoyment out of what you paid for above everything else.
