As it stands, the campaign is like an uncut gem: undoubtedly valuable in its own right, but still in a raw, underdeveloped state that could be transformed to brilliant effect. If the developers can tweak the single-player until it’s as effective as the multiplayer, Barotrauma will widen its appeal and realize a lot of its untapped potential. It’s deeply satisfying to come under attack by some eldritch monster of the deep, only to keep your head and order your crew effectively, slaying the beast with a salvo from the coilguns, swiftly patching up leaks in the hull and proceeding apace. When dealing with situations I could grasp, Barotrauma’s atmosphere was a methodical, moody, slow-burn tension. After all, it’s still in Early Access and has time to address these issues, making the single-player as worthwhile and fun as the multiplayer. Of course, it’s not fair to harp on the game mercilessly for this shortcoming. Still, this is a workable problem, and it’s undeniable that Barotrauma can soar to incredible heights (ironically), given the proper care. Communication between humans and the division of labor, both pivotal aspects of the multiplayer, are compromised in single-player, largely without a suitable replacement to fill the knowledge and skill gap. But its emphasis on multiplayer leaves the single-player campaign in a strange state of undress. As it stands, Barotrauma has a mechanical framework that shows a tremendous deal of promise. However, the fantastic premise and current state of the game creates an odd dynamic. Instead, you’re just a bunch of working folks trying to make a living in a claustrophobic, often horrific depiction of space colonization. Unlike FTL, however, your crew in Barotrauma isn’t the last hope of a flagging cause. It’s similar to FTL: Faster than Light in terms of managing a crew (and putting out a hundred different fires - sometimes literally) in an enclosed setting adrift in a hostile environment. This is the case with Barotrauma, a game about sci-fi submarines plumbing the abyssal depths of Europa, a moon of Jupiter.
And if a game can’t match those expectations, regardless of its overall quality, it can feel worse than a game with almost no merits to its name. Why? Because that kind of perception creates high expectations. The primary goal in Barotrauma s Campaign mode is to maintain a Submarine and navigate it through the depths of Europa. While the crew will take initiatives on their own, orders help them react in more intelligent ways. Sometimes, a game being “right up your alley” is actually a detriment to evaluating it fairly. Orders are instructions used to direct the AI-controlled crew.
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