The Final Chapter update to Raft was released a couple of weeks ago and with it the game officially freed itself from the horrible confines of having an Early Access banner marring its image. A great success! In my experience, not many Early Access titles can claim victory over the eternity of leeching from well-meaning alpha/beta testers.
Raft was one of the few games I had caved in and bought early, and I enjoyed the little I had experienced of it during its Early Access period, but I didn't throw myself right at it because I was waiting for this day. I waited a couple more weeks for the inevitable hot patches that were incoming and after 5 days of no hasty fixes, it was time to jump in.
I remembered my lessons from my first attempt at this game.
Easy mode so your hunger and thirst doesn't drain in mere minutes. Seriously. On Normal mode, you literally do nothing but eat and drink. No one has to eat that much! And I set my world so 'Nobody Can Join' so that my game actually pauses when I'm in the menu. As someone who plays games but leaves them running while doing other things, I need that pause.
And so it begins.
Alone. On a plank of wood. In the middle of the ocean. Surrounded by garbage.
I slowly start gathering all the things and get to work on expanding my raft, making a water purifier and a grill and a research table, and any tools I might need.
The shark is eternal. I stab it with my pointy stick many, many times.
Soon I am feasting on grilled shark flesh.
I quickly get to work on researching all the things I get my hands on so I can craft more and more important objects.
So far, the game is identical to what it was during Early Access.
I have discovered a blueprint that will allow me to build a receiver. I'm assuming that's how we progress the actual game, since apparently there is a story embedded in here somewhere, as well as other people to find, places to see, to explore. I don't really fancy building that until I get my raft in order.
When I came across my very first large island, I discovered something that I didn't see in Early Access. A small trading post!
At the trading post I could buy many things, if I had the currency to do so. And I could also sell fancy looking fish that I most definitely had not seen before.
There are a few tiers to unlock, which I assume you do by increasing your reputation, and I'm assuming you increase your reputation by selling the fancy fish it wants.
The currency for buying are trading coins and cubes of garbage... after investigating, I create the cubes once I've made a recycling machine. Looks like it's going to be a while before I use these trading posts.
While traversing the island, I came across an ornery boar.
Honestly, this creature is more dangerous than the shark! I mean, the shark ruins my raft and is an annoyance. But the boar. It charges at you, gores you, the pointed stick!! It takes two of the things to kill it! It broke my first pointed stick, so I had to run from it, chop a tree down in record time, craft another pointed stick, and finally I killed the thing.
Then I feasted on its bacon whilst researching leather. xD
I never actually took on one of these things during the Early Access. Next, I have to discover how to kill those annoying birds that drop rocks on my head.
My raft has gotten a little bigger. I put down a scarecrow, not because I'm growing food yet but because my little lady is lonely and needs someone to talk to. He is the Wilson of the Raft World.
With my raft anchored at yet another island, I continue exploring and hoping to find many resources. So far, my aim is to find those crates that have been left behind by other people. They often have things I need in them like bolts and hinges. I'm also collecting all the sand and clay that I can so I can make some basic bricks and make my first smelter.
I have discovered a nifty "trick" for navigating the waters in peace.
Apparently the shark only stays around your raft, so if you anchor it somewhere, then go on the other side of the island, you can swim around with absolutely no fear whatsoever. Except I did have a visit from a puffer fish that exploded in front of me and poisoned me. Still. No shark!
And with today's adventure at an end, it was time to lie down and get some sleep. On a raft that's constantly flooded with water and with sharks circling forevermore.
Sweet dreams! xD
Until next time!
All screenshots in this post are courtesy of me, 
Posted from Kaelci Games with Exxp : https://kaelci.games/2022/07/06/raft-exploring-the-final-chapter/