STATE OF DECAY 2
Scare in the community
released OUT NOW! Format reviewed Xbox One
Also on PC Publisher Microsoft studios
State Of Decay 2’s focus on interpersonal squad dynamics helps make it unlike anything else in the survival genre. The need to meet your group’s needs and further their personal stories propels the action forward. It’s less interested in lopping off zombie heads than exploring the question: “What would you do in a zombie apocalypse?”
Every character is procedurally generated, providing a singular sense of ownership. You’re granted direct control of each person in your enclave. Each takes on a role based on their personal skills. Morgan Crawford, for example, was a DIY remodeller, making her adept at constructing new facilities. Such skills – fighting, surgery, herbalism – can be improved by use in the field, or reading books, lending the game a tangible sense of progression
By completing missions – disposing of zombies, trading goods with other enclaves, scavenging for materials – you earn influence, this world’s currency. Once you have enough, you can relocate to a more spacious home. Now you can build a gym to train your survivors in, and a garden to grow food.
The sequel sticks to the series’ formula, with the key difference being an increase in scale. The core gameplay loop is as repetitive as before, as you ascend radio towers to survey the area, plunder materials, and fight off the undead with rote melee combat.
In terms of new ideas, State Of Decay 2 introduces plague zombies. If a character sustains damage from one, a meter starts to build that, when full, will lead to them contracting the plague virus. A cure can be crafted using samples gathered by destroying zombie-creating Plague Hearts and killing the zombies near them. This throws up moral dilemmas. You need a steady supply of ammo or explosives to take out Plague Hearts. Perhaps Gary is a burden and it’d be easier to exile him?
This is where State Of Decay 2 excels. With narrative heft coming from their quests, these characters extend beyond simple stats. The core gameplay loop may grow monotonous, but State Of Decay 2 remains an entertaining vehicle for the stories that materialise from its blend of zombie slaying, base building and interpersonal drama. Richard Wakeling
The discussion that led to the first game came about after producer Jeff Strain saw the 1994 remake of Dawn Of The Dead.