State of Decay first impressions

Beside a lake two men are in the middle of a zombie attack. They’re confused and acting in self-defense, bludgeoning their attackers and panicking, trying to figure out what’s happening. This is how State of Decay begins. There is no opening cinematic, dramatic introduction, or text explanation as you start the game; it just throws you into the middle of an event.

Once you’ve subdued your attackers, you begin to head to the ranger’s station at the top of the hill. The game starts to give you some basic information on the controls and how to access the menus, but it’s not an intrusive tutorial, just an unassuming display of information. Now I know how to execute a finishing move on a downed zombie, and how to crouch and sneak through the bushes, but it’s all up to me. So I slinkk through the bushes for a bit, and then decide I’d rather just charge some meandering zombies instead and see what happens. The melee combat feels somewhat standard, and it’s pretty solid; it takes some work to actually bring down a zombie.

Who is this man I’m playing as though, and who is his friend? Who are Marcus and Ed? I have to consult a menu screen to figure this out: Marcus is a clerk, Ed an accountant. They’re two men who just wanted to get away from their jobs for a little bit and go fishing. Their events and moods are chronicled through journal entries, as well as their physical and mental attributes and abilities.

By the time we’ve made it to the ranger station, I’m certain that the game has a lot going for it, and I have a good feeling to report in this State of Decay first impressions article. It’s already clear that a lot of care has been devoted to the smallest of details, but it’s up to you pay attention and seek out information. The closer you look, the more you’ll learn. This doesn’t feel like a game that’s going to hold your hand or walk you through everything, which is a good thing in my opinion.

Once inside the station I find other survivors holed up, scared but with a little more of an understanding of what’s happening in the surrounding woods. I find a supply locker and a few useful items inside, so I grab a different melee weapon. One of the survivors tells me that there might be some others still left alive, still human really, hiding in the adjacent campsites.

I should go look for them, so I climb a water tower and scout the area for surrounding buildings and landmarks, spotting and identifying them for future reference. Instead of heading directly to the cabins, I decide to poke around some of the abandoned tents first, scrounging for carefully placed supplies and getting rid of the zombies that are scattered around the tents. I notice that you have to take care not to make too much noise or you’ll draw unwanted attention. I’ve also noticed how much emphasis is placed on my character’s stamina bar. Any sort of physical exertion will deplete it, so this constantly has to be taken into consideration.

By the time I get to the cabins there aren’t any survivors left, only bodies. I quietly scavenge whatever I can and start to head back to the station, prepared to tell the others that there isn’t anyone else, that they’re gone. Before I get back though, I hear gunshots in the distance. I’m not sure if I should investigate or ignore this, but curiosity gets the better of me and I guide Marcus, with Ed in tow, towards the sound of violence in the neighboring woods.

When I get close to the scene a woman is trying to defend herself from a horde of zombies, so Ed and I help out and my party grows by one. I learn that I can switch between characters now, so as I head back to the station I do so as Maya, who I notice feels distinctly different from Marcus. She seems faster and her attacks are less powerful, but she strikes quickly and nimbly.

By the time we make it back to the others, they’re all dead. There’s no cutscene, no fanfare or dramatics; they just didn’t make it. I don’t know if my decision to investigate the gunshots mattered in this case, but I can say that as the game progresses you will have to make tough decisions that can, at times, mean life or death for some of the characters.

A little while later I’m at a church and with some other survivors, and it seems like a safe place to be once darkness fully sets in. Ed is messed up pretty bad, and even though I don’t care much for him, I’ve decided I need to help. I feel that I need to make sure there are as many healthy survivors in this church as I can. The thing about State of Decay is that you can set your own priorities to an extent, and play according to what you consider most important.

So after spending some time with State of Decay I can say that it leaves a good first impression, and is more than a Dead Rising clone or yet another title that is using the undead as a selling point because they’ve been so in style for too many years. Undead Labs have included an immense amount of detail and clearly put a lot of work into the game, enough to make it stand out in the Xbox Live Arcade and just stand out in general.

What it really comes down to is that State of Decay is a game about survival in a world where everything is literally in a state of decay and everything can simply just fall apart; the cars, the weapons, and especially the people, physically and mentally, all degrade and you’ve got to do your best just to stay alive and cope with the situation. Its lack of sensationalism is one of the best things it has going for it, and despite some noticeable issues with the graphics at times (textures popping in too late, zombies protruding through walls), it has an undeniable pull. There are also a ton of RPG elements to the game, including character skills and resource allocation, which adds depth and contributes to the sensation of a personalized experience.

Once the world opens up some more and the story progresses, I can’t wait to see the possible impact of my decisions, and the repercussions of my mistakes.