State of Decay 2’s updates show commitment, but State of Decay 3 needs more
Source: Windows Central
State of Decay 2 is a personal highlight of this generation, but it’s by no means what I’d call a polished game. Two years after it launched in a pretty sorry state, it remains a very janky game, with strange engine anomalies, crazy physics bugs, and rather pedestrian animations and interactions.
State of Decay has something truly special about it, though. Combining a rich strategy simulation layer with open-world action is incredibly rare to see, and for me, incredibly compelling. No game on earth captures the essence of a Hollywood zombie apocalypse experience like State of Decay does for me, despite all of its problems.
This week, Undead Labs released State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition, bringing the game to Steam with cross-play for co-op, and adding a range of improvements. I’ve dived back in after a year or more away from the game to experience some of the less recent updates, such as bounties, but also the Juggernaut Edition itself, which brings heavy weapons, graphics tweaks, and a new open-world map to enjoy.
Upgraded apocalypse
State of Decay 2:
An upgraded zombie apocalypse
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition brings a range of improvements to the game, including a new map, new weapons, and more.
Living that Juggernaut life
Source: Windows Central
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition also brings some new graphical improvements, although it’s hard to really make out a difference. In fact, some of the gamma and HDR seems a bit odd to me, with aggressive bloom on the new map washing everything in a misty haze. Perhaps that was the intended effect, but it gives the map this sort of drab, overcast climate that is the kind of mood I expect to get while visiting my family in the north of England, rather than in a video game.
The best feature, though, for me, is probably the heavy weapons. While they take a pile of stamina to swing and need to be positioned carefully over other weapons, they can devastate multiple zombies at a time, sending them flying onto the floor. They feel great to use and have a wide variety of options for players to hunt down (and swing).
As fun as State of Decay 2 is, returning to it in 2020 just highlights how much of it still falls below the mark.
What State of Decay 3 needs to do better
Source: Windows Central
State of Decay is a bit unique for how its roadmap of games was shared with its community long before State of Decay 1 launched, even. The goal has always been to create a connected, multiplayer zombie apocalypse survival simulator, and State of Decay 2 is a step forward towards that, adding co-op and expanded simulation features. With Microsoft’s resources and funding, State of Decay 3 should be better than ever, but only if Undead Labs can iron out some of the game’s long-term kinks.
The State of Decay subreddit is a passionate place of zombie-killing fans, but so often, the posts seem to be showcases of the game’s annoying, and occasionally hilarious bugs. Sometimes cars can just vanish, or spin into the air and dart across the map. Even now, I get NPCs and zombies falling from the sky, a bug I wrote about back when I played the launch build two years ago. NPCs are wooden and act like idiots. In my most recent playthrough just now, I had an ally run straight up to an enemy and get instantly gibbed by a hostile shotgunner.
State of Decay 2’s animations are also painfully rough by contemporary AAA standards. Combinations of actions, such as reloading while crouched, look painful and unnatural, while weapon swings look cartoony, rather than immersive. These are just a few examples of the litany of small issues that coalesce to stunt State of Decay 2’s overall quality.
There’s a lot to love about State of Decay 2, and some of its rough edges amount more to charm than annoyance, but the simulation is so glorious and immersive, I just wish the engine and presentation were built to match it.
With Microsoft, all things are now possible
Source: Windows Central
It may be a fair while before we see anything official materialize. Still, with a new engine, more resources, and a bigger budget, I can see State of Decay ascending from its cult status and becoming one of Microsoft’s pillar Xbox franchises in the future. Here’s hoping.
Zombie apocalypse
State of Decay 2:
A simulated apocalypse
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition is the definitive way to experience your personal zombie apocalypse, available to buy now or as part of Xbox Game Pass.
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