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2010 and The Walking Dead gave it all away. A new way of conceiving the post apocalyptic zombie-game: a more rural, almost western vision, less focused on urban centers and more on the province and its stories of despair and survival with a dirtier and more visceral style. The original State of Decay started precisely on this basis, but also from that of DayZ, a surprising mod by Dean Hall that wrote history in 2013. However, if Bohemia Interactive's experiment was entirely dedicated to online, State of Decay - which was released in the same year - brought that universe into a single player context, which has become a small cult on Xbox 360. After two years, preceded by the PC edition, comes a new version for Xbox One that contains all the expansions released, but also more or less substantial changes.

State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition is the ultimate Undead Labs experience on Xbox One and PC

Does mom send you out alone?

Originally codenamed "Class 3", State of Decay: Year - One Survival Edition still remains a survival horror with absolutely unique features in the console market, which have helped make it a title loved by many gamers.

Despite the limited budget, the developers have managed to create an open world universe in continuous evolution, where the dynamics never stop, not even in the inventory screen, consulting the map or exiting the actual game. Death is another focal point, "permadeath" has made headlines since its release, and the tradition continues in this Xbox One remaster. The death of the character, dramatic and truculent, is irreversible, forcing us to hand over command to a new survivor. However, this is not a "roguelike" setting, as Undead Labs provides the player with all the resources necessary to avert this fate, and when it cannot do so, it is never stingy in giving suggestions. The first and most important is given immediately: never face the dangers alone, never exceed in arrogance and never face the problems without having carefully evaluated all the means and possibilities available. The consequences could be devastating. The second is the player himself to find out, State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition is not a solitary experience, it is the story of many survivors who must work together to save their lives, the plural is an imperative for everything and that certain everything. it does not just set up a few barricades to prevent the invasion of the hungry undead, it is necessary to go much further.

The power of the community

The Undead Labs production distances itself from other open world survival adventures, drawing inspiration from works like The Sims, but not only; the typical action mechanics are accompanied by many others of a strategic-managerial type. It only takes a few hours for Trumbull to find himself only partially desired guests of a refugee community in a church, where we must win the trust of new companions by not only improving the relationships between the various elements (just like the Sims), but also providing the group with materials and supplies necessary for their sustenance. We are not alone in the game's vast map, there are many other survivors nearby ready to join us, or just eager for help. The operation, however, is less simple than it may seem, the prevailing anarchy makes it difficult to nourish trust in others, as it is difficult to distinguish the owner of a house from a jackal. Ultimately, however, not even we are able to remain helpless in front of a closed door, especially when guided by the ferocious and blind mechanics of survival.

The procurement of resources is the new faith and a pernicious obsession, so much so that the inspections of new areas and the search for structures to be transformed into strategic outposts become a natural progression. Parallel to a horizontal narrative development, feeble and present almost for the sake of being there, the individual episodes, suggestions and stories of this small universe with no future take on ever greater force in the game experience. Used to linear developments, even in the confines of an open world, the sense of precariousness and relative of State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition is unsettling, do you want an example? In a mission we are asked to rescue a survivor who has barricaded himself in his home, we arrive at the place and we are ready to take the poor unfortunate with us, when an endless horde of zombies storm the house in full "Romerian" style, they go out from the fucking walls and any attempt at defense is in vain. We are forced to see the survivor we had to save succumb, torn by claws and devoured by the jaws, because we are talking about angry beasts, and no longer human beings. There remains only the escape in order not to die, knowing that they do not have a second chance, leaving behind the desperate cries of the victim. The rest is remorse and many doubts. How could the victim have contributed to our agglomeration of hope if we were able to save her? This is State of Decay. And again, could the intervention of the army be missing? Obviously not, in the same way do not expect a collaborative spirit from the armed forces, as well as those of the order, perhaps more dangerous than the undead.

Who is afraid of the night?

"This is my rifle. There are many like him, but this is mine!". If you also believe in the prayer of Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket, know that you will find a funny replica of the character among the survivors, but this is not the point where we want to arrive, but that of the importance in State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition of the personal relationship with the resource in a changing and, indeed, relative world.

And the relationship with people. Keep alive a character with a high charisma value and you will be able to be persuasive with the other survivors, you will convince them to join you and become stronger. Befriend a sniper and you will see him place himself in an outpost to repel the waves of enemies, always ready to storm the shelter and break all hope, hire a good cook and the table will always be full of dishes; with a full stomach you live more, fight better and fight less. It could go on practically indefinitely. Then there are the zombies. You will rarely see them wandering obtusely towards nowhere, most of the time you will see them running towards you, assaulting your character from behind, encircling him and making the number their most fearful danger. There are various types, all to be discovered, and in the dark it will be even worse. The cycle of the Undead Labs title grants one real hour per day and one per night, the latter we assure you that you will not forget it, as it is completely impossible to sleep to make the time pass quickly. Every sunrise is a relief.

Do your makeup again

A revised and corrected Xbox One edition for State of Decay wasn't an unwarranted operation, the title has already gone through the PC incarnation, but there was ample room for improvement from the technically deficient one for Xbox 360. The resolution has been raised to native 1080p, a kind of cross and delight to be honest, since, barring a marked improvement in image definition, the limits of a graphics engine are exposed that testify to a budget that is not exactly stellar.

Limits that paradoxically are the strength of the game also in this edition. The choice of setting the story in the American province allows us to propose a map based largely outdoors, with few buildings, but almost all of which can be explored, as opposed to much more noble open worlds, and the almost total absence of uploads thanks to the data streaming technique. The renovation work was not lacking: more defined textures, fine fog and light effects, but Undead Labs went further, modifying the gaming sector. The interface has been revised, there is a new combat system, new vehicles, weapons and characters. State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition also contains Breakdown and Lifeline add-ons, selectable from the start, which further expand the hours budget. Breakdown is a sort of infinite mode, where you leave any narrative structure in the drawer to dedicate yourself to pure survival, while Lifeline is a real new and frenetic campaign, this time on the side of the military army, which presents a more urban scenario and is featuring memorable horde modes.

Xbox One achievements

State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition features 72 achievements for a total of 1500 Player Points. A nice booty thanks to the substantial presence of three different games with relative, abundant amount of content. Conquering them all will keep you busy for a long time, but a few hours of gameplay will be enough to have a good 10%. One of the first objectives obtained will certainly be that relating to the inspection of the area, but it is impossible not to mention "Zombicide on wheels", achieved after having hit 250 zombies with a car. Even the moment of death is rewarded with a goal of its own: not all evils come to harm.

Want to remaster

State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition is still an experience that can provoke antithetical reactions, you may not understand it, or you may not have the time to do it, but if the spark goes off, then be careful, it may not be easy to get out. from its coils. The basic campaign can be completed in about 15 hours, but if you have reached this point it will be difficult not to want to dissect all the secrets of Undead Labs production, in this case be prepared to triple the value, not counting the two additional modes . Even at the mercy of the wildest infatuation, however, we cannot remain impassive to defects, largely technical. The game is still slightly unbalanced at the challenge level, making it too easy, but it is also an understandable aspect when related to the delicate dynamics that characterize the production. Instead, it would have been desirable to see the code cleaned of some bugs that afflict the title, unfortunately still present: the frame rate is limited to 30 frames per second and collapses heavily when the Cry-Engine 3 is put under load, making it problematic to target enemies with firearms. In the driving phases, probably thanks to the loading of streaming data, we arrive at genuinely worrying peaks. It is not uncommon to see weapons disappear from the hands of the protagonist, the pop-in is particularly aggressive with enemies that pop out of nowhere, often and suspiciously behind the player, while it has happened too many times to see your partner - who can be recruited. for missions - disappearing into thin air in the course of an action, only to find it again as if it were nothing at the shelter. Still in relation to the action in pairs, it would have been preferable to have some possibility of exchanging objects with the partner, since the loot basically represents the soul of the game, a soul that however is not willing to stop shining with a unique light and bewitching.

Comment

Tested version Xbox One Resources4Gaming.com

8.5

Readers (40)

8.1

Your vote

State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition is truly a great opportunity to experience the title of Undead Labs on Xbox One, especially for those who have lost it on Xbox 360. Considering the price of 29,99 euros, we are faced with to an extremely rich proposal, many changes to the structure and a flood of contents guaranteed by the base game and the two expansions, without excluding its undeniable charm. Although it is not without flaws, to a large extent technical, the title maintains its innovative charge, especially on consoles, thanks to a persistent world capable of giving continuous stimuli to the player. For those who have already purchased it, the issue is slightly more complex, even if the discount (33% on the final price) for owners of the 360 version, in addition to the possibility of importing old saves, represents an excellent incentive to justify a second round. .