Ok, of course Zombies as a whole are science fiction made and not real (yet!) but it's never stopped zombie fans creating an idea of what exactly the apocalypse will be like come Z Day. You have your typical cliche, bandwagon, brah! type ideas like arming your self to the teeth with a gatling gun or tank with the "I'd survive, no problem bro!" where as in fact they'll survive no more than 5 minutes because they loaded a bullet in backwards and shoved the barrel in their ear...basically, i hate this type of uneducated approach. This is where i welcome you to the world that is PROJECT ZOMBOID
Created by indipendant developers, The Indie Stone, Project Zomboid is a post zombie apocalypse survival game based in a sand box style environment in Knox County, Tenessee the government has quarantiend the area meaning you're left to channel your wits and cunning through a character who, unfortunately and inevitably will die. And the creators capture that feeling of helplessness straight away with the small introduction of wording that you see at the start of each game "THESE ARE THE END TIMES, THERE WAS NO HOPE OF SURVIVAL, THIS IS HOW YOU DIED..."
Really builds up to the feeling of having no hope in hell!
Now, i enjoy a zombie apocalypse game that can bring me in to the experience as life like as possible and although not unique, Indie Stone, have included a fantastic attribute table where you can select from a range of natural human preficiencies as'well as defficiencies. From the fear of closed or open spaces to the ability of handling your alcohol...all of which will affect your survival rate as you play. Obviously you can just not select any and crack on in an already dead emotionless state or you can picture your self and whack in how you feel your traits should be displayed. Occupations do come with slight bonuses as in the Police Officer has an increased ability in marksmanship, the construction worker is considered thick skinned and handy, parkranger is typically accustomed to the outdoors, the fire officer is a hefty Axeman and the security guard carries the night owl attribute...meaning he stays extra alert...even when sleeping. Annd if you select the unemployed occupation you get nothing...not even job seekers allowance...you bum. But of course you can't survive an apocalypse without the selection of your beard type, essential survival geart that!
Game play is simple, it's a case of using the WASD keyboard layout as well as your mouse to click various pieces of your HUD to reveal inventory on your person as well as accessible bags you may find and equip on your journey!
The game dives in to depths of survival based craftsmanship more so than i have experienced in any other game. Find a pillow case? tear it up to make bandages, fashion an escape rope out of it maybe or better yet use it as a curtain to stop zombies peering in through your windows. You can salvage all sorts of materials to aid your self in building the ultimate zombie proof safehouse. I my self am yet to come close to having the chance to find enough building materials to do so but i plan on taking an extract from Max Brook's The Zombie Survival Guide in which he explains the first means of securing your safety is to find all containable items and fill them with water, take them up stairs, destroy the stairs (in this case barricade) and fashion an escape rope or method of escape across houses. This will be coming in another video but until then please enjoy the video i have made up top.
If you're looking for realism on a relentless scale in an zombie apocalypse enviroment then look no further than The Indie Stones, Project Zomboid
Project Zomboid available on Steam through early access
- @DeanoSalter
dean@scified.com
Article Published:
2014-04-01 05:46:32