year one survival edition state of decay

The base-building and survivor-improving mechanics are what make 'State of Decay' so addictive, playing into the latent zombie apocalypse prepper fantasy so entrenched in the pop culture zeitgeist. Survivors can be assigned as runners to collect supplies in the field, but this is dangerous, and they frequently require intervention by the player to avoid death. Others are assigned to lookout duty, working in the kitchen, patching each other up, etc. Lily is the chatty radio operator who constantly dumps missions on me, for instance. Survivors in the base use their skills to contribute to the community. I could control only one character at a time, but they could be swapped out when they were injured or exhausted. Base facilities can be constructed, like a library and sick bay that provide different benefits. Once I took over this ragtag crew, it was not about Marcus anymore - it was about everybody. Prospects are grim: the survivors are low on food, medicine, ammunition, manpower, and everything else they need to survive more than a few nights against the zombies. They soon come into contact with other survivors, and settle into a base that has been established in a small church in a small town near the forest. As they are preparing to leave the forest and return to civilization, they discover that the entire region is awash in dead, flesh-eating monsters.

The base campaign starts out at a forest ranger station where city slickers Marcus and Ed have been enjoying a fishing vacation. It is a more difficult game than is typically found in the mainstream: ammunition is not infinite or even plentiful, the world is persistent and therefore supplies are limited, and most distressingly, characters can permanently die. The game is about zombies yes, but is less about fighting the zombies and more about simply surviving them. On the surface, 'State of Decay' resembles the many zombie games that have come before it, but after just a few minutes of play, its game design reveals an important distinction.

Year one survival edition state of decay