Rating
State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition
State of Decay, along with major Add-Ons Breakdown and Lifeline, is now fully remastered in stunning 1080p. New missions, weapons, and extra content, along with improved lighting, textures, animations and combat mechanics, will pull you even deeper into the post-outbreak world. How will you survive the zombie apocalypse?
Details
- Released
- April 26, 2015
- Developer
- Undead Labs
- Genres
- Shooter · Role-playing (RPG) · Simulator · Strategy · Adventure
- Publisher
- Microsoft Studios
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State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
State of Decay deservedly shattered Xbox Live Arcade sales records in 2013: it is a potent mix of RPG gameplay systems that all fuse together to create an unpredictable and tense survival experience. Time hasn’t taken anything away from that for Year One Survival Edition, and though it hasn’t fixed its technical problems either, this zombie-bashing, resource-managing post-apocalyptic gem still stands out from the horde of brainless zombie games.
State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition is a generously proportioned package (that's not a euphemism), containing a stack of content, a huge open-world packed with ravenous zombies and precious few supplies to see you through. The apocalypse has never looked so damn bleak, although the 1080p upgrade helps bolster the gloomy visuals. State of Decay heralds the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.
But that comes with a single caveat – it’s only as good as its original appearance on the Xbox 360. The game itself has been slightly “remastered” but looks almost no different to its predecessor. The visual improvements are barely noticeable, most of the presentation glitches are still here and the only benefit to buying it on Xbox One is the ability to not have to go back to playing it on 360. Yes, it’s reasonably great fun, and given it’s relatively modest asking price, it might be worth it. Just don’t expect anything majorly new.
Engrossing gamplay and an atmospheric environment help State of Decay rise above its narrative issues and technical problems.
State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition's core mechanics, characters and open world environment are still compelling, even with glitches and frame rate issues refusing to die two years later. Veterans may want to think twice before revisiting this undead nation.
You sprint toward home base with a train of zombies in tow. Your run slows to a jog, and then a slow trot as your stamina drains. It’s hopeless. Then the cracking of gunfire breaks through, and your rotten pursuers drop one by one. Crashing through the gates to sanctuary, you gain a new appreciation for the sniper tower you just upgraded.
State of Decay: Year One Edition can be a lot of fun for those that can forgive its shortcomings, but those shortcomings are many.
In the end players who have experienced the original State of Decay might not find much to sway them into purchasing the Year One Survival Edition. However, others should give it a go. It’s rough around the edges, but it’s an intense and even emotional experience, and still one of the better examples of a zombie survival game.
On paper it sounds like the ultimate zombie game, but two years later and the technical issues are still as decayed and broken as the undead enemies.
Undead Labs has created a stellar title, and fans of both the zombie genre and role-playing games will find State of Decay's unique gameplay systems quite enjoyable, though the game will throw players into the kettle without much explanation. Strangely, that steep learning curve is what makes the game so appealing; players will feel like they have accomplished something once they learn how to survive in this world.
Still, even after two years, State of Decay remains a unique and singularly successful take on the zombie subgenre — and the new content and retooled systems made enough of a difference to pull me right back in.