Game review: State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition

A scene from the video game State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition

It seems odd that Microsoft would bother upgrading State of Decay. Released in 2013,it was a middling zombie romp at best, with emphasis on stealth, survival and saving your mates over bloodthirsty brain bashing. In the annals of post-apocalyptic zombie games, State of Decay sits firmly in the middle of the pack.

Since its release, it has simply been outclassed. Telltale's The Walking Dead series is delivering a supurbly serialised version of the TV show, Sunset Overdrive provided a splatterfest of cartoon zombie thrills, and Dead Rising 3 was an arcade action rampage of zombie carnage. Then there's current genre-leader Dying Light, a relentlessly grim game that delivers gut-busting gore so extreme it's unlikely to be topped for a good while yet.

A scene from the video game State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition

So why play State of Decay's Xbox One upgrade? Yes, there are more missions, weapons, and characters, and the game's DLC is packaged together. At $29, it's also incredibly cheap. You'll even get a discount if you already own the Xbox 360 version. So if you're looking for an entry-level zombie action game to sharpen your teeth on, you could do worse.

But, despite an upgrade to a 1080 framerate, State of Decay's animation and scenery still look a little shabby when compared to the glistening Dying Light; action scenes are glitchy and chaotic, missions like clearing houses and going on supply runs become repetitive and boring, and there's still no multiplayer option.

A scene from the video game State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition

As for the story, well, there really isn't much of one. Gamers kick off with some basic zombie action, meet other survivors, then work their way through search, fetch and receive missions. Keeping your team calm, and providing for them, become key mission attributes. State of Decay's trump card is still a good one: if you get caught by a zombie horde and have your limbs detached, you'll morph into a different character. It's a great idea squandered by a lack of depth. But at least there'll be time to sort all this out by the time a heavily rumoured sequel comes round. This zombie rollercoaster looks like it will just keep on rolling.

Game: State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition
Platform: Xbox One
Rating: R18

- TimeOut