I've always liked zombies. Although this motif seems to be exhausting in pop culture, and the walking dead have been depicted in almost every issue, from time to time I return to my favorite games and movies about the undead. One such title is Project Zomboid. Despite its simple style, it guarantees a depth of gameplay that cannot be found in high-budget blockbusters.
When thinking about Project Zomboid, one word comes to mind at first – absurd realism. In addition to zombies wandering around in large numbers, we also have to replenish the standard food supplies for the species, watch out for our hero's deteriorating mental state and, for example, optional nicotine cravings. If we decide to play as a smoker, we will cope with stress more easily, but we will have to remember to look for cigarettes. Another problem is diseases and the risk of infections, which we contract, for example, by walking through windows with broken glass.
This time it worked
This is the story of your death
The new game greets us with the phrase “this is the story of your death”, which for zomboid beginners can happen after the first minutes of the game. Suffering any injuries involves a long healing process, and the real horror begins with encounters with zombies, which are simply best avoided. There are three types of wounds, each with a different percentage chance of turning into a zombie. Moreover, we do not receive information about a fatal infection – so the signs should be looked for in progressive fever and mental health problems..
It already sounds quite absurd, and I only touched on the topic of health. We can expect similarly complex mechanics in crafting, which is divided into specializations, from car mechanics to carpentry and gardening. We can direct the hero already at the character creator stage, choosing his profession and perks. Our character becomes more experienced over time, so the accidental death of the hero can be painful.
The game's combat, while extremely dangerous, is a must. While exploring, we will find a lot of items that will make fighting zombies easier. These will include crowbars, fire axes and even frying pans. We can also get our hands on firearms, but using them generates noise, to which the undead are particularly sensitive. My favorite is a Molotov cocktail, which, when used properly, can cleanse entire housing estates – unfortunately, along with the buildings and items inside them, so it's worth being careful.
We can freely modify many gameplay elements, from random events to zombie behavior.
Shots are heard in the distance
The sheer depth of the mechanics, although it can absorb you for hours, is not the only advantage of the game. Once we have mastered the basics, prepared shelter and gained the courage to venture further and further for supplies, it turns out that time is against us. After a few days, the city network stops working and water from the tap – or from the toilet bowl, if there was no other option – will no longer be available. It's similar with electricity. The only solution is to look for alternatives such as rain barrels and generators.
The game also simulates the remaining signs of life in a dead city, such as distant sounds of gunshots and the sound of an approaching helicopter, which prompt nearby zombies to move – this means that previously visited areas may turn out to be dangerous again. The creators plan to introduce the possibility of meeting other survivors, but they announced it years ago and we are still waiting. However, if we lack interaction with other characters, we can always invite friends to play.
We start the game with basic clothes, and we only have items found around us
It's more fun in a group
Playing in co-op gives the game a completely different character – when joining friends, it is worth specializing in one profession. For example, while I spent hours fortifying the bar that my friends and I had chosen as our base, my friend organized some space in the parking lot to ensure the best possible condition of our cars. Speaking of vehicles, these as decoys have often saved us from the undead horde, because their noise attracted zombies as effectively as a gunshot.
Project Zomboid also supports creating your own servers that can accommodate several dozen players at a time. This opens up further possibilities, including participating in gameplay known, for example, from DayZ, where every survivor we meet will most likely want to “borrow” the contents of our backpack. However, if we want greater immersion, we can join roleplay servers, where each player plays their own character in a more realistic way.
We can play almost any character we want, from a cook to a war veteran
Early Access od 2013 roku
The title was released in 2013 in Early Access and is still in this state. I have the impression that the developers want to use the Early Access patch as a cushion to justify the errors appearing in the game and the lack of functionalities that have been promised for years. However, the game is still being gradually developed, and after over a hundred hours of play, I don't have the impression that Project Zomboid is an incomplete product.
However, if we are tired of the developers' slowness in adding new solutions, we can use the work of the community to diversify the gameplay with one of the mods. These can be checked easily, because the game works very well with the Steam Workshop. The official blog is full of awards for the work of independent creators and if the number of available modifications is overwhelming, you can always reach for the developers' recommendations.
A resourceful survivor is a (still) living survivor.
The creators announced further updates. Build number 42 should be released this year, which will introduce further new features to the game. There are many planned improvements, including the addition of animals, expanding the current map, the ability to visit tall skyscrapers and – for the first time since 2013 – basements and bunkers. The changes will also include improvements to sounds, animations and lighting, expanding the already complicated crafting and adding new items.
Project Zomboid may initially cause difficulties, which disappear as you gradually learn the game's mechanics. This is a great break from high-budget titles that target a much wider audience and cannot afford such a realistic and complicated approach to mechanics.