If you’ve been sleeping under a rock (and you probably might be if the zombie apocalypse continues), Xbox Decay state 3 finally broke cover yesterday.
After several months of radio silence, Undead Labs has confirmed that it plans to conduct closed alpha tests for State of Decay 3 over the next few weeks and months, it is gearing up for an expected runway in 2027.
As part of the announcement, Undead Labs sat down with YouTuber Sunny Games for an exclusive interview Here’s a look at what players can expect from State of Decay 3, and it all sounds incredibly positive.
Studio head Philip Holt discussed the timeline for State of Decay 3 and gave some hints about the game’s overall structure. “The Decay 1 situation took place maybe a few weeks after the zombie outbreak. The Decay 2 situation took place about a year after the zombie outbreak, although we were non-specific about the timelines there. It’s when the government collapses and you’re really on your own. Your job, the Decay 2 situation, took place about a year after the zombie outbreak. It goes on for years.
So, you know, the survivor group is a little bit tougher now. They saw their share of death. The zombie threat presents itself in a new way.”
Holt said that State of Decay 1 had the “heart and soul” with its hand-crafted characters, and that State of Decay 2 went deeper into systems and procedural generation. Undead Labs aims to bring the best of both worlds together for State of Decay 3, creating an immersive, systems-driven experience while creating the rhythms of this terrifying zombie-apocalypse story.
Full and must watch pretty great interview with Sunny Games herebut here is a general overview of some key points.
- The original State of Decay 3 trailer was assembled back when the game was a word document.
- Unfortunately, there are no zombie animals, despite being in the trailer.
- State of Decay 3’s communities feature “temporary culture” such as scavenging, crafting, and gadget building. You will see fewer pre-made weapons appearing closer to the start of the launch.
- Combat has been a “big focus” for the game, with improved movement, responsiveness, and depth.
- Settlements will have “variety and character” similar to State of Decay 2, with some bases having more electricity, etc. has special internal features such as
- You won’t be able to completely ignore the plague threat in State of Decay 3, and you won’t be able to turtle up your base because it will get stronger if left unchecked.
- State of Decay 3 wants to “meet player expectations” for online co-op. It will be less restrictive than State of Decay 2. One player will be able to start a game, then others can join in, and manage communities even when the map creator is offline.
- State of Decay 3 is server-based, not peer-to-peer. There are no limits on player movement, and “fewer” players are locked in State of Decay 3 – although Undead Labs was hesitant to confirm the limits. They want to do more testing on their server infrastructure before committing.
- State of Decay 3 will retain the single player mode due to the fact that most players chose to play solo in the previous games. As more players join the game, State of Decay 3 will only grow in difficulty.
- State of Decay 3 wants to tone down the “favorite” bump for a more polished launch experience.
- Undead Labs wants to provide long-term post-release support for State of Decay 3, as seen with State of Decay 2.
- The core of the State of Decay experience will remain. Undead Labs noted that the player badge actually increased when players lost characters.
- And more!
Don’t sleep on State of Decay 3
Like upcoming Xbox games Fairy taleWith Halo, Forza and Gears of War dominating the titles, I’m quietly excited for State of Decay 3.
State of Decay 1 and 2 were both incredibly special games, and as someone who managed to survive somewhat in my gaming experiences, the promise of State of Decay always felt like it couldn’t quite live up to its true potential. Whether it’s peer-to-peer hosting being a weird co-op connection in open worlds or the game’s infamous sandbox bugs, the switch to Microsoft (and Microsoft’s budgets) has given the franchise new promise to think bigger.
I’ve heard that the development of State of Decay 3 has been incredibly difficult, especially after the studio acquisition and navigating the pandemic. But it looks like the studio is ready to show the world what it can do with a bolder vision for a PvE systems-driven zombie survival game that’s unique in scope and quality.
State of Decay 3 doesn’t have a known release date yet, but if I had to guess, 2027 is looking pretty hot.
Sign up for State of Decay 3’s closed alpha test for a chance to play early, and I doubt we’ll see this year’s game Xbox Showcase in June.
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