Undead Labs’ zombie apocalypse game will feature permadeath, but you can always switch from one survivor to another.
State of Decay, formerly known as Class 3, has emerged from the darkness of development with a new trailer and some interesting game concepts. There’s stealth and tactical thinking in this zombie apocalypse survival horror title, and unlike say, Left 4 Dead, there’s no question of you respawning once you die. Dead is dead, but so long as you gathered a functioning group – with all the Walking Dead cats-in-a-sack group dynamic that implies – you can switch from one survivor to another, and carry on your story.
“You are responsible for not just yourself, but for the whole community of survivors that you gather,” says developer Phinney of Undead Labs. “By and large, it’s up to you whether or not you rescue other people, and it’s up to you to earn their trust.” But without other people your odds of getting through the day to day are low, and no matter what you do your character will eventually die. Maybe it’ll be during a zombie attack, or an accident, or disease, but death is permanent in this game so once the twitching stops the only thing for those near and dear to do is loot your body for guns, ammo and supplies.
“It is your community that goes on,” says Phinney. “Your strategy is up to you, but your best bet is to gather together a good mix of survivors … More than anything, you need to find someone you can count on. Someone who can watch your back.” Everyone has different strengths, different weaknesses, so what one group member lacks another can supply. But when one person falls, another can take up the dead character’s burden.
This is intended as an Xbox and PC release. Though no date has been fixed yet, Undead Labs is already talking about expanding the game world and concept once the game is out in the wild and they’ve had fan feedback. The name of this expansion/extension/new game? Why, Class 4 of course.
Source: Undead Labs via Joystiq
