Project Zomboid
Release Date: November 8, 2013 Early Access
Action, zombie, post-apocalypse, sandbox, isometric view, RPG elements, survival, online, for 2 players, indie games, co-op, crafting, splitscreen, multiplayer, singleplayer, internet
Steam
Developed by the independent studio The Indie Stone survival game. Project Zomboid presents a grim vision of the world struggling with the zombie epidemic.
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Videos and Screens
[2:28] Project Zomboid Prepare to Die
The main pros of the game
- Deep Gameplay Mechanics: Players appreciate the extensive mechanics involved in survival, crafting, and building, which contribute to a highly immersive experience.
- High Replayability: The game offers a vast sandbox environment with endless possibilities, allowing players to create unique stories and experiences each time they play.
- Strong Modding Community: There is significant support for mods, which enhances gameplay by adding new features, items, and quality-of-life improvements.
- Challenging and Realistic: The game is noted for its realistic take on survival, where every decision matters, and players must manage various survival aspects like hunger, health, and stress.
- Multiplayer Experience: Playing with friends is highly recommended and adds to the enjoyment of the game.
The main cons of the game
- Steep Learning Curve: New players often find the game difficult to learn, with complex mechanics that can be overwhelming at first.
- Graphics and UI: While some find the graphics decent, many criticize them as outdated or simplistic, which may deter some players.
- Bugs and Optimization Issues: Although many users mention minor bugs, some find them annoying, and there are calls for better optimization, especially for lower-end devices.
- Slow Development Pace: Users express frustration with the slow pace of updates and the feeling that promised features (like NPCs) are taking too long to be implemented.
The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users
- Lack of Clear Objectives: Some players feel the game could benefit from more structured goals or quests to guide them through the survival experience.
- More Content in Professions: Users have noted that while there are many professions, some lack depth and variety in their associated skills and crafting options.
- Enhanced Environmental Density: Some reviews mention that towns and cities feel sparse, lacking the density and variety expected in a post-apocalyptic setting.
- Improved Multiplayer Features: While multiplayer is functional, there are suggestions for enhancing its features, such as better coordination mechanics.
Summary
- Overall, Project Zomboid is praised for its depth and realism in the zombie survival genre, with a strong community and modding support, but it does face challenges related to accessibility for new players and the pace of development.
Summary generated on:
GAMERS Score
Average score from 50 votes. 465 players anticipated the game.
Project Zomboid Description
Project Zomboid is an sandbox survival game with an isometric view, set in a post zombie apocalypse world; it was developed by independent developers from The Indie Stone. Production of the game started in April 2011, and early access launched in November 2013.
Plot
The action takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, in Knox Country inspired by the United States, where hordes of zombies rampage through. We play as one of the survivors and try to stay alive. The conditions are becoming more dangerous day by day - more and more living dead appear and it's harder to get resources.
Game mechanics
We observe the action from isometric perspective. The game provides a lot of freedom in terms of action, and does not suggest any missions to complete. Our only goal is to survive as long as possible. After the death of the character we lose him, along with all the progress, irretrievably and we have to start from the beginning. There are several game modes: Story, Challenge, Sandbox, in which the player sets many parameters of the world and a more difficult variant Last Stand, where the zombies are actively looking for us from the beginning.
We start the game by creating a character. The game begins with the creation of a character - decisions made in this process determine the initial skills. We improve our abilities during the gameplay by performing certain actions or using different types of weapons.
The main threat are zombies, usually moving in large groups - to avoid dangerous bites we can hide, engage in a fight or try to escape. The enemies, when they notice a person or are attracted to e.g. by a loud sound, will move towards him. Once they get close to the victim, they will attack, trying to bite. In addition, extreme weather conditions are also dangerous.
During the game we have to take care of our character's needs. The most basic parameters include hunger, thirst, fatigue and body temperature. We also have to take care of more complex feelings - our character can, for example, panic, get stressed or even just be bored. All of them have an impact on the functioning of the character - they cause illnesses, reduce the speed of movement and attack, increase the time needed to perform many actions and so on.
The game has a very complex crafting system. We can create different types of primitive weapons, everyday items and devices, as well as build shelters and grow plants. Components needed for this can be found all around - in houses and other buildings, on the streets or by fallen zombies.
Game modes
In Project Zomboid you can play solo or in multiplayer mode - either on split screen with up to four friends or online on a server.
Build 41 - new features
In this update, released in December 2021, there are many big changes significantly affecting gameplay. Graphics have been improved - backpacks and bags are now visible, clothes get shredded, dirty and blood stained over time. Flowing water, puddles when it rains, and fog look better. Animations have been improved and new forms of movement have been added, including sneaking, tumbling, jumping over a fence, and climbing.
There is also a new large location - the city of Louisville - and many other changes: additional buildings and decorations, improved roads. A map preview has been released to help you find your way around the huge game world, which is now more convincing. Appropriately looking and equipped zombies appear in specific locations: policemen at the police station, cooks in restaurants etc. While exploring, we can encounter scenes of death of specific infected and learn about their history. Loot is also more suited to the places where we find it.
Significant changes have been made to the combat system and adjustment of the difficulty level. Aiming is made easier with an isometric cursor and a colored target outline. New weapons, reload menus, and quick access slots have been made available.
Multiplayer has been improved to run smoother and with less lag. New gameplay modes have been introduced: Apocalypse (focused on avoiding fights and staying in cover), Survival (emphasizing fighting) and Building (allowing to focus on things like exploration, constructing and farming). We also can check out two new challenges.
Technical aspects
The game has been in development since 2011, which makes its graphics already quite archaic.
Last updated on August 14, 2015
Project Zomboid Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows
Developer: The Indie Stone
Publisher: The Indie Stone
Age restrictions: 16+
Project Zomboid System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Quad Core 2.77 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 660 or better, 5 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit
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