ROAM PC

ROAM for PC is an ambitious project of Ryan Sharr (Age of Empires Online) and Zach Barson, mixing an action game, real time strategy, and a cRPG with an incredibly popular zombie invasion theme. The project was crowd-funded by the users of Kickstarter.

Plot

The plot of the game takes place in a world overrun by zombie. The player assumes the role of one of the survivors, while his objective is to survive in the dire, unfriendly environment.

Mechanics

The gameplay is built from three basic elements – first, traversing spacious, randomly generated areas in search of supplies: food, water, weapons, ammo, tools and building materials. We can also encounter other survivors – they can join our group as allies, or become hostile, creating an enemy as dangerous as the hordes of zombies.

Survival requires building a safe shelter. A well-designed base offers durable protection against uninvited guests. However, to build such a sanctuary, we’ll need certain materials, which can often only be acquired through skillful disassembly of the objects found in the game world.

The third element is combat. In ROAM, living dead are divided into a number of types with different specifications, which forces different tactics (especially while confronting bosses). During dynamic encounters, the heroes use firearms, which require ammunition, as well as melee weapons. The group has the ability to upgrade and modify its equipment.

Game Modes

The game contains a singleplayer mode, but the gameplay was designed with a cooperation mode in mind. One online session can hold up to four players.

Technical Aspects

ROAM is characteristic for its eye-catching visuals – as the game is an independent project, the developers decided to use Unity 3D, a popular, widely available game engine. The graphics are cel-shaded, giving the game somewhat of a comic-book feel.

Last updated on 04 March 2013