State of Decay 3

State of Decay 3 is the third installment of a series of survival action games launched in 2015. The game was developed by the authors of the previous parts of the series, namely Undead Labs studio, in cooperation with The Coalition and Obsidian Entertainment teams.

Plot

State of Decay 3 takes us to a post-apocalyptic world overrun by the living dead, known from the previous two parts of the series. The story in the game takes place many years after the events presented in the previous installments of the series, which is reflected in the appearance of the environment (the pink tentacles of the plague are taking over larger areas) and its new "zombie lords" (their decomposition has made significant progress), as well as the decreasing availability of resources enabling survival.

During the game we take control of survivors who, acting alone (less often and for a short time) or functioning as part of small communities (more often and longer), have to fight each day to stay live. The plot it shaped by our actions and the choices we make.

Gameplay

In State of Decay 3 the action is viewed from a third-person perspective (TPP). The game provides us with an open world that we can freely explore (on foot or behind the wheel of one of the vehicles). When exploring it, we must keep an eye out to detect threats in advance and be able to spot all useful items and resources.

The game has implemented a crafting system that allows us to create new equipment and improve what we already have. Developers have put emphasis on the personalization of individual equipment elements. This includes weapons and armor elements, which are indispensable in the fight against opponents.

The game world has been overrun by hordes of living dead and although there is no shortage of "cannon fodder" among them, there are opponents who play the role of bosses, whose defeat requires significantly more effort. We fight enemies both with melee weapons and firearms. Due to the fact that resources are a scarce commodity here, ammunition supplies are running out at an alarming rate, and enemies outnumber us, it is rarely worth engaging in open confrontations. More often we are forced to act quietly and avoid drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves.

During breaks from our escapades, we go to a base that we can expand and adapt to individual preferences. As we progress, we develop characters. Their death, which is permanent, can therefore be painful. Interestingly, not only players can remember the fallen heroes and heroines, but also their AI-controlled companions, who express this by building special memory walls.

Game modes

State of Decay 3 allows to play both alone and in online coop multiplayer for up to four people. Wanting to refine the latter as best as possible, the authors asked the Obsidian Entertainment studio for help, which shared with them the experience acquired during the production process of Grounded.

Engine and graphics

State of Decay 3 runs on Unreal Engine 5. Making an effort to ensure that the graphic design of the game represented a significant quality leap compared to the previous installment of the series, the authors established another collaboration - this time with The Coalition team. This translated to a more detailed environment, character and enemy models, as well as more advanced animations.