Dead State is a project not many people are speaking about, mainly because the devs don’t come from money, and haven’t been able to invest heavily into marketing. It’s a small indie project, funded by kickstarter.com, but we’re thrilled by the general idea, the setting and the enthusiasm of the developing team.
The devs have released a new video, talking us through some of the things they have been working on, as well as showing what the game will look and feel like.
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Brian Mitsoda, the founder of DoubleBear Studio and lead developer on Dead State, has also mentioned that the first demo for the game will be released soon, probably in January 2014.
Now, there are several reasons why this project captivated our interest. First, it’s been awhile since TBS (turn-based strategy) fans have had a great, story-driven game to play with, and Dead State seems to take the best elements from games such as XCOM or Gorky 17 , and combining them in a new zombie infested world, with an emphasis on story and immersion. Then, we have a different take on the zombie genre. According to the devs, Dead State won’t be just about blowing zombies to bits, but will instead focus on survival, leadership and character development. And judging by the popularity of AMC’s TV Show “The Walking Dead”, or the success of games such as DayZ and The Walking Dead, their decision and approach seems to be justified and logical.
Some of the gameplay features will include base-building, scavenging, a morale system (probably similar to the one in Xcom), a political setting for the group you’re leading or are a part of, and of course, some good ol’fashioned zombie slaying, with weapons ranging from hatchets to all sorts of firearms.
The strength of the story is already evident, the game having more than 10.000 lines of dialogue already, and the first version of the game is aimed at providing well over 50 hours of gameplay. So yes, we have solid reasons to believe this indie project will be a great success, since what can be better than a well-designed TBS, mixed with RPG elements, set in a zombie apocalypse, and centered around a solid story and complex characters. Not to mention that this is the first project for DoubleBear Studio, so they can’t afford to go wrong. For more information, check out their kickstarter page here.