Dead State

 PC
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 95 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 95
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 95
  3. Negative: 23 out of 95

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  1. CaptainChaos
    Dec 30, 2018
    6
    Edit: I raised my score from 6 to 5 b/c as much as I complain, I can't stop playing this game. Also, I figured out how to reduce teleporting zombies. Someone posted that if you press the space bar while they are moving across the entire screen to ambush you, it enters combat mode. You have to do this within about 6-10 squares of you to work, but that fixes my main issue. Still, this needsEdit: I raised my score from 6 to 5 b/c as much as I complain, I can't stop playing this game. Also, I figured out how to reduce teleporting zombies. Someone posted that if you press the space bar while they are moving across the entire screen to ambush you, it enters combat mode. You have to do this within about 6-10 squares of you to work, but that fixes my main issue. Still, this needs one patch for a 7 and could have been a 9 or 10 with just a bit more work.

    Like other reviewers here, I WANT to love this game, but there's a lot of frustration here that leaves me as annoyed as entertained.

    The game is sort of fun and I'm still giving it a chance. I'm so intrigued with the political side and that combat is a means to a goal not the goal. However, I have serious concerns about what I have seen in the first 30 hours.

    #1 Gripe: Teleporting Zombies: I understand that they revamped the combat system so you can't sneak up and kill everything; zombies have "eyes in the back of their head" detection. Ok whatever. To get around this I shot them in the back from 15 squares away, which is legit - the trade off is causing noise which is bad. Very bad, but since I can't sneak up with melee I engage them a distance and force them to run to me. But that's the tactical trade off, noise for position. However, the zombies just teleport to your location, no matter how far away you are. So, you can't position by distance. As one hilarious player said the very safest part in the game is literally in FRONT of the zombies b/c they chase you normally and don't hyperspace to you. This really breaks combat sometimes as using a gun near a mob of zombies gives the mob infinite free turns until they reach you. Reload. Only solution.

    Gripe #2: Close to #1 is no configure keys for PC? I can't change the keyboard keys. In 2015? You guys worked for Black Isle or whatever. That's basically treason to your base. What were you thinking?

    Gripe #3: The interface appears needlessly clunky. (a) Do I really need to put a gun in my inventory screen, unload it there to get the ammo, then move the ammo to my item slot and THEN go to the player screen to reload it my current same gun? Seriously? (b) also, I would like to select characters directly from the screen, not the portrait; my game feels like a tennis match with me constantly redirecting my eyes; I don't get - these guys nailed it for Black Isle games, why change?

    Gripe #3a: The text size is unbelievably small for the spreadsheet like tallies. I have LASIK and still have trouble reading it.

    Gripe #4 Action Points. Their system stinks. XCom let's you Overwatch if it's your turn. Other games, permit you to "wait" or at least save some of your AP if you don't use them.

    Gripe #5 No Cover: Is it so much to ask in a firefight you have cover mechanics? I realize the graphics are from the 1980s but Wasteland2 did a PHENOMENAL job with cover. Guys, you go back how many decades in the field? Boo.

    Minor Kvetch: I love how zombies create other zombies on the map, but could you give us a turn or two? It's a bit *too* intense and seems unfair to come RIGHT back to life. Maybe that's just me.

    I could go on, but you get the point. I like the atmosphere and the inside jokes, and the game has heart in other ways. I know they tried to fix the combat but in the end I feel they just got bored and called it a wrap. This game was a patch away from true decency and 4-6 months away from greatness. Just sad :( I give it a 5 though (mixed) as opposed to a 4, b/c despite the issues I love the environment and so far I'm curious and engaged.

    This is a more complicated than a rough diamond. Some patch choices and design omissions are almost too much to bear. Maybe they will be too much to bear in a few more hours. I dk.    … Expand
  2. AkumaJack
    Jul 13, 2018
    6
    Nice idea poorly executed.
    First of all the game is too hard for the wrong reasons. Morale is always going down for almost no reason. Having 5 "Okay" mood people in your shelter could offset gathering food, offering protection and other stuff.
    Second, there is no stealth whatsoever. AFAIK is because the first build of the game was too easy thanks to stealth. So instead of fixing it they    Nice idea poorly executed.
    First of all the game is too hard for the wrong reasons. Morale is always going down for almost no reason. Having 5 "Okay" mood people in your shelter could offset gathering food, offering protection and other stuff.
    Second, there is no stealth whatsoever. AFAIK is because the first build of the game was too easy thanks to stealth. So instead of fixing it they removed and now you HAVE to be a killing machine instead of trying to sneak in and out of risky places to get everything you need without wasting bullets, or worse, health.
    The combat system isn't that great. Is a bastardized version of XCOM without everything good of the game. Is Xcom without covers, perks and other intresting stuff to keep you entertained.
    The game suffer from a lack of polish too and crash quite often.
    Is probably not worth the money or the time to complete it.    … Expand
  3. Sawt00th
    Dec 12, 2014
    5
    Wholly underwhelming game. Your base is not free construct, members of the group stand motionless in a few rooms doing nothing, you can speak to them and select between the same 3 lines of text. Combat is painful, I like turn-based, but with TB combat you better make damn sure you have ironed out the bugs, but no, they are present, spoiling every combat interaction you have. The staticWholly underwhelming game. Your base is not free construct, members of the group stand motionless in a few rooms doing nothing, you can speak to them and select between the same 3 lines of text. Combat is painful, I like turn-based, but with TB combat you better make damn sure you have ironed out the bugs, but no, they are present, spoiling every combat interaction you have. The static base not of your choosing spoils it the most for me, it's huge and about 10% is actually used.… Expand
  4. MeritCoba
    Apr 20, 2019
    7
    Years ago..
    Some years ago I wrote a negative review about this game which was about to go live. A few months back I noticed I had gotten the reanimated version, so I tried it and used that for this review. This version is the one you can buy nowadays.
    Purpose of the review The aim of this review is to give you an idea of the game so you can make up your mind if you want to buy it or    Years ago..
    Some years ago I wrote a negative review about this game which was about to go live. A few months back I noticed I had gotten the reanimated version, so I tried it and used that for this review. This version is the one you can buy nowadays.

    Purpose of the review
    The aim of this review is to give you an idea of the game so you can make up your mind if you want to buy it or not. Steam graciously gives you two hours to test the game, but in case of Dead State this might not be enough. See below why. I hope this review helps you to make up your mind.

    Similarities to State of Decay
    To understand what kind of game this is, it is tempting to compare it to others. This goes just so far as you might not know those other games. However I am going to do this anyway as it is almost unavoidable to say that this game is similar to State of Decay(Further referred to as SoD). Like SoD it is set in a zombie apocalypse, you will be leading a group of survivors, you will be in charge of a base, there is some light roleplay involved and most of your time is involved with getting supplies and weapons and fighting.

    However this game can also be considered as an expanded version of SoD. When you go exploring you can have a group of up to four members picked from your community and even get a dog extra if you level out one skill. Also each member of your community is unique with their own background story, statistics, growth, quirks and events. The running of the base is far more elaborate not only in what you can build, but in having to keep your peoples moral up and fed and because you will need to make some important decisions during special events, called Crisis Events.

    Difference with State of Decay
    What is noticeable different is that while SoD sees zombies as the main adversaries, adding more and special - more dangerous - zombies to the mix as the game progresses, Dead State has humans as the main enemies and confronts you with better trained, better armed and better armored human adversaries.

    What is really different is the combat system. It is a turn based system in which actions cost a certain amount of action points. The more actions points you'll have the more you can do.

    Another notable difference is that zombies in this game turn people into zombies by infecting them. There is one place where a shootout between two gangs ends with both being overwhelmed by the zombies and most of them being infected and turned upon death.

    There are more differences but maybe the last to take note of is focus on your character. Dead State places your character at the center of the story and you can assign ability points and skill points upon creation at the start of the game and as the game progresses. However , unlike with SoD, you cannot switch it out with another. This can be a benefit as well as drawback as you character becomes powerful with special abilities but at the same time if your character is disabled in any way, you have to suffer the disability as it cannot be swapped out unlike all your other group members.

    Special mention
    One thing that needs to be mentioned is the unique way of character progressing. Experience is gained by bring home loot. Loot is needed to keep up moral, feed your people, supply you with parts to build, get you fuel to keep the generator working, keep the car operational..and it also allows you to improve your character. Each type of loot gives you a skill point if sufficient quantities are brought in.

    Strengths
    Dead State offers a sandbox game that allows you to go where you want, pick most of your community members, build what you like, do to others what you like and develop your character the way you feel most comfortable.

    Weakness
    A weakness is that important events happen on a specific day. For instance: the end phase happens on a specific day. If you are super efficient you might have done everything days or even weeks before that day as the game does not refill places, hence after a place is cleared it will have nothing new to offer. What makes this worse is that when you do not bring in supplies every day your people get disgruntled and might even kick you out. Hence you are facing boredom possible banishment because you were too efficient!

    The game has a limited replay value. Not only because it is scripted, but also because all your companions will be the same with the same values and develop along the same lines. You have no control over you companions, which is a pity really.

    Wrapping up
    I think the game is interesting enough if you like games as State of Decay and you get it on a sale. It would also be advisable to take note of the scripted nature of the game so you can plan ahead. It might be advisable to store some of your supplies in another location.

    Special note: a friend of mine is natural left handed. He found it a pity the keys cannot be reconfigured.    … Expand
  5. Rome
    Dec 6, 2014
    7
    UPDATED REVIEW: The black screen crash did not happen after an additional five times loading the game again. Strange, but hopefully it wont happen again. I then could play some more and I feel I should update my review and score:

    So I tried going down to Downtown Splendid. Here I met some human looters. I must say that human enemies seems impossible. So I had surrounded a "Nervous    UPDATED REVIEW: The black screen crash did not happen after an additional five times loading the game again. Strange, but hopefully it wont happen again. I then could play some more and I feel I should update my review and score:

    So I tried going down to Downtown Splendid. Here I met some human looters. I must say that human enemies seems impossible. So I had surrounded a "Nervous Looter" with Renee, Sarah(me) and Joel. I attacked him with melee 14 times, hitting him only three times. By then he had shot Joel dead (4 gunshots, whereof 3 hit Joel). Finally I was able to knock him down after 16 attacks total. By then his friends showed up, probably due to the noise from the gunshots. His friends were much much harder, a "Tough Looter" and a "Serious Looter". One equipped with a knife and a pistol, other with a long polearm. I tried to attack them but my attacks all but one missed. Then they just killed Renee and Sarah. This is pretty unsatisfactory. I have followed all the advice from the games tips dialog boxes and then this happen? I thought that being three together in my party would give me some safety. Maybe I should take four with me next time (can't take five since that fifth guy had to stay at home at the base to fix some important stuff (not revealing this because of story)).

    At this point I have to give the game a 7. The game is simply to hard, to the point of being imbalanced.

    OLD REVIEW:
    This is seemingly a very interesting Zombie apocalypse turn based action and strategy game, featuring ressource collection, character management and base building, repairing and crafting. Everything seems pretty detailed. If you ever played State of Decay, which had rather simple base construction and management and also rather basic character management then know that Dead State is highly complicated and detailed in these features and that is a big big plus.

    Unfortunately the whole experience is hampered by the game not being ready for release. Game breaking bugs like consistenly getting freezes and black screen when you travel to a specific area seems unsolvable because it doesn't help to load the save game again, it keeps happening. Loading from an even earlier save will help for a while until it happens again. This forces you to all too often to rewind your progress to an earlier save which is really REALLY horrible for a game like this. Loosing your progress is the absolute worst a game like this can do to the player. That is why I, sadly, am forced to only give Dead State a 4. If not for the game breaking bugs the game deserves a 8 or 9.    … Expand
  6. urieaal
    Jan 18, 2015
    5
    This game could be so much fun... but: parts are to scarce, it makes upgrades difficult. the first area your supposed to go get parts at doesn't even have enough for the first required upgrade.

    even in its current state (134) this game is so buggy, and the combat system is so god awfully hair pulling slow. Maybe a few more updates and this will be a good game to play but right now    This game could be so much fun... but: parts are to scarce, it makes upgrades difficult. the first area your supposed to go get parts at doesn't even have enough for the first required upgrade.

    even in its current state (134) this game is so buggy, and the combat system is so god awfully hair pulling slow.

    Maybe a few more updates and this will be a good game to play but right now its to buggy, parts often disappear for no reason. and its 39.99 :/ theres better games out there to be sure.

    so unless your a die hard zombie fanatic this is not the zombie game you've been wishing for.    … Expand
  7. StarCitizenZues
    Dec 14, 2014
    7
    I'm giving this game a very soft 7. I was an original backer, and if can certainly appreciate the independent production of this game, as well as the feedback and communication from the devs. They would literally reply to concerns or comments within 15 minutes of posting.
    With that said, as it stands, the game is decent (at time of posting) but it is still hampered by numerous bugs and    I'm giving this game a very soft 7. I was an original backer, and if can certainly appreciate the independent production of this game, as well as the feedback and communication from the devs. They would literally reply to concerns or comments within 15 minutes of posting.
    With that said, as it stands, the game is decent (at time of posting) but it is still hampered by numerous bugs and glitches. Upon release, this game was unplayable, but the devs cleaned it up to about 80% playability (without wanting to punch your monitor). Why this game was released with so many known issues is beyond me -- I can only guess it has to do with some type of contractual obligation to either Steam or Kickstarter.
    I currently have 70 hrs invested in this game, and I'm starting to get a little burnt out. It does become a little repetitive, but only because of the bugs slowing everything down. It's very cathartic bashing zombies heads in after a hard day, but its becomes frustrating when those glitches kick in and slow you to a snails pace, or when a major event happens, but its glitched and you are powerless to make a decision .... Usually resulting in very negative results.
    Graphics and music are also decent and the maps are fun; however, all maps are pre-written and never change. In other words, you restart the game, same maps, same zombie and enemy placement, zero replay ability factor .... But there are ALOT of maps. This is a real shame, because if the maps were random (or any random events for that matter) this game would have a huge replay ability factor a la Xcom meets Oregon Trail.
    Right now, this game is going for $20 to $30 on steam, but I think a $12 to $15 price tag is more appropriate.
    Check it out, if its on sale, or they gear up some substantial DLC.    … Expand
  8. iropan
    Apr 22, 2015
    7
    Bug-riddled, but as of April 2015, none of the bugs are game breaking. I've had a lot of fun with this game, played it for a couple of weeks non-stop, I loved managing a survivor camp, building upgrades, assigning everyone jobs, scavenging for supplies, etc. The turn based combat is satisfying once you get the hang of it, which is not hard. Great music. The technical issues are hard toBug-riddled, but as of April 2015, none of the bugs are game breaking. I've had a lot of fun with this game, played it for a couple of weeks non-stop, I loved managing a survivor camp, building upgrades, assigning everyone jobs, scavenging for supplies, etc. The turn based combat is satisfying once you get the hang of it, which is not hard. Great music. The technical issues are hard to ignore, but in terms of fun, this is one of my favorite games of the year so far.… Expand
  9. jseph1234
    May 26, 2022
    6
    EDIT May 25, 2022 : Was able to get the Game Sorted out using the Public Test Beta setting on Steam and have had some good playing with it. Upgraded to 6 / 10

    I have been playing this for 16 hours and the game has crashed every 10 - 20 minutes using Windows 10 and RTX 3080 with Intel i7 10700k CPU with 32 GB of Ram. Very frustrated and I have set it to Public_Test mode beta and Win 7    EDIT May 25, 2022 : Was able to get the Game Sorted out using the Public Test Beta setting on Steam and have had some good playing with it. Upgraded to 6 / 10

    I have been playing this for 16 hours and the game has crashed every 10 - 20 minutes using Windows 10 and RTX 3080 with Intel i7 10700k CPU with 32 GB of Ram. Very frustrated and I have set it to Public_Test mode beta and Win 7 Compatibility. Still getting crashes during transit and some gameplay. Annoying as heck!

    Moreover, You CANNOT Sneak up on Zombies from Behind! Also even if you try to get first strike on a Zombie it ALWAYS hits your character first.    … Expand
  10. CoreGamer1408
    Dec 17, 2018
    6
    I didn' t like the moral system. It was a micromanagement drag to maintain. So on one of those rare occasions I used a console command. Fine I wasn't playing the game the Developers wanted. I was playing the game I wanted. So it turned out to be more like a Fallout 1/2 and Wasteland 2 hybrid experience with added base building. The RPG elements are not as strong as Fallout and the combatI didn' t like the moral system. It was a micromanagement drag to maintain. So on one of those rare occasions I used a console command. Fine I wasn't playing the game the Developers wanted. I was playing the game I wanted. So it turned out to be more like a Fallout 1/2 and Wasteland 2 hybrid experience with added base building. The RPG elements are not as strong as Fallout and the combat is not as fun or as tactical as Wasteland 2, but I still had fun with it. Rough, unpolished and those turns late game can take a hell of a long time. So flip out that mobile or tablet between turns or something.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. CD-Action
    Mar 17, 2015
    50
    It’s a game that does some things really well and other really badly. If you’re willing to endure the latter and you’ve already finished Wastelands 2, you can give Dead State a chance. [03/2014, p.78]
  2. Everyeye.it
    Feb 9, 2015
    65
    It's a sometimes interesting starting point, but to compete with the many zombie games out there, it still lacks content.
    Read full review
  3. Games.cz
    Jan 28, 2015
    70
    Dead State game offers a great experience that combines the struggle for survival, the party and shelter management, entertaining RPG part and a tactical combat. The game grabs and holds you for dozens of hours, so you are willing to forgive it its obsolete visuals. We’d like to see bugs disappear a bit faster though.
    Read full review
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