State of Decay 2

 PC
User Score
5.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 466 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 153 out of 466
  2. Mixed: 111 out of 466
  3. Negative: 202 out of 466

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  1. urieaal
    May 27, 2018
    4
    Meh.. in state of decay there was some story, A bit of wonder and excitement and even random over powered items to find..

    Alas i find state of decay 2 lacking.. the game feels rushed. The 5 hours i have put into the game so far following just the games quests... Mind you, not just wandering around... i have been asking what? why?? huh..? A character creator even a basic one is a    Meh.. in state of decay there was some story, A bit of wonder and excitement and even random over powered items to find..

    Alas i find state of decay 2 lacking.. the game feels rushed. The 5 hours i have put into the game so far following just the games quests... Mind you, not just wandering around... i have been asking what? why?? huh..?

    A character creator even a basic one is a staple in games these days... vary rarely do games not have a character creator and tell a decent story. It is sorely needed and one of very few things i thought was missing from SoD. The base building is almost the same... except more options and mods.. it needs better options not more... reinforce fencing, expand area... herp a derp???

    Larger bases or expandable bases would have been better... more defense options would have been nice.. not even 5 hours in and im getting sieged by zombie hordes every 30 minutes. all i did was build the basics, pharmacy water catch, watch tower oh and removed garbage and fixed the master bedroom. How is that 2 of 3 bars.

    Nothing i/we built makes noise... the lookout tower upgraded to level 2 even..nothing makes noise... its not like we have flood lights thanks to good ol electricity.. one of the mods is a generator adding electricity if you refuel it to an area of your base....

    SoD allows to you just grab a vehicle and go... SoD2 you need gas for cars and repair kits...... its very tedious early and a waste of inventory space later. i did not want to micro manage every single aspect of a human being.... breathing... its to much micro managing... food, medicine, ammo, salvage... that was what you needed in SoD, now you need water and electricity, gas and some other bs.. oh and cars are much fewer all carry 5-6 items/sacks.

    this game just feels really rushed... Haven't they been working on SoD2 for about 4 years now? Wth happened? the blood plague was just a bad **** idea... it gets a bit ridiculous..

    I really really liked SoD but SoD2 is missing too much and is far to buggy. even after the updates i lost a vehicle and got stuck just running on top of a stack of bricks in a truck at the nursery. my character got stuck inside the small (should have been easy to jump over) bricks.

    Did they even play test this game at all..... the problems i've had already and i literally just bought an x1s and this game... tempted to return both.    … Expand
  2. Ocelot113
    Jun 2, 2018
    3
    Honestly, I was waiting on this game a long time. I did like the first one a lot. But like everyone else was a bit disappointed by the lack of an endgame and no coop. Interestingly, State of Decay 2 addressed these 2 things... abysmally.

    Their coop in this game is pretty much laughable. Tethering in an open world game is a mega fail. Also, why would anyone coop in this game. There is    Honestly, I was waiting on this game a long time. I did like the first one a lot. But like everyone else was a bit disappointed by the lack of an endgame and no coop. Interestingly, State of Decay 2 addressed these 2 things... abysmally.

    Their coop in this game is pretty much laughable. Tethering in an open world game is a mega fail. Also, why would anyone coop in this game. There is nothing to gain at all. In 1999 Jet-force Gemini on the N64 allowed for an unlock-able robot that someone else could control. Meaning they could point at this on the screen and shoot at it, not actually move it. This Coop is about on par with that 1999 innovation. Loot is separate, base building is for the host only. So all you do is follow around the host wacking at things on the screen. Other than that there is no story or any good reason to actually join a friend.

    As for the endgame. Its boring. They said, "Our fans want a conclusion.", so they put you on an incredibly boring loop of doing the same thing for 40 hours. But wait, next time pick a new leader and do 1 other incredibly boring task for 40 hours.

    I will not be buying the next one. We asked to take what was good about SOD1 and flesh it out. You took SOD1 and fans ideas and added really terrible execution of those great ideas in attempt to extend the games length. Guys, it's boring and rushed. Enjoy, your profits. You've proven you are a one hit wonder.    … Expand
  3. kankernaut
    May 23, 2021
    0
    Garbage. We managed to lose all the advantages of the first part, while leaving all the disadvantages and adding new ones. The area is simply teeming with zombies, who do not give a second's respite, and there is no navigator, if you need to look at the map, you will not even stop calmly, they immediately fly. In the game, everything is of the same type to the point of horror, you start toGarbage. We managed to lose all the advantages of the first part, while leaving all the disadvantages and adding new ones. The area is simply teeming with zombies, who do not give a second's respite, and there is no navigator, if you need to look at the map, you will not even stop calmly, they immediately fly. In the game, everything is of the same type to the point of horror, you start to get bored after a couple of hours. Maybe I played it for 15 hours at most and realized that there is nothing more to catch there. Deleted.… Expand
  4. geniodella
    Jun 24, 2022
    3
    Really poor game, we played in coop with my friend both main campaign and hearland dlc, thing that is worst is perm death of characters, it hampers the overall experience, i mean i spend a lot of time on finding someone that has computer or chemistry knowledge to have him killed in main outpost by a random attack of zombies and then i have to spend a lot of time going after the whole levelReally poor game, we played in coop with my friend both main campaign and hearland dlc, thing that is worst is perm death of characters, it hampers the overall experience, i mean i spend a lot of time on finding someone that has computer or chemistry knowledge to have him killed in main outpost by a random attack of zombies and then i have to spend a lot of time going after the whole level to find another characters that has same skills while i am also looking for food, weapons ammo etc... in the process i have some other character killed too, no way this game is a huge failure.… Expand
  5. Messia
    Mar 1, 2019
    3
    This game is Wonderfull but there are too many bug....you can't save your game so if you die and you lose your favourite character you can't do nothing . The game is like the hold version whit out any news.... and if you want a patch for your bug you have to buy the dlc.... so MICROSOFT ARE INVASIVE SOFT .... even if you buy a game for your chill.... lol. even if you pay.... Microsoft giveThis game is Wonderfull but there are too many bug....you can't save your game so if you die and you lose your favourite character you can't do nothing . The game is like the hold version whit out any news.... and if you want a patch for your bug you have to buy the dlc.... so MICROSOFT ARE INVASIVE SOFT .... even if you buy a game for your chill.... lol. even if you pay.... Microsoft give you a bugged game .… Expand
  6. Utterdeer
    Apr 10, 2019
    4
    I give it a score that low is not because the game is hard or the game graphic sucks. I compare this with the state of decay and there are not much changes than the first one. I like the vehicle upgrade and ability to refuel and repair, it makes the game more realistic than the last one. However, there are more cons than pros really. 1. the game had little to no story, mission does notI give it a score that low is not because the game is hard or the game graphic sucks. I compare this with the state of decay and there are not much changes than the first one. I like the vehicle upgrade and ability to refuel and repair, it makes the game more realistic than the last one. However, there are more cons than pros really. 1. the game had little to no story, mission does not really impact the outcome of the endgame. 2. What happen to the state of decay main character, the only thing I found out are lily and sasquatch had joined in a different community and I did not find out in a mission. I find out in a GOD DAM RADIO, I would have miss that if I am not paying attention on the radio. 3. Bug and glitches are way worse that state of decay, cars are flying, my AI companion dropping from the sky, stuck on the wall, the rock, the table, and more. This bugs I am mentioning now are still existed since the 7.0 patch not 1.0 or 2.0 is 7.0!! WTF. 5. Multiplayer is bad and useless, try to find someone to play with and I can find no one. the only place you MIGHT got someone to play with you is the call of duty zombie aka the daybreak mode. 6. The daybreak mode sucks! Except you can hire red talon and great guns with your prestige point there are nothing fun about it. there are no story, no character development, no exploration purposes, no nothing that is related to state of decay title. It is just a mode to hang out with your friends or other player. This game is no where better than the state of decay and that is why this game don't deserve to get a high rating.… Expand
  7. Nocturnus
    Apr 26, 2019
    1
    This was my first experience with State of Decay an the Hype was real so I thougt what could go wrong to play it with a friend of mine.
    So, what to say? Played it for six hours and it was totally underwhelming. The Multiplayer was just in die game so they can say they have one. It was more a singleplayer with a companion, who could carry Loot an Items. Yeah, to slay zombies was fun at    This was my first experience with State of Decay an the Hype was real so I thougt what could go wrong to play it with a friend of mine.
    So, what to say? Played it for six hours and it was totally underwhelming. The Multiplayer was just in die game so they can say they have one. It was more a singleplayer with a companion, who could carry Loot an Items. Yeah, to slay zombies was fun at first, but there ist nothing special about this game.
    I'm totally disappointed.
    The Tutorial was at least exciting, Thats all...    … Expand
  8. ATER_CORVUS
    Jan 14, 2021
    3
    I would rate 7 If multiplayer worked, but because really works only half of the game, the rate is 3.
  9. elChinaski
    Feb 21, 2023
    3
    Juego que intenta hacer muchas cosas y todo lo hace mal. La progresión de PJs, la gestión de la base, el mundo abierto, los zombies, la conducción... todo mal.
  10. QC418
    Jun 27, 2018
    4
    #GOOD: XP when you kill zombie, upgrade attack/defense etc, 4 players online, mini-mission, good concept, but
    #BAD: can't save in the game manually, auto-save are rares, luminosity is ultra low, you will need your lamp everywhere. The only thing you will do is pick loot and go to the base all time, in same time you kill zombie.
    #NOTE - 4/10: I recommand you to rent the game before    #GOOD: XP when you kill zombie, upgrade attack/defense etc, 4 players online, mini-mission, good concept, but
    #BAD: can't save in the game manually, auto-save are rares, luminosity is ultra low, you will need your lamp everywhere. The only thing you will do is pick loot and go to the base all time, in same time you kill zombie.

    #NOTE - 4/10: I recommand you to rent the game before buying, Because the ratio/price could be better.    … Expand
  11. Chivalric
    Jun 18, 2018
    3
    As somebody who loved the first game, bugs and all, I have to say this was a severe disappointment. Gone is vehicles being unloaded when you park them. Did it make sense in the first game? No. Was it helpful? Very. Also on the vehicles, they handle *even worse* somehow. The vehicles were all over the place in the first game, but in this one, all of them thus far have been terrible. TheAs somebody who loved the first game, bugs and all, I have to say this was a severe disappointment. Gone is vehicles being unloaded when you park them. Did it make sense in the first game? No. Was it helpful? Very. Also on the vehicles, they handle *even worse* somehow. The vehicles were all over the place in the first game, but in this one, all of them thus far have been terrible. The frame drops while driving are also unacceptable since the improvements to the graphics don't justify it. The zoom function while shooting is terrible, slowing your movement when you are aiming down sights. I assume this is some method of balancing the gun play, but it just makes it frustrating. The blood plague mechanic is highly irritating, since if you liked the melee combat of the first game, well tough luck, since melee means you have a high chance of losing your character, or having to constantly being cured of the plague. They have also removed some of my favorite skills from the first, and gated basic ones behind skill sets that don't make much sense. All in all, writing this review makes me sad. Playing the game made me sadder. Having to upgrade to Windows 10 to find out how bad the game was (and Windows 10) has made me angry. I don't know what the multiplayer is like, and I will never find out, as I'm never suggesting this game to anybody. UL, I expected better than this.… Expand
  12. Jintoss
    Jun 5, 2018
    3
    State 2 plays like a botched remaster and not a true sequel. The biggest letdown is tethered p2p coop instead of persistent, dedicated servers. Poor event and mission variety. It's a half-hearted reskin of the original, and the graphics aren't even 2018 good. Botched. Remaster.
  13. Awman
    May 25, 2018
    1
    This game is state of decay 1.0005 . Xbox 360 graphics (let's not forget hilariously bad cut scene and animations) in a 2018 game is unacceptable, shame on the devs. The numbers of bugs is as impressive as the first one, shame on the devs. Finally the game is booooooooring. Search food, kill some zombies, wait till your out of food, rince, repeat. I had more fun doing my laundry thisThis game is state of decay 1.0005 . Xbox 360 graphics (let's not forget hilariously bad cut scene and animations) in a 2018 game is unacceptable, shame on the devs. The numbers of bugs is as impressive as the first one, shame on the devs. Finally the game is booooooooring. Search food, kill some zombies, wait till your out of food, rince, repeat. I had more fun doing my laundry this afternoon. The game should run on an dual core cpu and a iGPU but it doesn't, which is ununderstandable when you look at those pityful graphics. I give it 1/10 just because i got it for free and it didn't crash every 10 minutes like state of decay 1 (just one crash, yeah!). Otherwise, the game is a shame, this game's dev should really think about changing job, a job that would suit them better like carpenters or uber drivers, anything as long as it's not in the game industry.… Expand
  14. MaxGamer
    May 17, 2019
    1
    I decided to rate this game at 4. I felt that the first version of the game State of Decay was excellent and fun. I did several playthroughs and enjoyed every one.

    When the DLCs were released something changed. Vehicles drove like tanks, by that I mean not very maneuverable, easily got stuck, were easily destroyed and graphic quality lower. Also, very cluttered roads. Its seems    I decided to rate this game at 4. I felt that the first version of the game State of Decay was excellent and fun. I did several playthroughs and enjoyed every one.

    When the DLCs were released something changed. Vehicles drove like tanks, by that I mean not very maneuverable, easily got stuck, were easily destroyed and graphic quality lower. Also, very cluttered roads. Its seems they changed the game engine to something of lower quality.

    The pre-release cinematics for State of Decay 2 were very misleading as to the quality of the game.

    State of Decay 2 uses the same engine as the DLCs of version 1. The mission in version 2 are through radio call ins by survivors that need help or enclaves that want to trade. They usually call in clusters. When only one character can be controlled at a time its not possible to do more than one mission at a time, the other mission disappear before the mission can be completed so whats the point.

    Not sure why this game took 5 years to produce. Its just a reboot of the previous DLCs with new maps and some additions.

    I have put in some hours with this game and played about half of the first map. This one being a Microsoft exclusive title, I probably won't be buying anymore from them.

    Update:
    I have decided to uninstall this software without getting 1/3 of the way through it.

    Pros:
    Base building mechanics seem sound

    Combat is good

    Cons:
    No automation such as unloading a truck by parking it.

    Although an area has been cleared, zombies are randomly spawned out of nowhere - what a pain

    Vehicles seem to large for the map and handle very poorly

    Too much clutter

    Vehicle physics are horrible

    Maps aren't balanced in terms of resource amounts - abundant in some, scarce in others - makes for a frustrating experience when your members start leaving because there isn't enough food.

    Too many radio calls for one player to handle - Haven't tried MP but with all the random AHs coming into games, it is a bad idea.

    The zombie apocalypse genre has run its course and this one compared to SOD1 is just too boring.

    Update:
    After about a year the game is better but is seriously lacking. Was this programmed in someones garage?

    1. Graphics are very inferior to today's standards.
    2. Vehicle physics are the worst I have seen in any game.
    3. No safe zones.
    4. Everytime I stop a vehicle to check the map or try to recover from bad vehicle performance, zombies spawn all around it grabbing the doors and ripping them off. The fear factor is not well executed with random spawning being a major annoyance.
    5. Some trees stop the vehicle some don't. Some small trees bring vehicle to a dead stop instead of going over them.
    6. Only one or two bases that support large groups, 10. I have only found one. Why the limit of 10?

    I am getting to the point were I can't stand going into the game after taking a break. The fun factor is 0. I recommend not purchasing unless it goes to the bargain bin for $5.

    As for the MS version that is claimed to be released in the future, it won't get my support. The first game before they changed the engine was fun and had replay value. The current one is total garbage.    … Expand
  15. Japzzi
    May 27, 2018
    3
    I am really glad that I got this game on game pass.

    The game for me is a major dissapointment. I mainly bought the game for the multiplayer. Being a giant fan of State of Decay 1 me and my friends always wanted to try and play together and when news hit us that State Of Decay 2 would have multiplayer we were delighted! But the game is a major letdown. I have never seen a bigger    I am really glad that I got this game on game pass.

    The game for me is a major dissapointment. I mainly bought the game for the multiplayer. Being a giant fan of State of Decay 1 me and my friends always wanted to try and play together and when news hit us that State Of Decay 2 would have multiplayer we were delighted!

    But the game is a major letdown. I have never seen a bigger amount of bugs and glitches in any game compared to this. From the start up screen being stuck to cars randomly hitting invisible walls making the car fly into the air like a rocket blowing it up. Supply locker (The place were you get your things) dissapearing, falling into the ground and the fact that 9/10 times you can't even open the side door as a passenger while driving is horrendous. 5000 characters aren't even enough to explain all the bugs we have seen.

    If you are here for the single player only then I wouldn't advise to buy either. The game is just a prettier version of the first. There are no new freaks and freaks such as ferals have been made mind nummingly easy. This game brings nothing new to the board really except for a feature that really looked forward to and that was blood plague. The idea of ´having to choose to go on risky missions to get samples to make a cure for a really good survivor or simply banishing them added a major challenge. But this feature is also dissapointing. Blood Plagues are so easy to cure that it is a insult. Have your character contracted blood plague? No worries just put him into the infirmary and you can basicly keep him alive for as long as you want.

    All in all I am very sad that the game turned out to be the buggy mess that it was and I feel really bad for the people who bought the game only for it to turn them down big time. If you really want to try the game out though then get it on game pass!    … Expand
  16. nofakereviews
    Jun 14, 2018
    2
    Loved the 1st game in the series, but alas this is not a game, it is the beta version of a bad, heavily bug riddled DLC for the original (fantastic!) game. Total train wreck: Followers fall through the floor or simply disappear, missions fail without reason, cars get stuck. Sad, since the first SOD to me is one of the best games ever made, combining great atmosphere & story with aLoved the 1st game in the series, but alas this is not a game, it is the beta version of a bad, heavily bug riddled DLC for the original (fantastic!) game. Total train wreck: Followers fall through the floor or simply disappear, missions fail without reason, cars get stuck. Sad, since the first SOD to me is one of the best games ever made, combining great atmosphere & story with a simulated environment in a way no other game has done before or since. Here you immediately get a base, are being constantly bombarded with "we need that", "help us over here", "destroy this" so that it feels more like "Sim Small Town Apocalypse" than the balanced 1st game. Alas after two days of playing I could not see any story elements emerge. Zombies sometimes literally respawn when you turn your back, graphics look like 5 years ago, etc. Let's hope for a _much_ improved part 3, which actually picks up where the first game left off: You, leaving the valley, on the way to the big city...

    A btw MS: Contrary to common believe, running back and forth from the trunk of your car to the rucksack dropoff spot on the 2nd floor of your base multiple times after every supply raid is actually _not_ fun. Also, maybe in 2018 we could actually have NPCs who are smart enough to close the doors in the wall that separates them from the zombie apocalypse, instead of reopening them when you just closed them. Also, having only one key for open/close, talk, search and drive car is maybe not the smartest idea, if there are always people standing around you. And whoever bound the game language setting to the date/number format (sic!) of the OS should immediately be fired.    … Expand
  17. Tecco
    Jan 11, 2019
    0
    How do you fail a game where all you have to do is to add multiplayer to the previous in the title to make it legend?
    And Windows store only? Seriously? How stupid can you be.
    As a person who loved the first it is utterly heartbreaking.
    So much fail its almost artistic.
  18. Yulie
    May 26, 2018
    0
    First, this game does not even pass as beta quality. It is Early Access quality at best. Game breaking bugs within the first 10 minutes of playing. Within an hour, my man and I were ready to pull our hair out. The multi-player option is a disaster! Tried to give it another shot and gave up for sake of our sanity. We decided to cut our losses of 29.99 each and move on. Disgrace of a game.
  19. Kurokazin
    Jun 30, 2018
    0
    Alright, so when I got this game it didn't start well. The microsoft store wouldn't even let me buy anything before updating my security, which then dictated that I wouldn't be able to buy anything for 31 days because I updated my security recently. "...Alright then" I says to me-self. I have my buddy gift the game to me and pay him back, get the key, get the xbox app, we're ready toAlright, so when I got this game it didn't start well. The microsoft store wouldn't even let me buy anything before updating my security, which then dictated that I wouldn't be able to buy anything for 31 days because I updated my security recently. "...Alright then" I says to me-self. I have my buddy gift the game to me and pay him back, get the key, get the xbox app, we're ready to roll.

    Get into the game, do the tutorial and my god, the combat is **** boring. Played for an hour, and combat is "Mash melee, run to avoid getting surrounded, repeat". The gun handling is also pretty terrible by anybody's standards. Maybe the later-game guns have a bit more kick but the pistols and shotguns are incredibly underwhelming. The home building was kinda okay, but it's extremely shallow. Which is the word I'd use for this entire game: "Shallow". There's no substance here, no meat, just a lot of potatos. The only aspect I could genuinely draw fun from was the exploration, every other facet of this game is a brick.

    But wait! Then I remembered reading that solo is pretty bland, and the real action is in the coop. So with my training wheels off I delve into the multiplayer! ...Not. I spent the better part of 2 hours trying to get a combination of Teredo, xbox app, state of decay 2, and the world leaders to all co-exist in peaceful harmony and actually let me join or host a **** game. I never succeeded, despite all signs pointing to "Yes, you are connected and all your ports are open, but you still can't play co-op".

    So we've got: Bland gameplay on a mechanically retarded chassis. I can't detest this game enough, even with the 30$ price tag. Which is fairly low in our 60-80$ video game world. Save yourselves some money, wait for it to appear on steam at 75% off and maybe, /maybe/ it'd be worth buying.

    UPDATE!: Managed to get the coop working(Temporarily, as soon as I rebooted my rig everything went to **** again), so now I can expand on the multiplayer: It's probably the worst coop I've ever seen in my entire 16+ years of gaming. I'll never understand game developers that try to incorporate multiplayer into the game's systems instead of using a tried and true lobby. It's clunky, sometimes buggy, and even when it works it's still a pretty terrible experience.

    Only one player can handle the only quasi-interesting mechanic of the game(Base building), the loot is player assigned which makes exploration/gathering tedious("Hey man, c'mere, I can't loot this"), and the exhaustion system is a pain in the ass as well. Developers: "Hey, y'know what'd be an awesome improvement to the game? If people had to return to base to swap survivors every hour of play, and we won't even explain how it's done for someone joining a coop game! Up high boys for great ideas!"    … Expand
  20. Tannen
    May 28, 2018
    4
    Honest review after 30 hours of playing:

    1: The Map(s) (5/10): The increased map size doesn't really achieve a huge amount, because it's fractured into three essentially identical areas with no particular variation, difficulty curve or purpose. The buildings feel copy-pasted to the point where you soon know the layout of every building after an hour of playing. The world itself feels    Honest review after 30 hours of playing:

    1: The Map(s) (5/10):
    The increased map size doesn't really achieve a huge amount, because it's fractured into three essentially identical areas with no particular variation, difficulty curve or purpose. The buildings feel copy-pasted to the point where you soon know the layout of every building after an hour of playing. The world itself feels authentic enough, but the geography is uninspired and soulless.

    2: The Combat (8/10):
    One of the best aspects of these games, the melee and ranged combat are both fairly decent. You feel like you have control over your character when fighting the zeds, and failures are usually understandable, so you learn from them. Combat moves are moderately varied but get old quite rapidly, but at the same time I can't imagine any better system. Guns feel unique and punchy enough to make different classes unique and leave you with favourites.

    The vehicles feel varied and punchy/sluggish as appropriate, while providing a naturally wholesale method of slaughtering huge hordes of vehicles. Damage feels fair and balanced, but fixing up a ride from husk to full in a single toolkit seems a bit dumbed-down. Gathering fuel constantly is a bit tedious.

    3: Base Building (4/10):
    A worthy effort, hamstrung by claustrophobic limitations and an irritating fun vs utility dynamic. Most of the time you'll find yourself unable to build any interesting facilities such as an auto shop or firing range, because you need every available inch of space to build farms and resource collection. The bases themselves are unchanging and won't allow you to build better walls, blockades or even intelligent placement choices. A best example is a late-game strip mall base, with a large flat roof and a huge walled-off car park. Neither are possible to build on, leaving you unable to use the roof for, say, water collection or security.

    Outposts are another completely wasted effort - you stick a flag in a stack of boxes and it passively sends you whatever benefit that building yields. That's it. No other management is available.

    4: Missions & NPCs (3/10):
    Irritating and soulless in equal measure. Missions fail if you switch characters (who can be tired and injured!) and NPCs routinely run away from you or knock zeds out of your grapple.

    5: Looting (4/10):
    Gathering supplies, weapons and sundry items is the embodiment of the grind that is central to the game. It's generally uninspired and slow, making you trade off 8 second looting times (holding a button and waiting) vs almost guaranteed zombie attacks as you make noise. The items are seldom exciting and do little but fill back up the ever depleting meters in your base.

    6: The Zombies (7/10):
    The zeds are nice and varied, providing a constantly shifting challenge to an unwary traveller. Some run, some crouch, some crawl towards you. Most are not even remotely a threat, but you still have to deal with every one you tangle with or they'll clamp down on your neck. Low stamina means you'll often tire and get swamped as you'd expect.

    The specials are, ironically, nothing special. They're effectively identical to the first game and can usually be dispatched with a car door or single head shot, barring the Juggernaut. Ferals are scary fast and Bloaters will wreck your day in a car if you hit one, so they keep you on your toes.

    7: The Plague (4/10):
    The threat of getting infected and clearing "Plague Hearts" (whatever the hell they're supposed to be) is an nonthreatening and uninspired antagonist. The Hearts themselves are genuinely difficult to dispose of and provide good crescendos, but are ultimately nothing but damage sponges and require little in the way of tactics.

    8: The Engine & Graphics (2/10):
    The engine this game is built upon feels dated and buggy but generally functional. Graphically, the game is sub-par and tries to hide it's poor visuals with bloom, lens flare and motion blur. Fixing these requires editing locked-down INI files to improve FOV, remove depth of field, film grain and motion blur - all things that should be available in-game as options. Awful.

    In addition, the reports of bugs are not exaggerated. You get stuck 2-3 times per session on average and require the in-game "unstuck" assist, and often find zombies inside rocks etc.

    9: Coop Gameplay (2/10):
    Such a wasted effort. Constant disconnects, a P2P tick-rate of about 4 updates per second (yes, really) and dozens of bugs and glitches makes multiplayer almost unplayable. You are unable to loot what you want due to a draconian colour-coded loot splitting process that prevents you from looting 50% of all items, and being slaved like a hand servant to the host for items, missions and travel. You're unable to interact with NPCs beyond a bit of trading, and cannot even open car doors to help kill zombies while on the move. Absolutely terrible, and one of the worst disappointments the game provides.

    4/10    … Expand
  21. jyonda
    May 29, 2018
    2
    This game is a totally inferior version of the original. It actually looks worse than the first but has none of the depth, character or gameplay. To say the graphics are xbox 360 standard is an insult to the 360.
    I can only imagine that they got rid of the people who lovingly crafted the original because this is terrible. It doesn't matter how many patches or updates thi thing gets it    This game is a totally inferior version of the original. It actually looks worse than the first but has none of the depth, character or gameplay. To say the graphics are xbox 360 standard is an insult to the 360.
    I can only imagine that they got rid of the people who lovingly crafted the original because this is terrible. It doesn't matter how many patches or updates thi thing gets it will still be rubbish so deserves neither your time or your money. I'm glad I tried it out on xbox game pass first. Very disappointing.    … Expand
  22. gietek
    Aug 8, 2018
    3
    Oh mummy, I wanted this game so much. I didn't really care if it was super duper game of the year 2018. I just wanted to have at least as much fun as with the previous one. Boy was I wrong. Is it bad when a game feels boring within the first hour of playing? Clunky, and I mean really clunky, controls. God I hate when you press a button and the character makes one step too many. You have toOh mummy, I wanted this game so much. I didn't really care if it was super duper game of the year 2018. I just wanted to have at least as much fun as with the previous one. Boy was I wrong. Is it bad when a game feels boring within the first hour of playing? Clunky, and I mean really clunky, controls. God I hate when you press a button and the character makes one step too many. You have to literally circle containers to get "[E] Search" to appear. This is BAD. BAD BAD BAD! This is like 80% of the game play people. Can't you make nice responsive controls for a game that is based on interaction with the world? The game is way too dark and it makes you turn gamma up making it too washed out. Would be a good idea to make the flashlight to be a little brighter with longer beam that a medieval candle? Just a thought. Don't get me wrong, there are some fine changes like driving, having to care about fuel, not exploding a car after hitting 3 zombies. But I already fear the blood plague is going to be such a bore and such a chore. How could you f up a game like this? One survivor with infection consumes 5 medicines a day and the max capacity in the base is 15 when you start. That is such fun, isn't it! I will play more of this game and I will try to enjoy it but it isn't worth the money. Play a 'demo' first if you can.… Expand
  23. Woofies
    Jun 1, 2018
    3
    Pretty much the same as the first state of decay with some minor improvements with with bases and NPC characters. Also added co op that seems tacked on and not a focus from the start of development as there is very little to do with your friends. It would be a solid game if not for all the bugs in the game, just to name a few I experienced, you sometimes get teleported when getting out ofPretty much the same as the first state of decay with some minor improvements with with bases and NPC characters. Also added co op that seems tacked on and not a focus from the start of development as there is very little to do with your friends. It would be a solid game if not for all the bugs in the game, just to name a few I experienced, you sometimes get teleported when getting out of a vehicle, you can fall through the floor, and when you switch characters when they are on the upper floor of your base they sometimes just fall from the top floor of your base and break bones. The bugs in this game are very infuriating especially since vehicles in the game can get stuck on almost anything including tiny rocks on the ground its ridiculous, and at one point my vehicle hit a bump on the road and launched me in the air half way across the map, absolutely disgusting. Until they patch this game, it is well below average.… Expand
  24. ClarkKunt
    Feb 21, 2020
    0
    Broken, ugly and boring mess of a game. There is nothing positive to say about this sh*t ass game. I was lucky i was able to play it for free.
  25. MisterNoLife
    Jul 4, 2018
    1
    So much potential, so much waste. State of decay 2 has all the right ingredients for a fun experience but sadly does not deliver by the game standards. The first 2 or 3 houses raided made me feel like a survivor and kind of into it. This dwindled down fast as the game showed me more and more of the same. Honestly other then a visual upgrade (which is below par for today tbh) from partSo much potential, so much waste. State of decay 2 has all the right ingredients for a fun experience but sadly does not deliver by the game standards. The first 2 or 3 houses raided made me feel like a survivor and kind of into it. This dwindled down fast as the game showed me more and more of the same. Honestly other then a visual upgrade (which is below par for today tbh) from part one... state of decay 2 offers very little change in its mechanics and overall game play. The AI settlers do nothing and it still feels like you are on your own. The base building is laughable and totally not interactive, The needs of the survivors is more of a chore then a victory when met. There is no real LOOT system and all and every single thing gathered is expendable and needs to be recharged or remade.... very, VERY repetitive. Meaning that 90% of the game is getting resources that deplete automatically... over and over and over... without you feeling like you have any real impact on the world. Where is the base building we saw in 2015 games? where is the loot system with legendaries and cool and Different weapons? Where is my choice of character creation or individual changes that make me stand out from other players.. sigh, all in all a huge disappointment.… Expand
  26. DexEngineer
    Apr 1, 2021
    2
    Boring from start. Very unprofessional voice acting. You may have some fun with friends but generally it is a big step back from first game. Characters to choose from are highly limited. Repeatable gameplay. Crank difficulty higher than normal to have any fun, still loss of time.
  27. Elendiar
    Apr 1, 2020
    3
    Played SoD 1, i like it, but dropped this coz stupid, ridiculous balance. Car destroyed after ten zombie kills, rly, in 1st game wasnt such nerfed, useless car, zombies spawns on air after fast searching, and a lot of little but annoying things.
  28. GhostTechGaming
    Mar 22, 2020
    2
    The game isn't good or bad.. I played it at launch and got bored but recently just got back into it with the juggernaut edition. I had fun. However. I had to download a mod that lets me edit my name and make the character my own. You think a sandbox game would let you make a character in 2018/2020 but no. You can't even change your name and have to rely on 3 randomly generated peopleThe game isn't good or bad.. I played it at launch and got bored but recently just got back into it with the juggernaut edition. I had fun. However. I had to download a mod that lets me edit my name and make the character my own. You think a sandbox game would let you make a character in 2018/2020 but no. You can't even change your name and have to rely on 3 randomly generated people luckily there is a mod simple to use that allows you to make "you" I would not play it any other way at all. So my gripes.
    1. Why can't i sleep and skip time to day/night... I love only playing as one character but they get tired so i have to swap.
    2. Why can only one person follow me? Multiplayer allows 4 people right? Why limit me.
    3. I just noticed you can't have more then 9 people. LOOK i get it is unlikey you have over a group of 9 in a zombie apocalypse but still my friend was playing state of decay and HE HAS 17 people running around his base. Let me have options
    4. Talking about options the game tries to limit you in every shape and form. The game is just so lack luster. The weapons all feel the same. They also feel like reskins. The daybreak mode. THAT IS HORRIBLE. Which they try and force you to play it to unlock new guns and blah, Just seriously. The game compared to the first one is the same. That is the issue, The game is the exact same. Just even more bland. Want a story nope. Also you like a group of people well if you don't drive ACROSS the whole map to destroy a plaque heart screw you. Or wait infestations destroy your morale. I am tucked in the middle of nowhere, and people complain saying there is too many infestations near. THEY are all the way ACROSS the map. That is not our issue at all. Also remember when you could send scavengers to pick up supplies not no more. Unless I haven't unlocked that option. I just hate that I am the only player in my "community" that goes out and collects stuff. your group may grab pills every once in a while but materials or meds? NOPE they will destroy ammo. Use food and never replenish you gotta do that all on your own. Or you can have outposts that will always offer only one food/mat/ammo/ or power or whatever it is just so so so so basic i get it they don't have the money or dev team. It is not a triple a team but come on the people around the world all look the same. The zombies all look the same. The bloaters are just annoying there is no variety of cars. Blah Blah I could go on for hours. I did at the end of the day enjoy some time with the game, "with a mod". Without one I would of just never played it again. However. All I can say is a mod makes the game fun and the dev team couldn't even do what a mod does and that to me is absolutely horrible, state of decay 3 needs to be better, or i will be so much more furious. They would have made money from this game and the first and wasted it. I am guessing it won't be much better. but aye I am done the game is a 2/10. Enough said.    … Expand
  29. BulgarianCritic
    Mar 19, 2020
    3
    This had a potential to be something really good and the idea that it had was pretty nice and fun, but sadly the execution of that idea is done incredibly bad and it falls flat on its face from gameplay to story to everything.Do not buy even the Juggernaut updated version it is also bad and boring.
  30. HeathGCF
    Dec 8, 2020
    0
    Donkey droppings. Two suitable words to describe this poorly pooped out effort. The original State of Decay was far superior in every respect. Character interaction, story, even the grinding nature of tasks; it all fitted together and worked well in unison. By comparison, SoD2 is just an utter mess, with nothing to either entertain or engage. Poor ideas, poor design, poor implementation.Donkey droppings. Two suitable words to describe this poorly pooped out effort. The original State of Decay was far superior in every respect. Character interaction, story, even the grinding nature of tasks; it all fitted together and worked well in unison. By comparison, SoD2 is just an utter mess, with nothing to either entertain or engage. Poor ideas, poor design, poor implementation. They really came up with the holy trinity of turd for this terrible sequel.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Most Discussed PC Game of 2018
41
#41 Most Shared PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 30
  3. Negative: 1 out of 30
  1. Games.cz
    Jul 13, 2018
    70
    In State of Decay 2 we got additions that we didn’t even need, while the mechanics that called for changes (such as fighting) remained without any major interference. The game shoves in multiplayer too much, which degrades some parts of the single-player into a digital chore. Eventually, you may not even appreciate, that the game is bigger than the first one.
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  2. PlayGround.ru
    Jun 25, 2018
    40
    State of Decay 2 looks like a totally broken remake of the original game.
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  3. Game Debate
    Jun 4, 2018
    55
    Ultimately, State of Decay 2 has proven a disappointment. Undead Labs laid the groundwork with the original, but it’s failed to build upon this to any noticeable degree. It’s a much prettier, just as buggy, State of Decay 1.5. To some, just having more may be enough, but it would’ve been nice to see them push the boat out just a little bit more. Perhaps they should’ve done that MMO zombie survival game after all...
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