Generation Zero

 PlayStation 4
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 87 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 87
  3. Negative: 32 out of 87
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  1. RapmasterD
    Apr 6, 2019
    8
    This is a great game overall, it won't be everyone (seems to be a love or hate it type game) and it is very buggy (although not game breaking) but it's a blast.

    Firstly this game will NOT hold your hand, missions are left for you to figure out clues and explore the world to find what's going on. It's a bit of a mystery to unravel and I personally find it a great way of playing the game    This is a great game overall, it won't be everyone (seems to be a love or hate it type game) and it is very buggy (although not game breaking) but it's a blast.

    Firstly this game will NOT hold your hand, missions are left for you to figure out clues and explore the world to find what's going on. It's a bit of a mystery to unravel and I personally find it a great way of playing the game - there are no cut scenes and the "Story" unravels as you explore, find clues and find out whats been happening to people (there's no actual story as such, just a mystery to unravel at your own pace).

    The world itself is massive, I seen some people say that it's baron and I couldn't disagree more. You won't find a loot box or golden gun every 10 seconds and you have to explore and cover large distances for the rewards (as I said this game won't hold your hand). The rewards are there (hidden bunkers for just 1 example) but you've gotta explore (which I love doing). The buildings are quite similar in some respects, I understand the "copy and paste" argument which is true to an extent (clearly the budget forced a bit of money saving here), but the buildings/trucks/cars/bunkers etc. while quite similar, have enough variety in their layout to keep it as engaging as possible, and as you progress you'll find slightly different buildings being introduced so I don't personally think its that bad, there's enough there for me.

    Graphically (minus the bugs) the games pretty good, the day/night cycle and weather effects all make it a great experience. Sounds are nailed, really great - from gunfire to the 1980's vibe music. All of this adds up to a brilliant atmosphere, it nails the 80's theme (you'll see 80's posters, 80's hifi's and telephones etc. etc. which are really nice touches). Also part is the atmosphere are the moments of tension, wonderfully nailed and some genuine frights - alien trilogy-esc!

    I find the game to be really playable, there's lots of looting to do in the towns and villages which can get a bit samey occasionally when going from house to house to scavenge resources, but the atmosphere is maintained and you'll be glad you took time to do this when the action starts... The enemy AI is very good indeed, the robots will flank you, call for help from other robots near by, and it's all unscripted and utterly good fun. Even hiding in a barn won't save you as the robot's have several tactics to flush you out - be prepared to run away as robots keep any damage you've done and you can come back to finish them off after re-grouping. Loads of options when fighting - you can put down gas canisters and lure enemies with a 80's boom box, or throw flares to distract them and much more.. it's a great tactical shooter. Loads of weapons, lots of hand guns through sub-machine guns, assault rifles up to bazookas and beyond (different weapon grades too, from grey dilapidated guns up to much better nick weapons that are more powerful). You can customize your 80's look (the developers had fun here!) anything from an 80's mullet, bright yellow gloves to crazy moon boots... its all here - great fun (some clothes have perks such as visibility reduction or bullet resistance too). On the downside for some there are no drivable vehicles, it's a slow paced tactical shooter/explorer game really.

    In Multiplayer this game really shines. The coop is awesome, the game is harder on your own, I've played it lots with 2 friends and this is the best way to have the most fun - if you don't have any friends go online and find some - it's top banana here.

    On the downside its incredibly buggy (not game breaking but some side missions don't work properly at the moment, the main quest is ok). Graphic glitches are annoying, sometimes enemies outside buildings melee you inside them, bullets go through walls sometimes too, its a bit annoying (hopefully this will be fixed). Playing in multiplayer switching to my infa-red scope immediately crashed the game so I couldn't use it until I was playing alone again.

    The inventory is the worst inventory I have ever seen, it requires micro management - items don't stack on their own and it needs constant management. If you have space on a D-pad item, it doesn't stack to it and puts them item in the main inventory. If you use all your health in the D-pad item, it won't automatically put more health in from your inventory forcing you to do it yourself. Annoying.

    Skills are important, you unlock them as your XP goes up and they make a real difference, it firstly felt bolted on to me but now I think I appreciate them a-lot more, this system isn't bad but pay attention and work out what you want before hand by clicking around and seeing whats on offer - some interesting perks here!

    Overall a great game and if the bugs weren't present and the inventory sorted out I'd give it a 10. Its not for everyone, but a solid tactical shooting is a joy, slow paced explorer/shooter. Can't put it down (30 hrs in).    … Expand
  2. Nymeveningstar
    Oct 22, 2019
    10
    Absolutely love this game. Yes there's some bugs in the game but their working on it.
  3. Schroedingercat
    Apr 2, 2019
    8
    Metabashing ? A critic is aimed at having the scrutinized object to meet its potential happy audience .. Bashing is aimed at pleasing oneself by throwing bullyish and at times pretty unfair arguments - I hate, hence I exist.
    You can hate a game and yet, by your truly critical eye, have it to meet its audience - bashing is low passion, critic is deconstruction .. at the service of others    Metabashing ? A critic is aimed at having the scrutinized object to meet its potential happy audience .. Bashing is aimed at pleasing oneself by throwing bullyish and at times pretty unfair arguments - I hate, hence I exist.
    You can hate a game and yet, by your truly critical eye, have it to meet its audience - bashing is low passion, critic is deconstruction .. at the service of others passion (making you a saint in the process, wings and all).
    I understand the urge to warn our fellow gamers about what we take as a waste of time and money - but again, please give those strangers a honest and complete overview, so that they can make their own minds, according to their own inclinations - and yes ! masochism can be one of those .. Amen.

    "Generation zero", then.

    Graphics : it's visually stunning, no less, vibrant with atmosphere. The copy-paste argument stands for the most common buildings (houses, barn, shed) - but you won't spend much time in them, unless you use them to fight (in which case you won't give a damn, busy at surviving).

    Difficulty : it is real - you charge headlong, you die on the spot or waste precious ammo. The game is about tactics, and mastering them (fireworks to saturate captors, tape recorders to attract, gas cans initially placed to be blasted from a distance, etc). Sometimes evading combat is the best option .. if you can !

    Combat : the choice of ammo is crucial, depending on the target .. and your skill (aiming at soft spots in the heat of the battle can be tricky ! - shotguns deliver ..)
    It's a demanding game, and a rewarding one too - kill an enemy without blasting him to smithereens, and you might get very useful spare parts ..

    Mission structure : the developers won't take you too blatantly by the hand. You start by finding (or not) a clue in the environment, and then you unroll it all (for instance, the headlights of a crashed car leads to its trunk leads to a written note leads to a place somewhere on the map).
    You see a dirt road that leads apparently nowhere ? - take your time, follow it, there might (just might) be something there ..
    The overall investigation stands - what the hell happened ?

    Walking simulator, they say : the rythm is not that of an all-out war (at least initially, I'm 25 slow hours into the game), it's more a matter of picking your own fights. Getting the right gear, setting an ambush (a lot more so in coop, but guerrilla tactics do work in solo thanks to the generous array of gizmos), enjoying a sunset, waiting for the night to fall so as to pick up the whereabouts ot your enemies .. More like "Slow and furious", if I were to describe it.
    But again, when you manage to unlock a safe haven, your character is then free to teleport back to it. And characters do run, at that, at a pace clearly higher than in many AAA fps I've been experiencing ..

    Inventory : a lot of possibilities implies a lot of different gear .. yet space is limited (though it can be upgraded, as many other things). You are forced to choose, as if you were actually carrying all this silly stuff ! Those choices, as irritating as they may be, contribute to the atmosphere and the construction of your character - you are what you do, and how you do it. Lean and mean, you prowl ..

    Make up your mind, then - Sweden looks great, by the way.    … Expand
  4. meecrobhead
    Mar 26, 2019
    9
    Generation Zero is a nice Open World shooter with a lot of potential.

    Some Pros and Cons: -Gun Gameplay and fighting against the machines is fun -Good controls -Great Sound -Decent Graphics and nice Effects like Weather, falling leaves. -Dynamic Weather and Day/Night -Nice Map and beautiful landscapes -Story not bad so far -Nice Weapons and good tactical equipment to fight the    Generation Zero is a nice Open World shooter with a lot of potential.

    Some Pros and Cons:

    -Gun Gameplay and fighting against the machines is fun
    -Good controls
    -Great Sound
    -Decent Graphics and nice Effects like Weather, falling leaves.
    -Dynamic Weather and Day/Night
    -Nice Map and beautiful landscapes
    -Story not bad so far
    -Nice Weapons and good tactical equipment to fight the robots
    -Great Soundtrack
    -A lot of gear to customize your character
    -Co-op with other 3 players that is fun !

    CONS:

    -A lot of Copy and Paste in the map. Not many types of Houses and Objects
    -No vehicle to travel. (At least a Bike would be something....or a pogo stick)
    -Some Bugs (some of them crash the game sometimes)....please a patch to the devs

    Verdict:

    This game is a decent open world shooter with some usable tactics you can use on the machines. It has a great atmosphere that even a lot of triple aaa titles can not offer.

    I played about 18 hours now and have a lot of fun. This game really surprised me. Its not perfect and cannot compete with the good triple a titles, but for a price of 32 euro its more than just good. i would pay the full price for it to be honest.

    Give it a chance if you like survival tactical shooters with co op.    … Expand
  5. Strop77
    Mar 27, 2019
    9
    Loving it so far. Played solo for about 8 hours (literally combing every part of the map) and I’ve only just tried to locate someone at the sports grounds. I’m just taking my time and loving it, graphics are pretty damn good in my opinion and the environment is stunning. Long day/night cycle and awesome weather (snow will blow your mind) and the sound is especially good- you really mustLoving it so far. Played solo for about 8 hours (literally combing every part of the map) and I’ve only just tried to locate someone at the sports grounds. I’m just taking my time and loving it, graphics are pretty damn good in my opinion and the environment is stunning. Long day/night cycle and awesome weather (snow will blow your mind) and the sound is especially good- you really must try play with headphones if you can.

    Tonight was the first time I had the opportunity to play with a friend and that is what has spurred me into writing this review. All the “good times” I was having were suddenly doubled, the game really comes into itself when you can play it with friends.

    All in all and so far into the little I’ve played I can say it was well worth the money I parted. I’d also be prepared to pay for any DLC that may (and hopefully will) arise as I can see my friends and getting into this game in the months ahead.    … Expand
  6. Kurban909
    Jun 29, 2019
    8
    My friend recommend the game to me and for once I decided to take him for his word and buy the game. I have a slow internet connection so I played the game on version 1.0 and holy **** is it a broken product! Graphical glitches galore and collision detection for the enemy was unbelievably bad. The houses in the most south-eastern part of the map are dull, rinse and repeat "copy and paste"My friend recommend the game to me and for once I decided to take him for his word and buy the game. I have a slow internet connection so I played the game on version 1.0 and holy **** is it a broken product! Graphical glitches galore and collision detection for the enemy was unbelievably bad. The houses in the most south-eastern part of the map are dull, rinse and repeat "copy and paste" design that did get a little dull. The environment however is stunning and makes for an enjoyable trek through the wilderness.
    The weapons are a lot of fun to use and leave you with the constant urge to turn over every rock in a town, military camp, Army base, and bunker for ammo and new weapons. In version 1.0 they did not balance the ammo drop so when I hit the 5 hour mark of game play I had well over 1,500 rounds of 9mm FMJ (I wasn't complaining). You can modify your weapons in this game and when you slap them on you can see them on the weapon which is another plus.
    Now missions can seem tedious but even the most mundane of them can add a piece of information to the overall story line. Some missions seem like busy work while others can net you a nice bounty of medic-packs, ammo, and EXP. While there is no cut scenes, the narrative you do find is in the missions you complete (I.E. radio transmission, SITREPS, scribbled notes left for family members) so you have to go out and explore to figure out what the hell happened to civilian population. You find a lot of dead military personnel in positions that are tell-tale to being ambushed and wiped out.
    The HUD in version 1.0 was terrible and left a lot to be desired. Not much I can say about it besides just awful, I was just glad I had a compass so I could pick a direction on the map and keep my bearings without constantly going to the map and check where I am. Basic map reading skills come in handy because the map does have elevation lines so you can tell which mountain your looking at on the map and plan your course accordingly.
    Now the combat is a very tense affair! Version 1.0 offered good combat but had some interesting bugs. Collision detection was horrible, robots half in the floor and glitching through walls makes fighting from a building frustrating. However has spongy as the enemies seem you have to find the week points and target them to bring them down faster. If you see a ricochet then hit another spot on the robot. If you see a shower of sparks then you found a sweet spot and need to target that till you blow up the module your shooting. Use of ambush tactics and setting traps to draw enemies into is very helpful and playing it smart.
    Now the missions on version 1.0 are a **** mess. That was my biggest concern and ended my gaming session on version 1.0. "Another Castle" became broken after an hour of searching a bunker and left me a little angry. The manifest I was suppose to pick up complete the mission was not there leaving me with nothing to do but hope the update would fix it which it did.
    Now since I have downloaded update 1.7 the game is a lot more stable, the HUD has been improved, enemies hit even harder, ammo is sparse, mission bugs fixed, and feels like a more finished product. The only bugs I have encountered is when my friend was unable to find ammo in munition containers while playing co-op and when I we took out a Grey Walker Tank there was a very irritating bug. I Looted a Gold condition Barrett 50.Cal but had to rearrange items in my inventory to make room for ammo. When I went back to loot the ammo I was no longer able to interact with the downed robot.. Besides that I have not encountered any other bugs (fingers crossed).
    Overall I recommend this game for people who like to explore, shoot, and loot. The story is a great mystery and the fact that the game doesn't hold your hand when it come to progression appeals to me. The environment is stunning and well worth exploring, dynamic weather and daynight cycle is awesome, and with the update 1.7 the houses now feel and look a little different. The game was released feeling like a "Beta" version but has quickly been updated to feel like a finished product.    … Expand
  7. TheSnitchfather
    Jan 5, 2020
    8
    8/10
    I am well aware of it's issues with crashing and falling through the map and all those annoying ass bugs, but the game is still good in my book. The weapons are almost 1:1 to their real life counterparts, which is another pro. The only issue I truly have, is that the enemies are a bit too strong for my liking, I mean come on, I have bullet resistance skill and still die after Runners    8/10
    I am well aware of it's issues with crashing and falling through the map and all those annoying ass bugs, but the game is still good in my book. The weapons are almost 1:1 to their real life counterparts, which is another pro. The only issue I truly have, is that the enemies are a bit too strong for my liking, I mean come on, I have bullet resistance skill and still die after Runners hit me couple of times with their damn machine guns, a bit overpowered in my opinion and more than likely a pretty short game, still haven't finished the story, but that is because I was too busy going around trying to look for 5 and 6 star guns, very fun game but people also tend to kick you for no reason, which isn't the games fault, but it just adds to the cons. Overall still an amazing game.    … Expand
  8. Icurmt2
    Dec 22, 2019
    9
    Bad at first release, great now. Sound, soundtrack, graphics, great survival story and gameplay make this a must buy this holiday season. It is definitely worth 30 so 18 is a steal. Just watch some streams and chat with players, you'll see. Tense moments and brilliant ai...love it! It's not easy but it's worth it.
  9. softcornpore
    Jul 12, 2019
    8
    Surprisingly good and very fun as of 1.08 update. Machines are tough to beat, there is just barely enough rifle ammo, and traps/distractions are the best way to take out groups.

    The game drops you into retro Sweden and tasks you with figuring out what happened. There is no hand holding, it's up to you to figure out the story and tactics for defeating machines. Gunplay and stealth    Surprisingly good and very fun as of 1.08 update. Machines are tough to beat, there is just barely enough rifle ammo, and traps/distractions are the best way to take out groups.

    The game drops you into retro Sweden and tasks you with figuring out what happened. There is no hand holding, it's up to you to figure out the story and tactics for defeating machines. Gunplay and stealth mechanics are similar to the Far Cry series, but with ammo scarcity and cache looting reminiscent of a survival game. Graphics are great, with a day/night cycle and weather effects. There are bicycles, but no other operable vehicles, and honestly you're better off on foot.

    I've encountered some bugs like constantly respawning enemies and occasionally getting stuck in the map geometry, but I haven't had to close or restart the game since I started it up the first time.

    I would recommend this game to players looking for a singleplayer challenge. I've yet to try multiplayer and likely never will.    … Expand
  10. Australian-Dark
    Apr 3, 2020
    10
    Wtf!!!
  11. krooney
    Jun 20, 2020
    8
    I loved this - even as a single player offline gamer. Sure some things could have been better but the empty, lonely world gave a sense of helplessness and the scale of the map was needed - especially given the scale of the robots
  12. OldAndCynical
    Dec 5, 2020
    8
    First thing that hit me in this game was the incredible atmosphere and the delicious feeling of dread, as I started exploring the beautifully captured, but mysteriously abandoned Swedish countryside. Easily one of the most atmospheric games I've encountered this gen, and the feeling of 'being there' was tangible.
    As a game this is painfully challenging, but in a good way. Just like Elex,    First thing that hit me in this game was the incredible atmosphere and the delicious feeling of dread, as I started exploring the beautifully captured, but mysteriously abandoned Swedish countryside. Easily one of the most atmospheric games I've encountered this gen, and the feeling of 'being there' was tangible.
    As a game this is painfully challenging, but in a good way. Just like Elex, it test the gamer to the limit and beyond. Even the smallest robos can kill you, so you cannot just run around shooting stuff, and expect to survive.
    The single player mode is good. Not great, but you can survive it, if only barely, by being cunning, resourceful and smart enough to know when its time to run. Which is often.
    If you like atmospheric open world that genuinely challenges you, then this is definitely worth playing. Occasional crash aside, it had no real bugs when I played it either.    … Expand
  13. Demonas74
    May 4, 2021
    10
    I just love this game, alone or with friends, this is a great gaming experience to have. I m glad they still fixing it and adding new content.
  14. Judgement1991
    Sep 9, 2023
    9
    This game is very nice, it has a awesome setting, a beautiful atmosphere, a very fun gameplay that never bores (at least for me), a good enemy artificial intelligence at maximum difficulty, the story is interesting, there are a good variety of enemies, weapons, setting etc., some bugs and glitches (graphics), but nothing really important to name (at least during my run).

    Note: I played    This game is very nice, it has a awesome setting, a beautiful atmosphere, a very fun gameplay that never bores (at least for me), a good enemy artificial intelligence at maximum difficulty, the story is interesting, there are a good variety of enemies, weapons, setting etc., some bugs and glitches (graphics), but nothing really important to name (at least during my run).

    Note: I played all of Generation Zero alone for about 48 hours and I have to say that it was absolutely worth playing this game.    … Expand
  15. sweedsarentppl
    Nov 7, 2021
    8
    Finally a good coop fps that isnt a complete mess and is actually fun to play
  16. Relyplaydagame
    Dec 5, 2021
    10
    This game is amazing, has an active dev team, and a great community. The game is fun and rewarding for all play styles, from run-and-gun to quietly sneaking and sniping. The atmosphere is scary and intrigued, with tons to explore. When the first robot-dog-thingy charged at me in the dead of night, I freaked
  17. LazySpaceNinja
    Jan 27, 2022
    8
    I know I'm late considering that the game is from 2019 but I just found out about it now. The distance between my opinion and the grades I see being attributed to this game is so great that it led me to register and give an opinion for the first time. These guys kill a game as soon as something different comes along.
    I play solo and in my opinion the game is very well done, it is not    I know I'm late considering that the game is from 2019 but I just found out about it now. The distance between my opinion and the grades I see being attributed to this game is so great that it led me to register and give an opinion for the first time. These guys kill a game as soon as something different comes along.
    I play solo and in my opinion the game is very well done, it is not perfect, but without knowing how to explain it is a game that gives me great pleasure to play, the atmosphere is fantastic the sound of weapons and explosions are very realistic, the encounters with robots are tense and it feels good to see them explode.
    I wish there were no more games like these with fresh ideas and a very own atmosphere, this game has its own DNA, but unfortunately the gamer community only likes more of the same.
    It's an exploration game and it's meant to be played calmly, something that seems to be lacking for most of these new players.
    My congratulations to the team that developed the game for their vision and courage in these difficult times for video games.    … Expand
  18. Swagforever
    Sep 11, 2023
    8
    Playing on PS5 in 2023 and the game is great.
    I believe I'm about half way through and have not had any bugs so far, game play is solid and good fun.
    Would be nice to have some more vehicles.

Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
45

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 21
  3. Negative: 12 out of 21
  1. GameCritics
    May 10, 2019
    20
    Coming from seasoned developers who’ve turned out great games like Just Cause and Mad Max, the quality of this brand-new IP is incredibly disappointing. I hope that it continues to be patched and improved, because the current state of affairs can’t possibly showcase the vision Avalanche must have originally intended.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    May 3, 2019
    60
    While there’s not much to Avalanche’s mechanical uprising, running-and-gunning bad robots with buds is a blast. The arresting Scandinavian vistas are worth visiting. [Issue@162, p.93]
  3. Gaming Age
    Apr 29, 2019
    33
    If you’re the sort of person who enjoys aimless wandering but doesn’t like the idea of getting up off the couch and actually doing it, then you might be in luck here. Otherwise, don’t bother, because it’s absolutely not worth it.
    Read full review
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