While the zombie video game genre has always been popular, it’s entered a new golden age recently, with games likeDead Island 2,Dying Light 2,The Last of Us, andResident Evilall setting new standards for the genre moving forward. Ifa new zombie gameis looking to succeed in this now highly competitive genre, it needs to do something really special, and that’s especially true for an Indie game that doesn’t have the same budget or inherent reach as a AAA title. Thankfully,Zeverlandhas a few tricks up its sleeve.
Being developed by new Indie studio, Quantum Quirks,Zeverlandis an upcoming survival game that’s set to join its fellow zombie-slaying horde next year. Alongside its announcement,Zeverlandreleased a 6-minute gameplay trailer, giving potential players an insight into its key features.
What Players Should Expect From Zeverland
TheDead Risingfranchise is still home to what’s widely regarded to be one of the best crafting systems in gaming. The series' biggest selling point,Dead Rising’s crafting systemlet players combine everyday objects to create makeshift weapons. These weapons often had a humorous spin, such as a homemade lightsaber or the machine gun-wielding stuffed animal “Freedom Bear.”
Zeverlandclearly takes some inspiration fromDead Rising’s innovative crafting system, letting players combine a variety of objects to create similarly unique weapons.Zeverland’s reveal trailershowed a rubber chicken on the end of a stick, a cobbled-together spear, and a tranquilizer arrow made from a pen and some discarded chloroform. But crafting is only a portion ofZeverland’s gameplay.
According to its press release,Zeverelandwill bea massively multiplayer game, where players can join friends or strangers and explore the post-apocalypse together. Players can join other bands of survivors to create their own little spot of salvation amid the surrounding chaos, or choose to be a lone wolf, heading out into the wilderness to live day by day.
Zeverland Has Some Promising Vehicle Customization
Zeverlandwill feature a huge 24km² open-world map, and that kind of space warrants the need for some form of fast travel. Thankfully,Zeverlandhas a surprisingly expansivevehicle customization system. According to its recently released trailer,Zeverlandwill allow players to customize their vehicle’s paint job, equip it with weapons, and install defenses. Larger vehicles can even be kitted out with structural blocks and planters, essentially making the player’s vehicle a portable base.
Zeverland’s PvP Twist
Right at the end of its announcement trailer,Zeverlandrevealed its big twist. Death isn’t the end inZeverland. Instead, after a player succumbs to a zombie bite, they can continue playing as the walking dead. While players won’t be able to wield weapons or drive vehicles as a zombie, they will be able to unlock a completely different style of play.
As a zombie, players will need to manage a hunger bar. They can fill this bar by hunting down human players and eating their remains, or by eating fellow brain-eaters. The longer the player stays alive as a zombie, the more unique abilities they unlock, such as the ability to control the zombie horde.
