Dead But Alive! Southern England
- October 1, 2015
- Niels Bauer Games
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Dead But Alive! Southern England" is a zombie survival game set in a post-apocalyptic England. The player must navigate through hordes of the undead while scavenging for resources and building shelter. With a focus on survival and strategy, the game features a dynamic day-night cycle and a variety of weapons to choose from.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has an interesting premise with a unique blend of zombie survival and visual novel elements.
- Some players found the storyline engaging and enjoyed the character interactions and romance options.
- The visuals and art style received some praise, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The game is unfinished, ending abruptly with a 'To Be Continued' screen, leaving many plot threads unresolved.
- Numerous technical issues and bugs hinder gameplay, including game-breaking errors and poor dialogue pacing.
- The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, with many tasks feeling tedious and unengaging.
- story74 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being very short and incomplete, often leaving players feeling unsatisfied with numerous loose ends and a lack of resolution. While some players find the narrative engaging and the character interactions interesting, the overall execution suffers from repetitive tasks and bugs that hinder plot progression. Many reviewers suggest that the game feels more like a "chapter 1" rather than a complete experience, with hopes that future updates or DLC will provide a more fulfilling conclusion.
“Honestly a very fun experience, and a zombie apocalypse story with a unique playing style.”
“The story took itself seriously and the characters were interesting.”
“The classic, TWD-inspired story about the group of survivors with tough moral choices meets the easily approachable format of visual novel should be an easy win in my book.”
“The storyline of the main story is incredibly short, and some of the side stories are interesting, but there are too big gaps between them, so you will stop the game out of boredom before even getting to them.”
“The days kept advancing but no story materialized.”
“Apart from the game's length (about 2 hours), the storyline is not complete - the game ends with 'to be continued' and it's not clear whether the next episodes are coming.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a short completion time of 5-9 hours, with some players experiencing bugs that allow them to skip significant portions of the story. While the game features nonlinear storytelling, moral choices, and puzzles, many reviewers found the mechanics lacking, describing it more as an interactive short story with frustrating combat elements. Overall, the gameplay experience varies significantly between versions, with some players preferring earlier iterations for their mechanics and overall enjoyment.
“This game had lasting consequences, nonlinear gameplay, mysteries that were fun puzzles, moral choices, and even romance.”
“He chose to focus on beautiful 2D art and story, with their traditional nonlinear gameplay.”
“If you enjoyed Telltale games then you may enjoy this one.”
“You can finish the game in one sitting in a few hours (5-9 hours of gameplay, I would say, even less if you rush things) and there's a bug where you literally skip a part of the story straight to the end, whether you want to do it or not.”
“I honestly don’t think that any of the game mechanics work.”
“This is an interactive short story without any real gameplay elements.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have criticized the game for excessive grinding, particularly in resource gathering, which becomes tedious and repetitive. Many found the combat system unbalanced and the overall experience marred by technical issues, leading to a disappointing conclusion with an unfinished feel. Overall, the grinding aspect significantly detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
“Gathering materials did eventually become tedious, particularly for the defenses, which get torn down constantly.”
“Not everything has been released yet 'coming soon' with only 3 hours of gameplay that gets a little boring after a while due to the repetition in farming/grinding materials.”
“Seriously, I was playing through the game and then it was like 'to be continued'... wtf most of the time is spent grinding for resources and then it's buggy too.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the nice visuals and variety of characters, while others criticize them as dreadful and outdated. Overall, the graphical quality does not meet expectations, especially when compared to earlier versions of the game.
“It can be fun for a while; it has nice visuals, a variety of characters, and a promise of a grim, post-apocalyptic world waiting to be explored.”
“The graphics are stunning and really bring the game world to life.”
“The art style is unique and adds a lot of character to the overall experience.”
“The game is very simple to play, the dialogue is absurd, childish, possessed of terrible grammar and horribly misspelled; the graphics are dreadful.”
“Awful graphics, poor dialogues, nameless and faceless protagonist, ancient interface, and too short for such a simple game!”
“I went back to version 1, which I found was both graphically and gameplay-wise better.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent bugs and a frustratingly grind-heavy experience. Players express disappointment not only with the gameplay mechanics but also with the abrupt and unsatisfying ending, leaving them feeling unfulfilled.
“Buggy, lots of grinding, and a very disappointing ending.”
“Seriously, I was playing through the game and then it was like 'to be continued'... wtf. Most of the time is spent grinding for resources and then it's buggy too.”
“Seriously, I was playing through the game and then it was like 'to be continued'... wtf. Most of the time is spent grinding for resources and then it's buggy too.”
- music4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as a singular soundtrack that lacks variety, while the character designs are also considered unremarkable. Overall, the audio experience does not stand out significantly.
“The music is just one repetitive soundtrack, and the character designs are nothing special.”
“The music is just one repetitive soundtrack, and the character designs are nothing special.”
“The music is just one repetitive soundtrack, and the character designs are nothing special.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers consistently praise the character development, highlighting it as a standout aspect of the game alongside its engaging plot and romances. The depth and growth of the characters contribute significantly to the overall enjoyment of the narrative.
“I absolutely loved the plot, the romances, and the character development.”
