Dead Matter
- September 15, 2023
- QI Games
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Dead Matter" is a role-playing game in which players can survive a zombie-infested world in single-player, multiplayer, or co-op modes for up to 2 players. Set in 2025, the game places players in the Kananaskis area of Alberta, where a mysterious virus has turned people into flesh-eating monsters. The game is currently in Early Access, with the developers frequently updating the Nightly testing branch based on community feedback.
Reviews
- The game has a lot of potential and could become a great zombie survival game with further development.
- The graphics and weapon animations are impressive, providing a solid foundation for gameplay.
- Exploring the vast open world and discovering new weapons is rewarding and enjoyable.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, crashes, and performance issues, making it largely unplayable.
- Zombies exhibit poor AI behavior, often walking through walls and not posing a significant threat.
- The lack of updates and communication from the developers raises concerns about the game's future and support.
- graphics20 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful visuals and detailed weapon designs, while others criticize performance issues and graphical glitches that significantly impact gameplay. Many users note that high-end hardware is necessary to achieve satisfactory frame rates, and there are complaints about the lack of customization options for graphics settings. Overall, while the game has a strong graphical foundation, it requires optimization and updates to address the numerous issues reported by players.
“Ok, the graphics are actually very good and the weapon designs/animations are above most of the games.”
“It has a great foundation in graphics and gun handling/reloading animations and sounds.”
“Cause even with UE Nanite, Lumen, etc., showing that much detail on screen, environment, assets, lights, with realistic graphics and that many zombies, even if they all look the same, is insane.”
“This game has many graphics issues and performance needs to be fixed. One of the biggest issues is the global illumination quality, which needs a big optimization because it significantly drops your FPS.”
“Looks and plays like its graphics are 640x480!”
“The game on epic settings looks like absolute garbage; it's blurry and resembles an oil pastel painting. The graphical settings, if you try to alter them, only have placeholder names, so you can't even tell what you're doing if you want to lower specific settings.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting numerous graphics issues, stuttering, and poor performance even on high-end systems. Many suggest that the spawning mechanics of zombies and overall game performance should be prioritized for improvement. While some players see potential in the game, they emphasize the urgent need for bug fixes and optimization to enhance the overall experience.
“As a solo player, I'm absolutely blown away by the performance improvements.”
“This game has a lot of potential; the devs just need to focus on bug fixing and performance improvements for now until the game runs more smoothly.”
“This game has many graphics issues and performance needs to be fixed; one of the biggest issues is the global illumination quality, which needs a big optimization because it drastically drops your FPS.”
“I think I saw something about using the new Unreal Engine in the update post, and all I can say is I hope it improves performance because I guarantee most players right now can't enjoy the lighting of this game because it is so demanding.”
“They need to sort the performance issues out further for the game to be playable.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the solid core mechanics, animations, and looting system, while also noting significant bugs and inconsistencies in certain areas, such as zombie behavior and movement mechanics. Some features, like the lock-picking system and gun management, are praised, but the overall execution feels uneven, leaving room for improvement. Despite its flaws, many players find the game engaging and enjoyable, indicating potential for future updates.
“I bought it to see only for 2 hours to be able to refund, but when I installed it and played, 4 hours passed and this 4 hours of gameplay didn't make me regret buying it.”
“A very good looter shooter with rock solid animations and looting; I was very happy with the overall functionality of the game's core mechanics.”
“It overhauls the base game with new mechanics, guns, a Tarkov style of gunfight and weapon management, and tons more new features.”
“Some areas (such as the guns) feel very fleshed out and polished, while other areas seem neglected and lacking, namely the zombies and movement mechanics.”
“It's very buggy but the core gameplay, animations, guns, customization is all really good.”
“As far as the gameplay goes, it's impressively terrible.”
- stability12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues, including frequent crashes and poor animations. While the recent update has improved some aspects, many users still find it unplayable and not worth the price due to its ongoing instability. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess" that detracts from the otherwise enjoyable core gameplay.
“It runs extremely poorly and everything just feels tacky and extremely buggy.”
“Yes, we are still experiencing massive amounts of bugs, shoddy texturing that doesn't match the map layouts, invisible walls and objects, constant crashes and glitches.”
“Currently a buggy mess not realistically worth $40.”
- story4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's map is well-crafted and tells a story through its design, contrasting with other titles that rely on repetitive environments. However, players express disappointment with the lack of substantial content and a coherent narrative, leading to frustration with the overall experience.
“The current map is small, but the existing points of interest are decently crafted and different from games like DayZ and SCUM, where buildings are copy-pasted. The map itself tells a story.”
“The game has very little to no content, no story.”
“I wanted to give it a try, seeing they released an update and yes I was expecting some bugs, but omg let me count the things that have gone wrong. I've never had a game not work this badly, other than Calisto Protocol, but that's a whole other story.”
“I just want to provide a bit of backstory and warning on this for the people who see this and do not know, so that hopefully not another person will have their money stolen from them.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its immersive qualities and interactivity within the world. However, some criticism is directed at the gunshot sounds, which are perceived as mismatched with the overall ambiance. Despite minor bugs, many users find the atmosphere compelling, especially for fans of survival zombie games.
“I like the atmosphere.”
“I know I have played only 2 hours so far, but it's a pretty good game. I'm loving the atmosphere and the interactivity within the world. Yes, it has some bugs, but hopefully future updates can fix that. Man, I'm really impressed so far; it's a dream game for me. It's DayZ but single player. I recommend it to anyone who is mildly interested in survival zombie games.”
“The current gunshot sounds do not fit the overall atmosphere of the guns and their handling/reloading sounds.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users note that the game's first update significantly improved its playability, enhancing the overall experience and reducing crashes, which contributes positively to its replayability.
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, indicating that the development team has lost interest in the game's long-term success and is primarily focused on maximizing profits.
“The development team clearly gave up on this years ago and just wants to get a cash grab while they can and be done with it.”
