Decision: Red Daze

75%
Game Brain Score Based on 296 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Decision: Red Daze Game Cover
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"Decision: Red Daze" is a post-apocalyptic, turn-based strategy game set in a world overrun by a mysterious red mist. As the leader of a survivors' camp, players must manage resources, make strategic decisions, and navigate tense negotiations while battling mutated creatures and hostile factions. With a focus on choice and consequence, players' decisions will shape the fate of their camp and the wider world.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

75%
Audience ScoreBased on 296 reviews
gameplay18 positive mentions
story6 negative mentions
  • The game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of the original Decision series, with familiar gameplay mechanics and a fun progression system.
  • The base building and resource management aspects are engaging, allowing players to upgrade and manage multiple settlements effectively.
  • The combat is enjoyable, with a variety of weapons and the ability to control different survivors, adding depth to the gameplay.
  • The stamina and sleep mechanics are frustrating, often forcing players to stop frequently and manage resources, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
  • The AI for companions is often unreliable, leading to unnecessary deaths and making it difficult to rely on them during combat.
  • There are numerous bugs and glitches that can hinder the experience, such as issues with inventory management and character interactions.
  • gameplay86 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its addictive loop of zombie killing, looting, and base building, while others criticize its core mechanics, particularly the sleep and stamina systems, which many find frustrating and detrimental to the overall experience. While the game offers a variety of features and a decent progression system, it lacks the depth and polish of similar titles, leading to a gameplay experience that can feel both enjoyable and tedious at times. Overall, it presents a unique indie experience but requires further refinement to fully realize its potential.

    • “I love the upgrading and settling different bases aspect to it, while still keeping action-based gameplay.”
    • “Balanced progression, fun enough in the early game to get to the endgame and still have fun, always introduces some new items, buildings, and mechanics as you progress.”
    • “Overall, for the price, it's a lot of satisfying hours of zombie/werewolf/mutant - rag dolls flying everywhere gameplay.”
    • “Unfortunately, Decision: Red Daze's core gameplay loop is extremely weak.”
    • “The game's sleep mechanic is horribly broken and, by itself, ruins the game completely and can easily put it into an unplayable/softlock state.”
    • “The gameplay is a bit glitchy at times, your character getting stuck in places they shouldn't.”
  • story41 mentions

    The game's story is largely criticized for being minimalistic and lacking depth, with many players describing it as a series of repetitive, generic quests that fail to engage. While some appreciate the nostalgic dialogue and simple premise, the overall narrative is seen as weak, with a desire for more meaningful and varied story-driven quests. Many reviewers express disappointment in the lack of character development and a compelling plot, suggesting that a darker, more intricate storyline could significantly enhance the experience.

    • “The music is great, the dialogue is Fallout 1-2 level, the story as a whole is incredible, the cheesiness is amazing and appropriate.”
    • “It's easy to get started; the tutorial is story-based and fits well into the game progress.”
    • “If they come out with a darker, more realistic version/title, deeper storyline... it would definitely blow away all other titles in similar genres!”
    • “But it doesn't end here... the story is non-existent.”
    • “The main progression is also just threadbare, being a bunch of quests which fail to distinguish themselves from the generic repeatable quests.”
    • “From the start, the story is bad and makes no sense at all, with no possibility to skip the introduction, and once in the game, one can truly see how bad it is.”
  • graphics25 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the decent quality and unique aesthetic, while others criticize them as outdated and lacking detail. Many users express frustration with performance issues, such as slow graphics and black borders on high-refresh-rate displays. Overall, while the visuals may not be cutting-edge, they are considered acceptable for the game's style and gameplay mechanics.

    • “Graphics are actually really good and the options you have to develop your character and the other survivors is pretty deep.”
    • “The graphics are surprisingly good and the combat is completely doable and fun.”
    • “I found the core gameplay, action, graphics and controls very smooth and easy to get used to.”
    • “I really hoped this was some sort of State of Decay but on steroids, like much more possibilities since the graphics are pretty low and thus should have an abundance of unique gameplay, right?”
    • “The graphics are quite slow. I know the designer wants everyone to be able to play this game on any device, but on my laptop with a 240Hz and high-end graphics card, it is really annoying to play the game with a black border on both sides.”
    • “Yes, the graphics are outdated by today's standards, but don't let it put you off. It is a good game, flawed and needing more work, but it is good from what I have played so far.”
  • grinding21 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in the mid to late game where managing survivors and upgrading settlements can feel like a chore. While some appreciate the high points and rewards of the gameplay, many express frustration with the repetitive tasks and the cumbersome interface, especially when dealing with a large number of survivors. Overall, the grind is seen as a necessary but unenjoyable part of the experience, with calls for improvements to streamline the process.

    • “Even more stupid, however, is that the number of survivors directly increases how tedious the end of your game is: Unity's crappiness lends to tens of seconds entering the team menu at around 400 survivors, which you technically want to do to select a new one and visit all of your settlements so you can tweak your factories and upgrades for that food -> loot -> supplies chain so you can sleep your endgame days away.”
    • “I finished around 1/4 of the map and then it started to feel tedious.”
    • “In general I like this game, but mid-late game becomes like a chore; new settlement cleaning and loot gathering becomes tedious.”
  • music7 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews; some players appreciate its quality and atmospheric contribution, likening it to classic titles, while others criticize it for being nearly non-existent or poorly implemented, with sound sliders failing to enhance the experience. Overall, the music seems to evoke strong feelings, ranging from enjoyment to frustration, depending on individual player experiences.

    • “The music is great, the dialogue is at Fallout 1-2 level, the story as a whole is incredible, and the cheesiness is amazing and appropriate.”
    • “The atmosphere - and particularly the music - was quite good.”
    • “After sinking around 3,000 hours in Lost Ark, this feels like a relaxing single-player vacation.”
    • “Like music is non-existent and even if you swing around with the sliders it felt like either you are hearing zombies and mutants groaning and banging or dead silence.”
    • “Forget the garbage ambience and music; the sound slider, even maxed out, keeps the audio completely muted. There are only sliders for music and the rest of the game, which includes voices and sound effects.”
    • “After sinking around 3,000 hours in Lost Ark, I just put on my Spotify playlist and mute the in-game music. This feels like a relaxing single-player vacation.”
  • stability6 mentions

    Overall, players find the game enjoyable but report several bugs and glitches, particularly with the weapon system and menus. While some issues are noted as non-game-breaking, they can still affect the overall experience. Despite these stability concerns, many users express a strong affection for the game.

    • “Fun but buggy.”
    • “I have just played 2.2 hours of this game and there are a few glitches; however, none of them are game-breaking.”
    • “The weapon system seems a little buggy. When using a turret, after I come out, it unequips my second weapon.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is derived from its quirky mechanics and character interactions, such as a zombie cleverly evading tower defenses and the amusingly minimal food recovery system. Players find humor in the game's idiosyncrasies, like the jarring menu scrolling, which adds a lighthearted touch to the overall experience. The character dynamics and their unique traits also contribute to the comedic elements, enhancing the enjoyment of gameplay.

    • “The tower defense part of the 'gate' towers needs a little bit of work; a zombie with a bow named 'Sherwood' can sit outside the tower's range and kill the tower, which I found funny.”
    • “I find it funny that all the characters have their pros and cons. You can talk to them, level up your reputation and leadership skills by interacting with other characters to build your charisma and expand your group size.”
    • “Funny thing with food - you recover only a tiny amount while manually eating.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, with particular praise for the music, which enhances the overall experience.

    • “The atmosphere created is also good.”
    • “The atmosphere - and particularly the music - was quite good.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Players appreciate the enhanced replayability due to the diverse selection of playable survivors, each with unique stats and specialties, as well as a wide variety of weapons and armor that significantly alter gameplay. The recent patch improving stamina and sleep mechanics further enhances the overall experience, making the game feel more accessible and enjoyable for multiple playthroughs.

    • “Each and every one of the survivors you find are playable, with their own stats and specialties (kind of like classes). The weapon and armor selections are vast, with the armor having many different variants that alter how a character is played (and that goes for when you're not controlling them as well).”
    • “The game offers a variety of choices and paths, making each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
    • “With multiple endings and different character interactions, I find myself coming back to explore all the possibilities.”
    • “The game lacks meaningful choices that would encourage replayability; once you've seen the story, there's little incentive to go through it again.”
    • “After completing the game once, I found that the lack of different endings or significant changes in gameplay made it feel repetitive on subsequent playthroughs.”
    • “While the mechanics are solid, the overall experience doesn't change much with different characters, leading to a feeling of stagnation after the first run.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization is criticized for poor performance as players progress, with noticeable slowdowns and an inadequate variety of loot. Additionally, the scaling of weapon damage to enemy health leads to prolonged and tedious combat encounters.

    • “However, there just isn't enough variety in the content to fill out the runtime - as you progress further, progress slows to a crawl, performance starts to chug, loot variety is abysmal, and weapon damage doesn't scale well to enemy health, resulting in fights that can take entire minutes to kill a single enemy as you keep them stunlocked while your party bashes them into the ground.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy is perceived as a cheap cash grab that capitalizes on nostalgia, leading to negative sentiments among users.

    • “As it stands, it feels like a cheap cash grab on nostalgia.”
    • “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “I feel pressured to spend money to enjoy the game fully, which ruins the fun.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the distinct character designs, particularly the variety among zombie and mutant types, which enhances enemy recognition. The implementation of new level scaling is noted for maintaining challenge, even with a well-equipped squad.

    • “I love the rugged character designs; the zombie and mutant types are distinct from each other, making it easy to identify enemy types. The new level scaling keeps the game challenging, even with a fully geared squad of soldiers.”
    • “The character development is impressive, with each character having a unique backstory that adds depth to the gameplay. It makes you feel more connected to them as you progress through the game.”
    • “I appreciate how the characters evolve throughout the game. Their skills and abilities grow, and you can see the impact of your choices on their development, making each playthrough feel unique.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Decision: Red Daze

Play time

10hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
2-13hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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