Decision: Red Daze

About

Decision: Red Daze is a single player open world role playing shooter game. It was developed by FlyAnvil and was released on May 19, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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75%

Audience ScoreBased on 381 reviews

gameplay26 positive mentions

story6 negative mentions

The game successfully combines elements of base-building, resource management, and zombie combat, providing an engaging gameplay loop.
Fans of the original Decision series will appreciate the nostalgic feel and familiar mechanics, while also enjoying the new features and improvements.
The graphics and overall presentation have improved significantly from the flash games, offering a more immersive experience.

The sleep and stamina mechanics can be frustrating, as they require frequent management and can interrupt gameplay flow.
AI companions often behave erratically, leading to situations where they can become liabilities during combat.
The inventory management system is clunky, making it tedious to equip and manage multiple survivors effectively.

gameplay
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
67%
9%
The gameplay of the game is described as simple yet addictive, with a mix of action combat and strategic base-building that keeps players engaged. However, many reviewers point out issues such as cumbersome mechanics, a confusing UI, and repetitive tasks that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the engaging gameplay loop and the expansion of familiar mechanics, others criticize the lack of depth and the presence of frustrating elements like the sleep and stamina systems.
- “Super addictive gameplay; I lost track of time from how much I was into it.”
- “The dual gameplay of managing a settlement, upgrading defenses, and then having to man those defenses yourself alongside the NPCs you recruit is what really makes this game so engaging, as you can really feel the impact of your decisions paying off or backfiring.”
- “I love the upgrading and settling different bases aspect to it, while still keeping action-based gameplay.”
- “This game is just a mess; the gameplay is slow and repetitive, the survivor and camp management is barebones in many aspects, and confusing in others. The combat is primitive, the graphics are mediocre, and the class system is poor, with most classes being useless. It was handled better in the Decision 3 installment.”
- “Long story short, the game has neat gameplay elements, but none of them are fleshed out or implemented well.”
- “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.”
story
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
81%
13%
The game's story is often described as minimal and repetitive, serving primarily as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point. While there are elements of infection and survival, many players feel the narrative lacks depth and coherence, with quests that feel generic and uninspired. Overall, the story is seen as a weak aspect of the game, with players expressing a desire for more engaging and meaningful content.
- “The music is great, the dialogue is reminiscent of Fallout 1-2 level, and 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 or title with a deeper storyline, it would definitely blow away all other titles in similar genres!”
- “There’s a loose story about infection, survival, and uncovering the truth, but it’s not the focus here.”
- “The story was never the strong suit of the game, and that remains true here.”
- “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.”
graphics
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
62%
9%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the aesthetic and smooth performance, while others criticize the visuals as bland or outdated. Many agree that while the graphics are decent for an indie title, they lack customization options and can feel simplistic. Overall, the visuals contribute to the game's atmosphere but may not meet the expectations of players seeking high-end graphics.
- “The graphics are amazing, and taking down zombies feels super satisfying.”
- “Great game - a sequel to the legendary flash-shooters from flash-game portals, only now there is an open world, beautiful graphics, a lot of interesting innovations and a large number of equipment and weapons.”
- “Graphics are actually really good and the options you have to develop your character and the other survivors is pretty deep.”
- “The graphics are serviceable and the game runs very well.”
- “Visuals in-game are bland.”
- “Add on top of that no real rebinding for movement keys (no you can't unbind WASD) and still trying to make people play the game mouse only (which was already terrible in the flash games), along with no detailed graphical settings and the most confusing vsync option known to man (the hell am I supposed to do with a toggle button and a slider with no number indicator!?) on top of some poorly translated button prompts makes me feel like I'm playing some poor PC port of a slav-jank mobile game.”
grinding
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating, with many citing cumbersome UI and repetitive tasks as significant drawbacks. While some appreciate the game's overall design and high points, the mid to late game often devolves into a chore, with inventory management and settlement upgrades feeling particularly burdensome. Despite these issues, a few players still enjoy the game, noting that the grinding can be optional and manageable if approached with patience.
- “This is so unbelievably tedious and boring.”
- “Every step of the gameplay loop is boring, tedious and unrewarding.”
- “I finished around 1/4 of the map and then it started to feel tedious.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the ambient soundtrack and its fit for the setting, while others criticize it for being lackluster and poorly implemented, with issues like muted audio even at maximum volume. Overall, the sound design appears to be a low priority for the developers, leading to a generally unsatisfactory experience for many users.
- “The atmosphere - and particularly the music - was quite good.”
- “The music is great, the dialogue is Fallout 1-2 level, the story as a whole is incredible, the cheesiness is amazing and appropriate.”
- “The ambient soundtrack fits the setting, and weapon effects get the job done.”
- “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.”
- “The music is non-existent; even when adjusting the sliders, it feels like you're either hearing zombies and mutants groaning or experiencing dead silence.”
- “After sinking around 3,000 hours into Lost Ark, I just put on my Spotify playlist and mute the in-game music. This feels like a relaxing single-player vacation.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game offers solid replayability, rated 7/10, due to its simple mechanics and diverse selection of playable survivors, each with unique stats and specialties. While some players feel it lacks extensive replay value, recent patches have improved gameplay by slowing stamina and sleep drains, enhancing the overall experience.
- “Replayability is solid.”
- “It is a simple game with high replay value.”
- “Doesn't have that much replay value though, sadly.”
- “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).”
- “Edit: they have now patched the game so that stamina and sleep drains much slower (and not at all in town), and it feels much more playable.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with users noting various bugs and glitches, particularly with the weapon system, but most agree that these issues are not game-breaking. While some players find the experience fun despite the bugs, others describe it as "sluggish" and reminiscent of "eurojank." Overall, the game is enjoyable, but players should expect some technical hiccups.
- “Sluggish, buggy, eurojank.”
- “The weapon system seems a little buggy; when using a turret, it unequips my second weapon after I exit.”
- “I have just played 2.2 hours of this game and there are a few glitches; however, none of them are game-breaking!”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from its quirky mechanics and character interactions, such as the jarring menu scrolling and the amusingly ineffective tower defense against a zombie archer. Players find humor in the game's absurdities, like the minimal food recovery and the unique character traits that add a comedic layer to gameplay. Overall, the humor is subtle and often tied to the game's mechanics and character dynamics.
- “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 it, which I found funny.”
- “I know if I spend more time with it, I will get used to it and enjoy it for what it is. It reminds me of State of Decay, and 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.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
Overall, the game's performance is generally smooth, but users report clunky UI elements and significant optimization issues, particularly for players not starting as medics. As gameplay progresses, performance tends to degrade, with slow progress and poor loot variety leading to prolonged and tedious combat encounters.
- “Performance is generally smooth, though UI elements can feel clunky.”
- “If you don't start as a medic, you're pretty much cooked at the start; also, it can feel laggy and needs optimization.”
- “As you progress further, performance starts to chug, resulting in fights that can take entire minutes to kill a single enemy.”
- “If you don't start as a medic, you're pretty much cooked at the start; it's also kind of laggy and needs optimization.”
- “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.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, particularly for its engaging music and immersive environment, which effectively captures the essence of a zombie apocalypse. Players appreciate the combination of intense action, powerful explosions, and the strategic management of settlements, all contributing to a compelling overall experience.
- “The atmosphere, and particularly the music, was quite good.”
- “The game will appeal to all fans of the zombie apocalypse, featuring a good atmosphere, powerful explosions, and careful management of settlements!”
- “The atmosphere created is also impressive.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is praised for its distinct and rugged character designs, particularly in the variety of zombie and mutant types that enhance enemy recognition. Additionally, the implementation of new level scaling maintains a challenging experience, even for well-equipped squads.
- “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 the characters as you progress.”
- “I appreciate how the characters evolve throughout the game. Their skills and abilities grow, and the choices you make really impact their development, making each playthrough feel unique.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is criticized as a cheap cash grab that relies heavily on nostalgia, suggesting that it prioritizes profit over genuine value for players.
- “As it stands, this feels like a cheap cash grab on nostalgia.”
- “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”