Dread Dawn
- September 30, 2024
- Kioop
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Dread Dawn" is an open-world zombie survival sandbox game set in a quarantined city with a robust storyline and various public facilities. As a student left behind, you must survive by defending your camp and gathering resources with other survivors. Utilize materials for construction to enhance your chances of survival. Follow the developer on social media for updates.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique take on the zombie survival genre, providing an immersive atmosphere and engaging premise.
- Combat can be satisfying, especially when dealing with hordes of zombies, and the crafting system offers some interesting mechanics.
- The developers are actively updating the game, showing commitment to improving the overall experience.
- The game feels unfinished and lacks polish, with many bugs and a confusing user interface.
- The story and dialogue are poorly written and often cringe-worthy, detracting from the overall experience.
- The tutorial is overly long and tedious, making it difficult for players to get into the actual gameplay.
- story138 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it shallow and poorly written, often describing it as generic and lacking emotional depth. While some appreciate the side quests that add life to the game, others criticize the main narrative for being confusing and unengaging, with NPC interactions feeling limited and unimpactful. Overall, the story serves as a basic framework for gameplay but fails to deliver a compelling or immersive experience.
“Honestly just a really nice game, fun gameplay, great story, and now you can even make your own stories.”
“Having played story mode solely so far, I can say this has been a very good experience in which you, a college student, must help both the military and remaining students hold the campus during the initial stages of a zombie outbreak in the city.”
“While the premise of finding your sister is pretty simple for the general storyline, it drives you to explore the world and the many locations within it.”
“I think I lost some brain cells trying to make sense of the quest/story.”
“The story is terribly written and boring.”
“The story starts off extremely bland and generic, and you're almost left confused as to why you should even participate in the world they created.”
- gameplay64 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been described as a mix of potential and clunkiness, drawing comparisons to titles like Project Zomboid and 7 Days to Die, with a variety of mechanics including crafting, combat, and tower defense elements. While many players appreciate the engaging core mechanics and frequent updates, some criticize the game for its janky execution, lack of polish, and simplistic AI. Overall, the gameplay offers a fun experience with room for improvement, particularly in balancing and user interface design.
“The gameplay is really what keeps me going; I love how punchy the firearms feel, and there is not a lack of weapons in general, with a vast array of melee and firearms for many different playstyles.”
“Overall, I'd say it feels rough around the edges, but the core gameplay is actually very strong; it's like a mix of Project Zomboid with 7 Days to Die.”
“It has a good base of mechanics and content for a new release.”
“I was incredibly excited, and while the core mechanics have potential, the game feels a little clunky.”
“Gameplay is repetitive; I literally held shift and ran to each waypoint over and over again, which I then noticed I was still in the tutorial.”
“Lackluster UI, lackluster gameplay, lackluster fighting, lackluster AI, lackluster NPCs, lackluster translations, lackluster everything.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming art style and unique lighting that enhances the atmosphere, while others criticize the low-quality visuals reminiscent of older flash games. Technical issues, such as the need for specific graphics card settings and limited graphical options, have also been highlighted, leading to frustration among users. Overall, while the graphics may appeal to some for their nostalgic and simplistic charm, they are seen as lacking depth and polish by others.
“The lighting combined with the dark aesthetic gives such a unique style in addition to the variety of NPC-occupied bases with different dialog events, making the world feel more alive.”
“The atmosphere is on point, and the game really leverages its art style to do some cool things.”
“When I realized what the game was trying to go for, old-school survival horror with puzzle elements, I found the graphics to be quite charming and endearing.”
“The game looks and feels like a flash game; maybe it's just nostalgia, but the graphics and mechanics available make it feel like an Adobe game from 2014.”
“Graphics are acceptable, but given the limited map size and lack of audio, I'm left wondering why the game file is 20GB?”
“The reason this game has bad graphics is because it is trying to optimize performance.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with a variety of mechanics like crafting, farming, and looting contributing to both engagement and frustration. While farming can provide essential resources, it is often described as tedious and limited, with players wishing for quality-of-life improvements and more dynamic NPC interactions. Additionally, the looting system is criticized for being overly repetitive and cumbersome, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“But omg it's so freakin tedious to search a million places for just 1 to 2 items at a time; I mean you can literally search everything.”
“However, inventory management can be a pain because the game gets really grindy, and there are times where your supplies and weapons may not be enough, and times where you carried too much expecting that they will all be useful only for you to find out that there is not much you can do with them.”
“Looting is tedious and frustrating.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including "hitching" and slowdowns due to the game's bloated file structure. While a few users report smooth performance even in high-stress scenarios, others criticize the game's graphics and looting mechanics as subpar, suggesting that the focus on optimization may have compromised visual quality and gameplay fluidity. Overall, the optimization appears inconsistent, affecting the experience for many players.
“This is probably the reason why the game is bloated, and why for some folks are having performance issues at certain points in the game because your computer has to read hundreds of thousands of those files (378,846 files, 4,046 folders), which explains why the developer wants the game to run on a discrete GPU.”
“I have had no performance issues, even with hundreds (maybe thousands) of zombies pouring out of windows and alleyways (Zephyrus G14 laptop for reference). The first hour or so of the story mode is a good introduction to the premise, and while a bit slow getting started, I did find myself enjoying the characters and dialogue.”
“The reason this game has bad graphics is because it is trying to optimize performance.”
“Performance 'hitching' regardless of hardware.”
“This is probably the reason why the game is bloated, and why some folks are having performance issues at certain points in the game because your computer has to read hundreds of thousands of those files (378,846 files, 4,046 folders), which explains why the developer wants the game to run on a discrete GPU.”
“Bizarre performance issues.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as having a creepy tone that enhances the atmosphere, but players express frustration over the lack of audio options, leading to issues with volume control and situational awareness. The absence of separate settings for music and sound effects results in a jarring experience, with some players experiencing discomfort from the overwhelming audio. Overall, while the soundtrack has its merits, the limited auditory customization detracts significantly from the gameplay experience.
“Very creepy tone and soundtrack.”
“Music's pretty good too, in some respects.”
“The core gameplay loop can be solid, the art style has a charm, and the prospects of the upcoming 'director' mode definitely hold interest.”
“The core gameplay loop can be solid, the art style has a charm, and the prospects of the upcoming 'director' mode definitely hold interest, but there are inherent issues concerning the lack of graphical and, more importantly, auditory options at the moment. Almost all audio is synced into either 'main' or 'background', with no option for music, voices, etc. This led to initial ear pain from a cacophony of endless screaming NPC loops with no discernible source, and later a loss of situational awareness entirely.”
“There is no background music whatsoever.”
“You get one option, which is the master volume option; there are no effects or music settings.”
- stability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- -29 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The game is frequently described as buggy, with various mechanics needing improvement and issues like aimbot-like behavior from survivors. While some players find it solid overall, the instability and lack of settings options detract from the experience, making it less enjoyable for many.
“The mechanics are mostly bug-free, providing a solid foundation for gameplay.”
“The game runs smoothly with minimal crashes, enhancing the overall experience.”
“I appreciate the consistent performance, which allows for immersive gameplay without interruptions.”
“The game is very buggy; there are little to no settings options, the storyline is dry and makes no sense.”
“To sum this all up, it's a solid game, but it's not for everyone and it can be buggy at certain times.”
“Confusing, buggy, not very fun.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, with a unique feel that sets it apart from similar titles like Project Zomboid. Reviewers appreciate the art style and the presence of NPCs, which contribute to a lively and sometimes eerie environment, enhancing the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, adding depth and tension to the gameplay.
“The atmosphere is on point, and the game really leverages its art style to do some cool things.”
“The world feels a bit more lively with NPCs around, and I enjoy the atmosphere.”
“And by that I mean, the game's setting and atmosphere can be very immersive and scary at times.”
- monetization5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with players expressing disappointment over its lack of depth and immersion compared to its advertised features. Many users feel that the game was released prematurely without adequate playtesting, leading to a perception that it prioritizes profit over quality. Overall, there is a strong sentiment urging potential buyers to avoid spending money on it.
“It seems like a cash grab and run type of game, which disappoints me because I was actually excited to play this game.”
“Please, for the love of indie stone, don't waste your money on this game. It's a cash grab intended to emulate the aesthetic of Zomboid without providing any real depth or immersion.”
“By all intents and purposes, the parts of the game which aren't enjoyable are the supporting components not shown in advertising, components which, whilst admittedly hard to get right from a development standpoint, are just fundamentally inadequate.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as "hilariously bad," with many reviewers noting its rough execution and lazy design choices. While some elements, like invincible NPCs, provide unintentional comedy, the overall tone is criticized for being inappropriate and poorly communicated, particularly regarding its raunchy and sexual content. This combination leaves players feeling that the humor lacks charm and is more a result of budget cuts than intentional design.
“Admittedly, it is rough around the edges; some of the sound mixing is a bit off, and story-important NPCs are invincible (it's funny watching them run with a horde).”
“This game is hilariously bad.”
“It's not charming or funny; it's just lazy and shows how much they cut the budget or don't care.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the emotional experience of the game is generally positive, players express frustration with certain gameplay mechanics, such as unfair damage from zombies in the police station, which detracts from immersion. Additionally, some users feel that the user interface could be improved to enhance the overall emotional engagement.
