Expedition Zero

41%
Game Brain Score Based on 38 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Expedition Zero Game Cover
Expedition Zero manages to scare without using any jumpscares, doesn't overstay its welcome, and delivers a great creepy and atmospheric post-apocalyptic experience.
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Expedition Zero is a survival horror game set in the heart of rural Siberia. Use your engineering skills to confront flesh-eating monsters as the last survivor of a Soviet scientific expedition.

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Reviews

41%
Audience ScoreBased on 38 reviews
atmosphere5 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • The game has a great atmosphere, with visuals and sound design that effectively create a tense and immersive experience.
  • Survival elements are enjoyable, providing a sense of pressure and challenge that can be thrilling.
  • Despite its flaws, many players found the game fun and expressed a desire for a sequel, indicating potential for future improvements.
  • The game is plagued with bugs and technical issues, including game-breaking bugs that hinder progress and poor optimization.
  • Many players felt the game was too short and lacked content, with some describing it as feeling unfinished or more like a demo.
  • The survival mechanics and enemy encounters can feel unbalanced and frustrating, leading to a less enjoyable experience overall.
  • story14 mentions

    The game's story is generally considered weak and underdeveloped, with players noting that it lacks depth and fails to engage, despite the presence of scattered lore documents. Many reviewers felt the narrative was insufficient to justify the gameplay experience, leading to a sense of disappointment, especially given the game's short length and limited quest structure. While some players found the story enjoyable and expressed a desire for more, the overall consensus is that it feels more like a demo than a fully realized game.

    • “The story was good and it left me wanting more; I had a blast looting, scrapping, and making equipment.”
    • “Story excerpts are found throughout the areas, and I'd recommend exploring the extra areas that unlock after you progress enough.”
    • “- lore/story is found in scattered documents; I don't fully understand what happened, but I've got the gist of it.”
    • “The story is weak; there are notes to read, but they add nothing.”
    • “Completed the game in about 2 hours without realizing there is only a single quest line in one area of the game.”
    • “From the overall polish of the game to the storyline and content, it felt much more like a demo/alpha or proof of concept for a game than an almost $20 standalone.”
  • gameplay9 mentions

    Gameplay is characterized by a focus on atmosphere and exploration, with elements of shooting, crafting, and base-building present but minimal. Players have noted issues with early-game resource management, enemy variety, and the balance of survival mechanics, leading to frustration rather than challenge. While the heat mechanic adds depth, many feel that improvements in enemy behavior and item spawn rates are necessary for a more enjoyable experience.

    • “There will be action at some point, but I enjoy the developer's approach and mechanics with their game.”
    • “It may be a little confusing at times with the gameplay, but the sound quality, graphics, controls, and requirement for early resource and inventory management make this game very cool.”
    • “Gameplay is, as already stated, simple with a focus on atmosphere and exploring, with a tiny speck of shooting, crafting, and base building on the side.”
    • “I shouldn't be annoyed within 30 seconds and quitting after 15 minutes because the gameplay, GUI, controls, and overall experience are so aggravating that I can't bring myself to keep playing.”
    • “Lack of enemy variety; I only encountered two kinds in my two hours of gameplay.”
  • graphics9 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the beautiful visuals and atmospheric lighting that enhance the overall experience, while others criticize the performance issues, low-resolution textures, and graphical bugs. Despite the strong atmosphere, many feel that the graphics could be improved, especially given the game's small scale. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's immersive feel, but technical shortcomings detract from the experience.

    • “Great atmosphere, the visuals, lighting, and sounds really pull together to give you that feeling of wandering in these frozen woods to solve a mystery, with something lurking out there.”
    • “The graphics are good, but the audio and the overall feel it creates while wandering around in the dark are fantastic.”
    • “First off, the game has beautiful graphics.”
    • “The programming/coding is horrific. A game this small with somewhat poor graphics shouldn't choke your computer into submission and force you to lower graphics settings.”
    • “Graphical bugs are not uncommon, including low-resolution textures on the highest settings and ultra dark shadows.”
    • “Many graphical settings are lumped into post-processing effects, so you can't pick and choose what you want to turn down or off.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, with players highlighting the effective use of visuals, lighting, and sound to create a tense and mysterious environment. Many reviewers appreciate the thematic elements that evoke feelings of isolation and suspense, particularly in darker areas, contributing to an engaging exploration experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing the gameplay despite some criticisms regarding mechanics and balance.

    • “I love the atmosphere and thematic!”
    • “I cannot believe this is from an indie developer because the atmosphere and game design is phenomenal!”
    • “+ great atmosphere, the visuals, lighting, and sounds really pull together to give you that 'I'm wandering out in these frozen woods to solve this mystery, and something is out here with me.'”
    • “Gameplay is as already stated simple, with a focus on atmosphere and exploring, with a tiny speck of shooting, crafting, and base building on the side.”
    • “For the short amount of time I played this so far, I am in love; the atmosphere really draws you in and makes you tense up.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game exhibits noticeable bugs and appears to be in ongoing development, but overall, it runs well without any game-breaking issues reported by users.

    • “Other than that, this game runs great, and I have not encountered any game-breaking bugs.”
    • “It is still very buggy and clearly still in development.”
    • “Maybe it's just a bit buggy?”
  • music3 mentions

    Users report frustration with the music feature, noting that the music plays for nearly two minutes even when the music slider is turned off, and adjusting the slider does not impact the volume.

    • “The music slider is off before I even start playing, yet I hear music for almost 2 minutes.”
    • “Changing the slider doesn't affect the volume of the music.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the low battery life and the presence of an invincible enemy that disrupts exploration. Suggestions for improvement include increasing healing item spawn rates and adjusting enemy mechanics to enhance gameplay rather than detract from it. Overall, while the atmosphere is appreciated, the grinding elements detract from the overall experience.

    • “The game is okay, but the baseline battery needs a 20% increase; it's not even bad, it just makes the early game tedious and annoying. The main enemy, which is unkillable, needs to be deadlier but should also have ways to be distracted for 10 or 15 minutes, as it becomes incredibly frustrating when exploring the main area. After the first 15 minutes, it turns into a mechanic that annoys you more than anything. Additionally, healing items need a serious increase in spawn rate. These three changes would significantly improve the game. The atmosphere is good, and I like the heat mechanic that forces you to slow down.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game suffers from low replayability, primarily due to the presence of an unkillable enemy that relentlessly pursues players, creating a frustrating experience that detracts from enjoyment.

    • “The game is not replayable or anywhere near my list for something that's 'fun' due to that main unkillable enemy that gives you absolutely no reprieve or time to breathe; it just hounds you and frustrates you in an annoying way.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back. The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel pointless.”
    • “The story is linear and doesn't change much with different playthroughs, which really diminishes the replayability factor.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to poor performance and a subpar experience for players.

    • “The game is very poorly optimized, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
    • “I experienced constant crashes and long loading times due to the lack of optimization.”
    • “Despite having a high-end PC, the game runs like a mess, indicating serious optimization issues.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

61% average critic score

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