FatalZone

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,398 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • grinding
FatalZone Game Cover
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"FatalZone" is a single-player shooter game with stunning mechanics and exceptional visuals. Players exterminate hordes of zombies in a post-apocalyptic world, collecting resources for one of the last survivor camps, with auto-shooter, roguelike, and RPG elements. Progression involves risking runs to level up and unlock new skills and characters, with a focus on building the most effective character for deadly missions.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,398 reviews
gameplay111 positive mentions
grinding86 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique twist on the survivor genre with its extraction mechanics and permadeath system, adding tension and strategy to each run.
  • Graphics and art style are visually appealing, creating an immersive post-apocalyptic atmosphere.
  • The character progression and base-building elements provide depth and encourage players to invest time in upgrading their mercenaries.
  • The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to severe frame rate drops during longer runs, especially when many enemies are on screen.
  • Weapon balance is poor, with some weapons being significantly more effective than others, making certain builds feel mandatory and reducing variety.
  • The achievement system is overly grindy, requiring players to complete multiple runs on various difficulties with each character, which can feel tedious and repetitive.
  • gameplay295 mentions

    The gameplay of "Fatalzone" is characterized by its engaging and addictive mechanics, blending elements from the bullet-hell genre with unique features like character mutations and base management. While it offers a satisfying experience with a variety of maps, weapons, and character customization, some players note that it can become repetitive and lacks depth in certain areas, particularly in melee combat and endgame content. Overall, the game shows promise but would benefit from further refinement and additional content to enhance long-term enjoyment.

    • “The gameplay is absolutely exhilarating, and the post-apocalyptic atmosphere is truly stunning.”
    • “The game offers a variety of maps, weapons, and character customization, making the gameplay fun and unpredictable.”
    • “The gameplay is intense and addictive, keeping me engaged for hours.”
    • “Leveling up a base by grinding resources was a selling point, but gameplay is broken.”
    • “Gameplay feels very bland, not enough action or any interesting moment except managing when you think you want to leave.”
    • “In terms of gameplay, it didn't just bring anything new to the table; it's even more stale than its predecessor - it's like an early build of that game, but with even less content.”
  • graphics137 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many users praising the detailed and stylized visuals that enhance the gameplay experience. While some noted a casual, cartoonish aesthetic that contributes to a calming atmosphere, others pointed out that certain elements felt low-effort or reminiscent of mobile games. Overall, the art style is appreciated for its cohesion and ability to immerse players in the game's environment, making it visually appealing despite some criticisms of its depth and optimization.

    • “The graphics of the game are striking in their detail and atmosphere, and the dynamic gameplay keeps you in suspense throughout the entire playthrough.”
    • “It’s simply magnificent, an interesting idea, very beautiful and stylish graphics, cool music that doesn’t hurt your ears and you don’t want to turn it off in the first minute of the game.”
    • “The graphics are stunning and the attention to detail in every aspect of the game is impressive.”
    • “Graphically, Fatalzone looks cheap, like a low-effort mobile game.”
    • “It's hard to shake the feeling that this was designed for the mobile market, given its lackluster visuals and shallow mechanics.”
    • “There is nothing to say, the music and graphics are the most ordinary.”
  • grinding88 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and unbalanced. While some enjoy the mindless nature of grinding for resources and leveling up, the overall sentiment is that the game relies too heavily on repetitive tasks without meaningful rewards, leading to a frustrating experience. Players have noted that the grind can quickly become boring, with limited growth and a lack of strategic depth, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging gameplay mechanic.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The grind is tedious and unrewarding, which is arguably the biggest failure a game in the vampire survivors genre can commit.”
    • “Solid 12-20 hours of gameplay before it's just grinding for grind's sake.”
    • “Unfortunately, it doesn't have much of an endgame other than grinding with limited growth once everything is unlocked.”
  • story68 mentions

    The story of Fatalzone is engaging, drawing players in with high-stakes missions and the potential for permanent loss of mercenaries, which forces tough decision-making. While the narrative unfolds through resource management and character progression, some players find the overall plot to be underdeveloped and the gameplay repetitive, limiting the variety of builds. Despite these criticisms, the atmospheric setting and dynamic gameplay elements keep the experience interesting, with many players expressing a desire for more depth and lore in future updates.

    • “The plot of Fatalzone grips you from the first minutes, forcing the player to make difficult decisions on which the fate of the character depends.”
    • “The game’s story unfolds through your decisions on resource management, mercenary deployment, and base upgrades, with the looming threat of death and mutation constantly influencing the narrative.”
    • “The evolving nature of your mercenaries and the constant need for adaptation keep the story engaging and dynamic.”
    • “The plot of the game didn't pump me up.”
    • “They make the game seem far more involved/complex than it is (there isn't really base-building, character advancement is minimal, story is bare-bones, etc).”
    • “This really limits the amount of potential builds and makes it feel like you must play the same build mission over mission.”
  • optimization62 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly during longer runs or when using certain weapon upgrades, leading to drastic frame rate drops and stuttering. While some recent updates have improved performance, players still experience crashes and bugs, indicating that further optimization is needed to enhance the overall gameplay experience. Overall, while the game is enjoyable, its optimization challenges remain a major barrier for many users.

    • “Hallelujah, the optimization changes were a massive improvement to the game's performance.”
    • “Edit 15/01/24: recent updates have massively improved performance and the same builds that would drop below 10 fps now had me stuck at 144 fps (max refresh of my monitor) throughout the runs that I played.”
    • “In general, speaking about the game, the graphics are on par, optimization is a little slow, but I’m sure this is temporary; the controls are clear and convenient, and overall the game is quite easy to understand.”
    • “The game is so unoptimized that it starts stuttering and the countdown timer slows down to almost half speed.”
    • “I need to change my opinion on this because it's extremely unoptimized; I play it on a Ryzen 5600 and an RTX 3080, and I get 4 fps after 20 minutes of play... unplayable after you get some upgrades, unfortunately.”
    • “The optimization has become a massive barrier in progression for me.”
  • music39 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and atmospheric contribution, enhancing the overall experience with a stylish and fitting soundtrack. However, some players noted a lack of variety, leading to a sense of repetitiveness that diminished enjoyment over time. Overall, while the music is often described as top-notch and engaging, there are criticisms regarding its longevity and diversity.

    • “The music is top-notch.”
    • “The sound effects and music are atmospheric, adding to the overall experience.”
    • “It’s simply magnificent, an interesting idea, very beautiful and stylish graphics, cool music that doesn’t hurt your ears and you don’t want to turn it off in the first minute of the game.”
    • “There is nothing to say, the music and graphics are the most ordinary.”
    • “Audio and music are fairly forgettable, same with the graphics.”
    • “My only criticism is in the variety of music - or rather, the lack of it.”
  • atmosphere24 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning post-apocalyptic visuals, high-quality graphics, and immersive sound design, which together create a gripping and suspenseful experience. Players appreciate the detailed environments and stylized character art that enhance the survival theme, while the dynamic gameplay and atmospheric music contribute to an engaging overall experience. Overall, the game captivates players with its rich atmosphere and exhilarating gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is absolutely exhilarating, and the post-apocalyptic atmosphere is truly stunning.”
    • “Intuitive controls and high-quality graphics immerse you in a unique atmosphere, and a variety of tasks and opportunities will not let you get bored.”
    • “Gritty post-apocalyptic visuals with a mix of detailed environments and stylized character art, enhancing the survival atmosphere.”
    • “High quality graphics and sound create the atmosphere of real combat.”
    • “The graphics of the game are striking in their detail and atmosphere, and the dynamic gameplay keeps you in suspense throughout the entire playthrough.”
  • stability23 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting significant bugs that disrupt gameplay, such as freezing upon completing levels and glitches during critical moments. While some players experience smooth performance without issues, the overall consensus indicates that the game feels unfinished and resembles a beta release due to its persistent bugs. Until these stability issues are addressed, many reviewers cannot recommend the game.

    • “The game runs smoothly on my Nitro 5 from Acer, with no lag, no freezes, and movements as intended.”
    • “Still a work in progress, but it's been completely bug-free for me.”
    • “No bugs, no glitches, no issues.”
    • “I've had multiple runs bricked when the game randomly glitches upon leveling up.”
    • “I can't recommend this game until they fix the bug that freezes on the end screen as you finish a level that you've spent 30 minutes on.”
    • “Showed some promise early on but the game is now very buggy and there haven't been any updates or patches since May.”
  • replayability21 mentions

    Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while procedurally generated maps and varied difficulty levels offer some incentive to replay, many players feel that the lack of meaningful upgrades and limited weapon builds significantly diminish the overall experience. After completing the game, some users report a sense of emptiness due to the absence of an engaging endgame, leading to a perception of low replay value despite the potential for character customization and multiple classes. Overall, the game's replayability is seen as moderate to high, but is hampered by design choices that leave players feeling unsatisfied.

    • “Procedurally generated maps and varied difficulty levels ensure replayability.”
    • “Approximately 20-30 hours, with additional replayability through higher difficulty levels and character customization.”
    • “Moderate to high; offers multiple character classes, procedural maps, and difficulty levels that encourage replayability.”
    • “However, after finishing the last map with the last difficulty, it feels empty; there's no end game and a lack of replayability. It's just that, finished.”
    • “You don't get any upgrades anymore when going on to different maps and difficulties, which makes the replay value extremely low.”
    • “But many aspects of the game leave me feeling unsatisfied and, ultimately, really affect the replayability.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in the game is engaging and multifaceted, allowing for various builds that enhance gameplay and encourage players to invest time in their characters. The risk of character death adds a layer of tension, making each investment feel significant, while the addictive mechanics and appealing graphics further enhance the overall experience. Overall, players appreciate the depth and excitement of the character development system, likening it to popular titles like Vampire Survivors.

    • “Character development offers the possibility of different builds, with catchy and addictive game mechanics that make you want to do 'one more raid.'”
    • “The game features an interesting implementation of the character development system, reminiscent of Vampire Survivors, along with cool graphics.”
    • “Investing hours into character development is rewarding, but the risk of losing characters adds a layer of tension that keeps you engaged.”
    • “And those characters can die, which means you invest hours into character development only to lose them occasionally, leading to more grind.”
    • “Character development feels shallow, as the potential for different builds doesn't translate into meaningful choices or growth.”
    • “The lack of impactful character progression makes it hard to feel invested in the characters, diminishing the overall experience.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as both amusing and frustrating, with players finding comedic elements in the game's design flaws and mechanics, particularly in how it handles character abilities. However, the humor can also feel mocking, especially when players die, leading to a sense of being ridiculed for their efforts, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.

    • “Funny game.”
    • “If you die, it feels like the game is laughing at you for not being a coward, which makes you want to do short, boring runs over and over to grind back to where you were in the 'meta' that you lost.”
    • “Also, one of the hilarious things I've always hated is that Vampire Survivor's King Bible needed a passive that gives you + duration of skills. Then, when you evolve it to Unholy Vespers, it just orbits around you permanently, making your + duration of skills passive worthless. This game copied that same design mistake.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The game avoids intrusive microtransactions, which is a positive aspect, but players express frustration over the prevalence of advertisements and promotional content, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “And besides that, all the rest of the news are advertisements, check this bundle, check that bundle, vote for us for Steam awards.”
    • “Well, at least it doesn't have stupid microtransactions; still a boring game.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players find the emotional impact of losing a leveled-up character due to greed and overconfidence to be deeply heartbreaking, adding a unique and engaging twist to the gameplay. This mechanic enhances the game's difficulty and emotional stakes, making the experience more immersive and resonant.

    • “It's heartbreaking losing a character you've leveled up due to greed and overconfidence, but it's a fantastic addition that puts a genuine spin on the genre as the game gets progressively tougher after each challenge.”
    • “It's heartbreaking losing a character you've leveled up due to greed and overconfidence, but it's a fantastic addition that puts a genuine spin on the genre as the game gets progressively tougher after each challenge.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

18hMedian play time
15hAverage play time
10-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

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