Stay Alive: Apocalypse

About

"Stay Alive: Apocalypse" is a sandbox survival zombie RPG game with a unique twist. The game features a large 625km square map with 8 randomly generated cities, allowing for a different gaming experience each time. Players can interact with every object, move furniture, and access every house without loading screens, making for a highly immersive experience. The main storyline remains consistent despite the changing environments.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+16

39%

Audience ScoreBased on 202 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

stability36 negative mentions

The game has a lot of unique mechanics and potential for deep gameplay, especially in crafting and survival aspects.
Players appreciate the ability to interact with the environment in creative ways, such as building mobile bases and managing resources.
The developer has been active in responding to community feedback and has shown commitment to improving the game.

The game has been abandoned by the developer, with no updates for an extended period, leading to frustration among players.
It is plagued by numerous bugs, crashes, and poor optimization, making it nearly unplayable for many users.
The graphics and overall polish are considered subpar, with many players citing amateurish visuals and clunky controls.

graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
76%
10%
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized, with many reviewers describing them as amateurish and reminiscent of outdated titles, leading to a poor visual experience. Common complaints include graphical bugs, low frame rates, and a confusing user interface, which detracts from overall immersion. While some players find the art style somewhat appealing, the consensus is that the visuals are subpar and in need of significant improvement.
- “I will admit that the graphics aren't AAA level, but I find the styling easy on the eyes and it doesn't break immersion for me.”
- “Graphics aren't bad.”
- “Other games may have high-quality graphics and more fluid mechanics, this game has some of the most unique concepts and mechanics that, while not polished, stand out from many other games.”
- “Literally just look at any screenshot of this game and you will see the horror that is the visuals.”
- “I'll lay it down bluntly, horrible UI, you don't know what 98% of the stuff on your screen is or what it means, horrible optimization, game sets graphics automatically to 'user', whatever that means and runs at 20-30 fps while looking like a PS2 Borderlands clone with the dumb looking black borders on everything.”
- “Let's start off with the graphics: oh god are they bad.”
gameplay
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
7%
The gameplay of this zombie survival game is praised for its depth and unique mechanics, such as the impact of clothing dirtiness on infection risk and a detailed looting system. However, players criticize the lack of tutorials, complicated interfaces, and numerous glitches that hinder the experience, leading to frustration with controls and frequent crashes. While the game shows potential with its innovative concepts, many recommend waiting for further polish and fixes before diving in.
- “There are so many deep mechanics in this game, like the dirtiness of your clothes leading to higher chances of getting infected by the zombies.”
- “This game has so many interesting mechanics (I love especially the looting system) and RPG aspects that you can't find in other survival games.”
- “So far it's pretty good with lots of unique gameplay elements, and a neat NPC community system.”
- “The issues come along when you see the complicated interfaces, practically no tutorial, and mechanics that are not explained in the least.”
- “Sometimes the game just goes black... and all that can happen within an hour of gameplay... not 2 hours, not 4 hours, 1 hour & you've had 3-4, 5 minute reloads.... I've tried different settings, I've tried reinstalling, no.”
- “After a horrible crash and loading time (on my SSD) and for whatever reason it took up a ton of my memory, the gameplay was god awful, like stubbing your toe into a wall with a toothpick under your toenail.”
stability
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The game is plagued by significant stability issues, including frequent crashes, glitches, and poor optimization that severely impact gameplay. Many players report game-breaking bugs, such as character control problems and NPC pathfinding errors, making it frustratingly unstable. Despite these issues, some users express hope for improvement through future updates, acknowledging the game's potential if the stability can be addressed.
- “Game has constant freezes and crashes, terrible FPS because of poor optimization, and is filled with bugs, some of which are game-breaking.”
- “Getting hit by a zombie makes the player unable to turn, quick weapon swaps freeze you, NPC paths are garbage, and random zombies glitch through your base walls or spawn inside. The game is amazing in terms of what it offers as a survival game, but the bugs are game-breaking, forcing you to quit and reload to continue playing.”
- “It has a lot of potential, if it weren't for the ridiculous amount of bugs, glitches, and constant freezes.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
60%
30%
The game's storyline is generally considered substandard and confusing, necessitating a tutorial for better understanding. While the narrative features engaging elements like NPC survivors and missions that add depth, technical issues, such as a bug affecting jumping mechanics, detract from the overall experience.
- “I go out my front door and sure enough zombies want to eat me on the stairwell, so I turn around in a rush and run back into my apartment. But they are breaking through the door, so I grab random baskets and boxes and start throwing them out the window so I can jump down from the second story without killing myself.”
- “Graphics are okay, nothing to write home about; the storyline is substandard and needs a tutorial to get you started because it's very confusing.”
- “I go out my front door and sure enough, zombies want to eat me in the stairwell, so I turn around in a rush and run back into my apartment. But they are breaking through the door, so I grab random baskets and boxes and start throwing them out the window so I can jump down from the second story without killing myself.”
- “There are also other NPC survivors which you can join or fight, do missions for them, etc., which adds another layer of depth.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is severely criticized, with frequent freezes, crashes, and poor frame rates ranging from 20-60 fps, leading to a frustrating experience. Many users note a lack of polish and a confusing user interface, suggesting that the game feels hastily assembled from purchased assets rather than a cohesive product. While some acknowledge that it is in early access and updates are regular, the overall performance issues and bugs are deemed unacceptable for a released title.
- “Game has constant freezes and crashes, terrible FPS because of brain-dead optimization, and is filled with bugs, some of which are game-breaking.”
- “I'll lay it down bluntly: horrible UI, you don't know what 98% of the stuff on your screen is or what it means. Horrible optimization; the game sets graphics automatically to 'user', whatever that means, and runs at 20-30 FPS while looking like a PS2 Borderlands clone with the dumb-looking black borders on everything. Lowest settings look a bit better but still drag between 20-60 FPS. I mean, come on, this isn't early access; it's like I bought a bunch of assets, threw them onto a game, superglued and duct-taped it all together, and called it 'early access'.”
- “Not anywhere near worth 20 bucks. In my one and only playthrough, objects were loading and then unloading 20 meters in front of me. That's not only poor optimization but also an example of why you can't throw bought assets together and expect them to work.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often derived from the irony of its "regular updates," which are infrequent and ineffective, leading to player frustration. Users find it amusing that despite the serious nature of game-breaking bugs, the lack of response from developers adds a layer of dark comedy to the experience.
- “The hilarious part about that is they are labeled as 'regular updates' but there is nothing regular about them; they're small patches that fix next to nothing.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The monetization strategy of the game is widely criticized as a cash grab, with many users feeling that it prioritizes profit over player experience.
- “This game feels like a cash grab and a con.”
- “The monetization strategy is just a blatant cash grab.”
- “It seems like the developers are more interested in profits than providing a fair experience.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's world setting is noted for its unique charm and atmospheric qualities, providing an immersive experience for players. The extensive interactivity and destructible environments enhance the sandbox experience, allowing for deep exploration and engagement within the game.
- “The world setting has a charm of its own and at times can feel quite atmospheric. There's also plenty to do; looting a single apartment block, one apartment at a time, can take a long time. Everything in the game can be interacted with or destroyed/moved - it's a sandbox lover's dream come true.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its engaging and immersive quality, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Players appreciate the variety and composition, which effectively complements the game's atmosphere and emotional tone. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that adds depth to the gaming experience.