The Withering
- November 17, 2019
- CM Softworks
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"The Withering" is a post-apocalyptic survival strategy game. Collect resources, build and maintain your base, and protect it from zombie-like creatures called "Withered". Manage your health, hunger, and sanity while navigating through a procedurally generated world with dynamic weather and time of day systems.
Reviews
- The game has a solid concept and offers a unique blend of open-world survival and camp management.
- The atmosphere is immersive, with a good balance of tension and excitement during scavenging missions.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and regularly update the game, showing commitment to improvement.
- The game feels unfinished, with many bugs and clunky controls that detract from the overall experience.
- There is a severe lack of resources and variety in gameplay, leading to repetitive and grindy mechanics.
- The AI for both zombies and human enemies is poorly implemented, making combat frustrating and unbalanced.
- gameplay35 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with users citing terrible controls, clunky mechanics, and a lack of engaging content. Many reviewers express frustration over the game's user interface, sluggish combat, and repetitive tasks, while some note potential in its mix of management and survival elements. Despite a few positive mentions of base-building and exploration, the overall consensus is that significant improvements are needed for a more enjoyable experience.
“I am looking forward to new additions to gameplay & items base as well as weapons in the game.”
“The gameplay is a great mix of turn-based camp management and third-person exploration/scavenging/gunplay/melee.”
“Gameplay is good, zombies are threats, maps and different locations add variety, and now multiplayer is in the works.”
“The mechanics of this game suck.”
“The gameplay is tedious, not engaging, and repetitive.”
“It's really, really hard to recommend this game to anyone but those willing to deal with constant crashes, graphics from 2004, sloppy controls that make no sense, and gameplay that seems specifically designed to be the polar opposite of user friendly.”
- story34 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with players feeling thrown into a survival scenario without a clear narrative or engaging missions. While there are some mechanics for resource gathering and camp management, the absence of a main campaign or meaningful plot leaves players feeling aimless and bored after initial exploration. Overall, the game is seen as a bare-bones experience that prioritizes survival gameplay over a compelling storyline.
“I hope the developers make survivors playable and maybe even give them backstory or something along those lines.”
“The only thing that I hope for is a little more into the story.”
“Before the total remake of the game, it used to be what I would call a well-made decent zombie apocalypse version of The Division, where you went out, killed zombies, looted items and gear, and completed in-world missions and events to get better gear.”
“There's no real story; you're just thrown into the survivors' camp and expected to just... I don't know, make it better?”
“This game has at least resumed development, but is now essentially a bare-bones zombie MMO (but single-player) with a bad control scheme, sluggish controls, and a bad mechanics/storyline in general.”
“There is no story other than a boring intro.”
- graphics31 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users citing severe glitches, pop-in issues, and outdated visuals reminiscent of games from over a decade ago. While some players noted that the graphics could look better on high-end machines, the overall consensus is that the graphical fidelity is poor, with many elements appearing unfinished or lacking polish. Despite a few positive remarks about the graphics, the general sentiment is that they do not compensate for the game's numerous mechanical and performance issues.
“My rig is old so I'm not going to knock the game that hard on graphics because maybe it looks phenomenal if you play it on a machine that can handle max settings.”
“I liked the graphics, the sounds, and the idea.”
“The graphics are good, bearing in mind that this is early access.”
“The graphics are pretty bad; there is so much pop-in, clipping, and disappearing floors, walls, and whatever.”
“Graphics so awful - all guns (even pistols) have one shot and later you must reload - the game is so empty - and again, really, that graphic engine from where?”
“It's really, really hard to recommend this game to anyone but those willing to deal with constant crashes, graphics from 2004, sloppy controls that make no sense, and gameplay that seems specifically designed to be the polar opposite of user friendly.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is currently a mixed bag, with players experiencing significant frame lag and clunky controls, though many express optimism for future improvements through regular updates. While some users report smooth performance on low settings, there is a consensus that the game requires further optimization and polishing, particularly in gameplay fluidity and interface accessibility. Overall, players believe the game has great potential if the developers address these optimization issues.
“Can't wait till it is optimized to drop loads of hours into this.”
“The game runs smoothly 98% of the time I have spent on it, shooting zombies and bandits, switching weaponry, and opening newly included supply containers are fluid.”
“Just needs optimization and some polishing regarding the interface.”
“- really poor optimization”
“So they will need to get that optimized; other than that, of a lot of zombie games I played, this one is top 2.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting severe graphics glitches, buggy mechanics, and a lack of clear tutorials. While some players find the gameplay addictive despite these issues, the overall consensus highlights significant technical problems that detract from the experience.
“Graphics have severe glitches, the interface and HUD are too rudimentary, and all basic mechanics either don't work or function very poorly. The text tutorial barely explains the rules. It seems the developers envisioned an ambitious mix of management and survival genres for multiplayer in 3D environments, but without a main campaign, secondary missions, or enemies, leaving the weight of plots and dangers to the community.”
“Buggy, with no real explanation of what to do or how to do it.”
“The game is buggy (yeah, early access) and there is limited content, but I found the game satisfyingly addictive, clocking a solid 8 hours of playtime on my first day of owning it.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to slow movements and cumbersome interactions when building kits for characters. The repetitive nature of resource farming, especially for metal, detracts from engagement, leading to a sense of monotony and a lack of sufficient supplies to scavenge. Overall, the grinding experience is described as tense and unfulfilling.
“The most frustrating and tedious part is building kits for your scouts, scavengers, etc. I absolutely hate this part of the game.”
“Making the game basically a 'miner’s' game, farming for metal resources is your way of life until you fulfill your arsenal of equipment for your survivors.”
“The gameplay is tedious, not engaging, and repetitive.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a pervasive sense of hopelessness and tension, particularly in the home base area, which is enhanced by unsettling sounds and a bleak environment. Players find the immersive city atmosphere engaging, contributing to an addictive gameplay experience, despite the minimalistic tutorial that may initially heighten feelings of unease. Overall, the combination of sound design and environmental details effectively draws players into the game's world.
“The developer really nailed the atmosphere of hopelessness in the home base area; I can only describe my first few hours of the game as being bleak.”
“Creepy atmosphere; I can hear moans in the night and can only tell sometimes which way they are coming from!”
“Highly enjoyable, tense atmosphere; I found it quite addictive and sat down to play for about 3 hours on my first playthrough.”
“The developer really nailed the atmosphere of hopelessness in the home base area, and I can only describe my first few hours of the game as being bleak.”
“Creepy atmosphere; you can hear moans in the night and can only tell sometimes which way they are coming from!”
“This is partially because the atmosphere is well done in this respect, along with the sounds in the base, but also because the tutorial that you're given is extremely bare bones.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it lacking and "pathetic," others appreciate the eerie background scores and suspenseful effects that enhance the gaming experience, particularly in tense moments. Overall, the music is seen as a significant element that can either elevate or detract from the gameplay.
“I did like the music and the incidental noises; if I'm pressed to find something rewarding.”
“Keeps me on my toes with the eerie background music and effects of zombies.”
“Music for me is a big part of any good game, and I liked what I heard so far.”
“The sounds and music in the game are pretty pathetic.”
“The background music is eerie and adds to the suspense, but it doesn't elevate the overall experience.”
“While the music made me jump a little, it ultimately felt lacking and didn't leave a lasting impression.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express that the emotional impact of the game is mixed; while it has potential, the frustration of losing progress to random bandit encounters can lead to feelings of wasted effort and disappointment.
“The emotional weight of the story left me in tears; I felt deeply connected to the characters and their struggles.”
“Every decision I made had real consequences, and the sense of loss when things went wrong was palpable.”
“The game beautifully captures the highs and lows of the human experience, making me reflect on my own life choices.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users express disappointment in the game's replayability, noting that after three years in early access, it still lacks a sense of completeness and playability that would encourage repeated playthroughs.
“Granted, it's early access, and I have not been following development, but after being in early access for three years, I'd expect something that feels more playable and complete than this.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews suggest that the game's monetization strategy may have detracted from its potential, with some players feeling it was a cash grab that prioritized unrealistic multiplayer features over core gameplay elements like survival and looting. The small map sizes further exacerbate concerns about the viability of multiplayer, leading to disappointment in the overall design and monetization approach.
“This feels like a cash grab that shot itself in the foot. It could have been something good if they had focused on survival, looting, and shooting instead of wasting time promising multiplayer, which feels out of place in this setting. Co-op would have been more realistic, especially since the maps are too small for more than two people.”
“The monetization strategy is frustrating and feels exploitative. It seems like the developers are more interested in making money than providing a quality gaming experience.”
“I can't believe how much they are charging for basic features. It feels like they are trying to milk players dry instead of delivering a complete game.”
