ZED ZONE
- March 29, 2023
- Leven Liu
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Zed Zone" is a survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. Backers of the game can receive rewards such as having their name in the credits, a custom zombie, and a letter carried by a zombie. Exclusive access to the game before Early Access is also available for certain backers.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of mechanics from popular survival games like Project Zomboid and Neo Scavenger, providing an engaging experience.
- The combat system is satisfying, with a variety of weapons and zombie types that keep encounters interesting.
- The developer is actively updating the game, addressing bugs and adding new content, which shows a commitment to improving the player experience.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, including issues with save corruption, inventory management, and performance drops, making it frustrating to play at times.
- The user interface is clunky and can be confusing, with small text and poorly organized menus that hinder gameplay.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as the abundance of loot and the lack of meaningful survival challenges, can diminish the sense of urgency and immersion.
- gameplay85 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by intricate resource management, skill upgrades, and a focus on survival mechanics, providing an engaging experience for players who enjoy crafting and base defense in a post-apocalyptic setting. However, many users report significant bugs, including save corruption and performance issues, which detract from the overall experience. While the game shows potential with its immersive atmosphere and addictive gameplay loop, it currently requires further refinement and stability improvements to fully realize its capabilities.
“The gameplay requires resource management, skill upgrades, and a fortified defense strategy to fend off waves of the undead.”
“Whether you’re drawn by the intense combat or the challenge of outlasting an unforgiving world, the game provides hours of captivating gameplay, making it an excellent choice for those eager to dive into a gritty post-apocalyptic adventure.”
“The mechanics and gameplay are fun and keep you striving to survive and explore.”
“👎 [b]bug fixes for core mechanics:[/b] players frequently report save corruption, disappearing inventories, and issues with skill trees, which disrupt the experience.”
“Sure it has some fun elements but right now at least its messy, both visually and mechanically.”
“If I had any guarantee (by which I mean, if I could see in the future) I would recommend this game, but I will not even though the price is quite low, as I consider the frame drop close to unplayable due to how it interrupts the flow of the gameplay.”
- graphics44 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a gritty, atmospheric pixel art style that effectively captures the bleakness of a post-apocalyptic world, enhancing immersion and the survival experience. While many players appreciate the unique art direction and the variety of visual options, some have noted issues with graphical glitches, frame rate drops, and a need for refinement in character designs. Overall, the graphics are seen as charming and fitting for the genre, though opinions vary on their execution and quality.
“🎨 **Atmospheric and gritty visuals:** Explore a vividly depicted post-apocalyptic world, with gritty visuals and immersive settings that heighten the survival experience.”
“The dark, atmospheric visuals and detailed environments further immerse players, enhancing the sense of isolation and urgency as they face off against waves of the undead.”
“Graphics are a mix of retro and new (bloom effects, shading, and all is quite impressive for a game like this) and you have like four different options to change the style of pixels.”
“Graphical glitches, items rarely disappearing and some collision issues are a few that come to mind.”
“I feel like the graphics are way too insignificant.”
“As for the graphics, I usually love pixel art but I do not like the art direction this game has gone with; it was truly difficult to look at.”
- optimization37 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a significant concern, with many players reporting frequent crashes and poor performance, especially during intense scenarios like large enemy spawns. While some users experience smooth gameplay at times, the general consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, leading to frustrating stutters and low performance even on capable systems. Despite ongoing updates, players are hopeful for improvements but caution that the current state may not be suitable for everyone.
“Performance optimizations would create a smoother experience.”
“As of writing this, the devs are actively working on the game to improve gameplay and performance.”
“I looted the nearby bodies next to a crashed chopper and found the performance to be far better than the week-old build I played first, and the graphics (UI and game itself) to be more smooth and easy on the eyes.”
“The game has a lot of potential but there's just no real updates or optimizations being done.”
“Game shows promise but is terribly unoptimized.”
“However, it's hampered by its lack of content outside of a wide variety of items, and poor optimization leading to extremely low performance when a lot of entities are onscreen, making fighting large amounts of zombies less fun and causing the game to slow down a lot when driving (and loading terrain).”
- stability29 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- -7 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game is currently plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including graphical issues, item disappearances, and collision problems, which detract from the overall experience. While players acknowledge its potential and fun gameplay, many express frustration with the instability, particularly in its early access state. Despite these issues, some reviewers remain optimistic that future patches will improve stability and enhance the game.
“The game runs smoothly without any major crashes or bugs, which is impressive for a solo developer.”
“I appreciate the consistent performance; it feels stable even during intense gameplay.”
“The developers have done a great job maintaining stability, making the experience enjoyable and reliable.”
“Played this game shortly after launch and aside from it being a buggy mess, there was zero keybind support, and the dev really didn't care when multiple people made requests for it to be added.”
“It's a bit buggy as of right now with some English translations still being in the Chinese font, and a few other issues like weapons breaking and then being duplicated on the ground when they get unequipped.”
“Despite being in early access, the game has many bugs and various glitches, but Zed Zone has a lot of potential, and if it is done right, it can become a very good post-apocalyptic zombie survival game.”
- story19 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's story is currently minimal, with players expressing a desire for more narrative depth, quests, and NPC interactions to enhance the experience. While some appreciate the intriguing design and potential for storytelling, many reviewers feel that the lack of a cohesive narrative and clear objectives detracts from gameplay. Overall, there is a strong call for the addition of factions and more structured story elements to enrich the game.
“The story gradually reveals itself as players uncover clues about the disaster and their place within this decaying environment.”
“The game's intricate design, compelling storyline, and stunning graphics immediately pulled me in.”
“New levels, characters, or even story arcs could add even more depth to this already rich gaming experience.”
“Currently it's an excellent zombie survival sandbox, something like a Zomboid, but would love to see a story/narrative added in (even if it's just for flavor) at some point.”
“My biggest concern is that there appears to be no story to speak of, no quests, so currently I am at a loss about what to do now that I have fixed the targeting computer.”
“It has many problems but these are all small issues that can be sorted with time, like the buggy infravision, the lack of story or clear goals, etc.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some elements, like crafting and inventory management, can feel tedious and time-consuming, others appreciate that the grind is not overly punishing or frustrating. Many reviewers noted that despite the reliance on farming and crafting, the game manages to keep the experience engaging and intuitive, avoiding the pitfalls of becoming a tedious grind typical of the survival genre. Overall, the balance between challenge and enjoyment in grinding is seen as a positive feature.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Gas is a little weird to come by as well; even if you happen to find a gas tank in a supermarket, it's always empty for whatever reason, and it's a bit grindy to get fuel by burning fat.”
“A fairly grindy game even for a game of this survival genre; it turned me off with how much reliance there is on crafting.”
“Inventory management and storage is grindy.”
- music11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with many players expressing frustration over the repetitive soundtrack that disrupts immersion. Some users, particularly those with a background in music production, have called for a more varied and ambient approach to the audio, suggesting that the game would benefit from less constant music and more atmospheric sounds. While the soundtrack is generally considered nice, technical issues like volume resetting have also been noted, indicating a need for improvements in the overall audio experience.
“One of my biggest requests is adding more music!”
“I hope in the future more songs will be added to mix it up a bit!”
“The soundtrack is nice and the sounds are alright.”
“Having the same song play for each area I enter on constant loop is very annoying and breaks immersion.”
“From playing lots of Stalker, Project Zomboid, The Long Dark, and other great survival games, I've noticed that they don't play music 24/7 and instead have downtime where the ambiance of the world immerses the player and keeps them on edge.”
“For now, I have music off in-game and I turn on Stalker ambiance/music since it is my favorite for a post-apocalypse ambiance.”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its dark, gritty visuals that effectively convey a post-apocalyptic world, enhancing immersion and a sense of urgency. Players appreciate the detailed environments and varied mobs, which contribute to a compelling survival experience, despite some criticisms regarding crafting and inventory systems. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its depth and engagement, making it a standout feature of the game.
“The dark, atmospheric visuals and detailed environments further immerse players, enhancing the sense of isolation and urgency as they face off against waves of the undead.”
“Atmospheric post-apocalyptic visuals: dark, gritty environments deepen immersion, capturing the bleakness of the world.”
“This is a nice choice, as it both looks good and still conveys an apocalyptic atmosphere to immerse yourself in.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
"Zed Zone" offers significant replayability for survival enthusiasts, bolstered by the promise of future updates and content. However, some players note that the game's flaws can diminish its replay value once they become apparent, despite ongoing improvements from the developers. Overall, the intuitive design contributes to a generally high replayability experience.
“With the promise of additional updates and content, 'Zed Zone' stands out as an engaging choice for survival enthusiasts looking for both depth and replayability.”
“The design is excellent, it's very intuitive, and the replayability is rather high.”
“All fixable with changes, this game has a lot of potential, but is not very replayable once you realize how many flaws there are to it.”
“There are some other items, though I can see the dev is hard at work and has been doing a really good job at patching and fixing the game so it's in a more playable state.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurd and illogical elements, such as the quirky combination of a banana magazine with a Kriss Vector, which adds a lighthearted touch. Players appreciate the developers' efforts to create a fun experience, noting the inclusion of amusing features like a kill cam, while also acknowledging the flexibility to adjust or disable certain options. Overall, the humor is seen as a positive aspect that enhances the game's appeal.
“And doing funny moves like putting a banana magazine in a Kriss Vector, which is illogical.”
“Don't be disheartened by the reviews too much; I can clearly see you trying to make a fun game. I find it funny but also cool how much you take inspiration from other games.”
“There's even a kill cam, funny enough! Don't worry, most of these options can be tweaked or disabled.”
