Summary
Six years after the initial release of its predecessor,State of Decay 3has finally been announced, though its release date has yet to be revealed. Following in the footsteps of the second installment in the franchise,State of Decay 3is an open-world survival game that takes place many years after a zombie apocalypse came close to bringing humankind to extinction. Not many details have been revealed aboutState of Decay 3just yet, but, like its predecessor, players will be able to play cooperatively with up to three other people to build and expand their own personal base as they fend off the zombie horde.
Although it seems to be quite similar to the game that came before it,State of Decay3shouldn’t followState of Decay 2’s examplein every way. WhileState of Decay 2has grown to be a successful game over time, it wasn’t always that way. In fact, until the release ofState of Decay 2’s Juggernaut Edition, it was a highly divisive installment in the franchise. This divisiveness didn’t necessarily stem from its gameplay, but it nonetheless made a mistake thatState of Decay 3can’t afford to repeat when it launches.
State of Decay 3 Needs to Perform Better Than Its Predecessor Did at Launch
While they certainly weren’t its only flaws,State of Decay 2’s technical and performance issues turned off a lot of players and critics at launch. Despite having some rather shallow survival mechanics,State of Decay 2was largely praised for its combat and diverse zombies. Unfortunately, even its best features were undermined by countless bugs, especially when it came to the game’s online co-op elements. Overall,State of Decay 2was criticized for feeling too sluggish at times, along with having unresponsive AI — an unfortunate reality that bringsDragon’s Dogma’s infamously unpredictable Pawn systemto mind.
By and large,State of Decay 2was deemed an early-access game that didn’t refer to itself as such. Many fans foundState of Decay 2to be a repeat of the first game’s problems, as the developer was criticized for not listening to player feedback afterState of Decay’s launch, most of which was believed to have not carried over to the second installment. Ultimately, these issues drove the masses away from the game untilUndead LabsreleasedState of Decay 2’s Juggernaut Edition in 2020, which gave players an enhanced version of the original game that was (mostly) bug-free.
State of Decay 3 Needs to Be Polished at Launch to Maintain Player Engagement
Rather than repeating history and launching in a technically flawed state,State of Decay 3needs to ensure it launches with minimal to zero problems to maintain player engagement. IfState of Decay 3’s launchfalls short as its predecessor did, it could lead to the downfall of the entire franchise, as players are unlikely to be as forgiving as they once were. Even four years ago, whenState of Decay 2’s Juggernaut Edition launched, gamers were a bit more lenient than they are today, soState of Decay 3doesn’t really have a choice but to launch without needless distractions such as bugs and glitches.
IfState of Decay 3does launch with technical problems, there would, of course, be the option of releasing an enhanced version likeState of Decay 2’s Juggernaut Editionlater on. However, it would be much better forState of Decay 3to launch in a polished state, as it would not only renew interest in the franchise but possibly revive faith in Undead Labs to deliver experiences that rely on engaging gameplay just as much as they do flawless performance.
State of Decay 3
WHERE TO PLAY
State of Decay 3 is an open-world survival game set years after a zombie apocalypse nearly wiped out humankind. An evolving zombie threat is taking over the landscape and you need to carve out a life for your community of survivalist homesteaders.The choices you make affect in-game events and storylines, so be careful: if one of your community members falls to the zombie horde, you’ll lose that character and their abilities forever. Every risk must be weighed against the reward!With online multiplayer for up to 4 players, start a community together from scratch with your friends in a shared, persistent world. You’ll all be able to build, develop, and expand a base that reflects your designs and choices.
