State of Decay 3 to be Darker and More Serious, Ditches Goofy Elements of Previous Game

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The Studio Worked With A Secret Player Council For Over A Year To Receive Direct Feedback!

Story Highlight
  • Undead Labs head reveals that State of Decay is aiming for a darker but hopeful tone.
  • It ditches the silly undertones of the last game and offers a world that feels more coherent.
  • The studio has planned a long-term support strategy, with a roadmap of updates to come after launch.

State of Decay 3 has been in development for many years now. While a release window still remains unknown, new information suggests that all this waiting will be worth it for the anticipated fans.

Head of Undead Labs Philip Holt now confirms that State of Decay 3 is aiming to have a more serious and darker tone than the last entry. He acknowledges that SoD 2 had many ‘frivolous or silly’ elements that may have hampered immersion.

Why it matters: State of Decay 3 could turn out to be one of the best zombie games because the studio is designing the game around active player feedback.

In an interview with YouTuber Sunny Games, Philip says the studio is going for a ‘series but hopeful’ tone, where each zombie encounter might as well be your last. State of Decay 3 strongly emphasizes player choices, and they will have deeper consequences.

We have a target that we’re shooting for that we describe as serious but hopeful.

-Undead Labs Head, Philip Holt.

So, expect the world to feel more realistic and grittier than the previous two titles. The NPCs will feel more memorable, and zombie variants are being redesigned to be more threatening and challenging.

In State of Decay 3, we’re trying to deliver a world that feels, […] more coherent, a little bit more elevated, a little bit more serious; the threat is more real.

In fact, Undead Labs has been working with a secret council of fans for over a year to receive direct feedback and develop the game accordingly. So, the upcoming bouts of alpha playtests are not the team’s first rodeo with players.

The game’s difficulty will scale organically in the multiplayer mode, and Philip emphasizes that Undead Labs is not leaving solo players behind.

State of Decay 3
State of Decay 3 has to meet a lot of expectations to stand out in the zombie genre.

Lastly, State of Decay 3 blends what worked best from the first two games, and long-term support is already planned. We can expect a roadmap of updates to follow once it is released. SoD 3 boasts a team that is six times larger than the original game’s, after all. 

Do you think State of Decay 3 will appeal to gamers looking for a serious experience? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.

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