It’s been a long wait for a proper sequel to State of Decay. Undead Labs’ debut offering got two sizeable expansions, Breakdown and Lifeline, along with an HD remaster. But fans of the zombie survival title, which was originally supposed to ship with multiplayer support, have been clamoring for State of Decay 2 ever since the credits rolled on the first game. And now there’s an end in sight, following word that State of Decay 2 will emerge in early 2018.
We got a chance to speak with Jeff Strain, founder of Undead Labs, and Richard Foge, design director for State of Decay 2, during a hands-off presentation at E3 2017. The build being shown was still very early and there’s plenty the studio wasn’t ready to discuss yet. But we did pry some new information out of Strain and Foge during the demo, which was a 20-minute slice of the game focused on a recent addition to the community and the new opportunities made available by her skillset.
Strain says one of the biggest changes in State of Decay 2 is an increased focus on character systems. Undead Labs used a survivor named Tiffany to give a better understanding. According to the studio, Tiffany has never been sick -- a big deal if/when medical supplies become scarce -- and she retained a special skill, Gardening, from her former career as a groundskeeper. Her background makes her a more efficient farmer, a significant addition to any community trying to outlast the undead. And it’s just one of the hundreds of special skills spread across State of Decay 2’s pool of survivors. Some skills even grant access to special facilities.
“Every survivor in State of Decay 2 is unique. They’re composed from a set of over 1000 traits, which is a significant bump up from the couple hundred or so we had in State of Decay,” Foge told Player.One.
In Tiffany's case, her Gardening ability makes it easier for the player to build a farm. But skills aren’t the only way survivors can bolster the community – Undead Labs says the most valued members of your team will also earn Hero status. Heroes get additional stat bonuses, tied to their skills and accomplishments, and some even will provide new community bonuses. However, you’ll also have more chances to lose those survivors in State of Decay 2.
Undead Labs provided a bit more information on the game’s multiplayer support during our demo and it sounds pretty risky if you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Those with friends who play State of Decay 2 can use the invite system to easily build a party of four. The only real decision is who will serve as host, since there won’t be any shared game saves in State of Decay 2. Survivors will also carry a flare gun used to summon other members of the community who’ve opted to help out any survivor in need of assistance. But deciding which survivors can (or can’t) make the trip to another game save will have implications on your world because survivors who die while helping another player stay dead.
Expanding the base building mechanics from the first game is also a priority for the State of Decay 2 team. And that begins with a revamped Base screen Foge described as a “one-stop shop for all the different aspects of the simulation that are affecting your community.” The new and improved Base screen lets players keep tabs on your settlement’s daily food production and consumption, the number of survivors living at your safehouse and the health of each inhabitant. You can also see all the morale bonuses and penalties from player abilities and on-site facilities. There are also new UI elements, including a noise meter that lets you know when to expect undead invasions.
But there’s one system from the first State of Decay that will actually take more of a backseat in the upcoming sequel: Influence.
“That model didn’t quite abstract out very well, the idea that you were paying to take things out of your own community’s supply locker,” Foge said. “We’ve removed [Influence] from interactions with your own community. When you’re interacting with another human enclave, there are still a lot of Influence exchanges. But when you’re interacting with your own supply locker, it’s your stuff.”
Undead Labs isn’t ready to talk about the game’s other environments yet. The studio previously confirmed the State of Decay 2 campaign will feature three unique maps , but all we could pry out of Undead Labs’ founder at E3 was confirmation that each map will still deliver the ample portions of Americana we’ve come to expect from the franchise.
“The theme is still kind of Small Town, America,” Strain told Player.One. “But the maps will be very visually distinct from each other. So, not like the Himalayas vs the Bahamas. You’ll still very much recognize it as a State of Decay game. But each map will have its own identity.”
State of Decay 2 is in development for Xbox One and Windows 10. The game is expected to debut in Spring 2018.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for additional State of Decay 2 news in 2017 and however long Undead Labs supports State of Decay 2 after launch.
