State of Decay is really addictive

It's been a long time since a downloadable game has really pulled me in and demanded all of my free time. I am six hours into this game, and I can't stop thinking about it. Yes, it has got a really stupid name, but that is almost the only flaw that this super-ambitious XBLA title has, and don't forget while you're reading this, that State of Decay is only 20$.

State of Decay is not just another zombie game. It's an open-world zombie survival rpg, which also makes you micro-manage your team of survivors while keeping track of supplies, ammo, building materials, medicine and food. If your team decides to fortify a church and use it as their stronghold against the apocalypse, then you better start planning to build a garden on the premises to space out how many times you have to make scavenging runs, maybe set up a tent with some extra beds for the new survivors you recruit, and build watchtowers and barricades to keep your people safe. There's a lot to keep track of, also keeping in mind that even though you can switch between dozens of team members, every death is permanent, and the death of an important member can be devastating. Think of it as a mixture of Dead Rising, Pokemon, Pixel People and Dark Souls.

Im just going to the list the few bad things that I have noticed so far, to get them out of the way.

The name State of Decay is unfortunate

The graphics are not up to par with the year 2013 (if this is hyper-important to you, then fuck off, this game isn't for you then)

The menu system initially just seems like a mess, it gets much better, but still, could have been much easier to understand

Frame rate can get really chuggy, often

look at that menu, christ, what a fucking mess

Now, let me list all of the great things that I feel are really worth mentioning in my attempt to convert all of my readers to this groundbreaking adventure.

The game ends up being very realistic due to it's micro-managing and step-by-step planning

Plans often go south, so when you do pull off a huge haul or survive a hopeless fight, you feel absolute elation

The story is decent, especially for an open-world-do-whatever-you-want game, keeping you understandably in the dark, and dealing crazy blows to your team when you least expect it

The game is HARD, in a very good way, you need skill to survive, and a healthy amount of machetes

The fort-building idea is so much fun

Searching the neighborhoods and abandoned supermarkets are a blast, you can find anything from a bunch of old trash to a pile of automatic weapons, the thurough treasure hunter is rewarded

Actually, watch this video that IGN reviewer Ryan McCaffrey shot of him playing State of Decay, he loves it even more than I do

http://www.ign.com/videos/2013/06/05/state-of-decay-review-commentary

BUY THIS GAME