What We Actually Want from State of Decay 3 - Unlocked Clips

A new video from Undead Labs has announced an alpha playtest for State of Decay 3, appearing unexpectedly last week. The trailer includes gameplay and details about the game's development. The hosts joked that they summoned this announcement into existence by discussing State of Decay 3 on their previous podcast. State of Decay 3 was initially announced in 2020 during Microsoft's pandemic summer showcase, a time when the community was eager for new game announcements. The game has been quiet since then, with reports of development turbulence, but it recently reappeared in the 2024 Xbox Summer Showcase. The alpha playtest is set to begin next month, six years after its initial announcement. Miranda expressed her excitement, noting she saw the announcement on Blue Sky last Friday morning, which included new, "gorgeous" screenshots. She considers State of Decay her favorite zombie game, comparing it to "Seven Days to Die" which shares similar elements but has a different co-op dynamic with family members. Miranda emphasized the detailed graphics and the "sporadic" messaging around the announcement, urging listeners to sign up for the playtest. She is keen to see the changes and advancements in State of Decay 3's systems, believing the game has a strong core and significant potential for improvement, building on the technical and stability enhancements seen from State of Decay 1 to 2. Michael shared that he played State of Decay 2 recently in anticipation of this discussion. He highlighted the "massive" jump in quality from the first game to the second, calling State of Decay 2 a "fantastic game" and one of the more "approachable but still fully realized survival games." He contrasted it with many PC survival games that can be difficult to get into due to their complexity and unpolished nature. State of Decay, he noted, made these elements digestible, balancing base building, combat, and survival. Michael observed that games have evolved considerably since State of Decay 2's release, which has received updates, including a single-player campaign and a separate multiplayer aspect. Despite these updates, he feels State of Decay 2 "feels like an old game" in terms of quality of life features. He sees numerous areas for improvement in State of Decay 3, such as streamlining mechanics, enhancing complexity, and improving shooting. He believes there's a greater appetite for broader appeal in survival games now, citing the success of battle royale and extraction shooters. Michael has high hopes for State of Decay 3, believing it could be a game he invests significant time into, and sees it as a potential "big W for Xbox" due to its conceptual strength and ability to scale. The hosts noted that State of Decay 2 is eight years old, released in 2018, meaning there will likely be a decade between State of Decay games by the time the third installment arrives. The original State of Decay was praised as an "incredible idea" and a unique "zombie RPG" that focused on resource management and human relationships, setting it apart from action or survival horror zombie games. However, the first game was "rough around the edges," a point reflected in its review score of 8.9. Microsoft acquired Undead Labs before State of Decay 2, investing more money, but the second game still launched in a "pretty rough state," though it was affordably priced at $30 or $40. The expectation for State of Decay 3 is much higher; after a decade of development and significant investment, it "has to be like the final ultimate polished realization of what State of Decay can be." The hosts hope the community playtests will help achieve this polished state at launch, minimizing the need for extensive post-release updates. Miranda further elaborated on quality of life improvements, comparing State of Decay to other popular survival games like Rust and H1Z1. She stressed the importance of intuitive inventory management, especially in crafting-heavy games, as a lack of proper organization can be frustrating. She praised State of Decay's compelling solo experience, which allows players to build towns and form relationships with survivors, a unique aspect in a genre that has become increasingly multiplayer-focused. She looks forward to seeing how State of Decay 3 incorporates innovations from the broader survival genre. Michael echoed this, stating that his excitement stems from expectations for management sims, inventory systems, and crafting, which other games have refined. He hopes State of Decay 3 will incorporate these improvements to make the game more engaging and user-friendly, acknowledging that while State of Decay 2 wasn't "prohibitively bad," it could be significantly better with modern innovations. The hosts concluded by emphasizing that the bar is higher for State of Decay 3. Unlike the first game, which was a $20 Xbox Live arcade title from a new team, or the second, which was affordably priced, the third installment has "no more leeway." It needs to be a "fully featured, fully polished product" at launch. The playtests are seen as crucial for ironing out issues like inventory management before release. One host still hopes for "Class 4," an early concept for a massively multiplayer online version of State of Decay with hundreds or thousands of players, believing that if State of Decay 3 is successful, it could pave the way for such an MMO. They are optimistic about the game's potential for post-launch content updates and evolution, expressing a desire to commit to playing it.