There are a lot of zombie games out there, but it’s never too late to find something with a unique twist. Undawn, a zombie survival game announced by Level Infinite and developer Lightspeed Studios over two years ago is finally nearing a release date. We’ve played a few hours of it.
Undawn, an open-world survival game with zombies, is coming to mobile devices and will also have a PC companion application. Battle zombies, build your own house, and maintain a settlement using the materials you collect on missions. The PC app is a complementary tool that helps you build structures and gather resources.
Undawn is a game with a lot of content, and it’s already challenging. After completing the tutorials and the opening cutscene of the game, you are thrust into the zombie-infested environment. The first few hours of the game are filled with tutorials and objective markers. However, given how much there is to learn, it’s a good thing.
Undawn is a massive game, so our time with it is a mere drop in the bucket. However, we are able to grasp the loop, action, and the brutal world that is about to be unleashed on gamers. The world may be bleak and dark but there’s still room for humor. Characters have snappy dialogue, and even the zombies can make you laugh when they are destroyed.
It’s a mix of Fallout 76, Dead Island and I mean this in a positive way. Undawn offers a variety of missions, along with the promise of raids that will take on larger zombies, hordes and even additional monsters. Undawn is primarily about zombies, although there are also larger and more interesting enemies waiting to tear you apart.
Our first missions require that you integrate your custom-created characters into a settlement with survivors. You can earn stripes by taking on some undead in the wild. Lightspeed Studios, based in China is the developer of this game. The characters are clearly a blend of Chinese and Western designs. The characters do have some hilarious regional American accents that I hope were meant to be funny.
This is what I find most interesting. You can collect different materials as you explore and complete missions. Then, you can use them to build the post-apocalyptic house of your dreams. You better believe that I will build a fancy home when the world ends, even if I can’t afford one now.
It’s too early to tell how well the missions and building elements work together, but I am excited to see what else is in store. The amount of materials available is staggering. Anyone who wants to put their home together in great detail will be very happy.
The PC app will also come in handy here. While building on mobile works, I can imagine that using a keyboard and mouse to build on a computer is a godsend. The sheer number of materials and furniture pieces that can be created is staggering. Those who want to unlock them will have a tough time.
While I love building in Undawn the combat has yet to impress me. It’s a pretty simple 3rd-person action game, and the early weaponry is fine. Even in the early stages, there are a variety of enemies to choose from, including some gruesome creatures that will make your life hell. I had a lot of fun with grenades in one early mission, and I was able to take out zombies in large numbers.
The traversal is pretty good. Your character can jump over obstacles and climb up surfaces in order to evade enemies. There are multiple vehicles that can be unlocked. Our first impressions included riding a motorbike through the woods and avoiding zombies. Vehicles are essential to explore this vast world.
There are many weapons to unlock, and there are also ways to customize them. I’m confident that the potential is there. No motion aiming is available at launch, and there is no guarantee that it will be implemented. However, Level Infinite has confirmed that controller support is on the way. This is sure to come in handy. The on-screen UI can be a bit confusing between combat and traversal.
Undawn is also a game that focuses on the details of survival. Your character must keep track of several different things. You have to keep track of your health, hygiene and metabolism at home (if you’re in need of the toilet).
Other enemies will make your life difficult by releasing poison gas. There are a lot of things to keep track of but if you enjoy survival games that have a challenge, such as the Metro series, then you will find it here. It’s difficult to tell how challenging it will be, but in our preview we died quite a few times, so we expect a good challenge.
It’s important to note that the performance is good. While I am a little worried about the fiddly UI, the combat is satisfying. The guns are responsive and, while it looks like a mobile app, it is of higher graphical quality. Undawn looks impressive, despite the fact that it’s a mobile game.
Undawn is still a work in progress and there’s plenty to learn. However, it looks promising so far. I am most impressed by the depth of the game and its huge potential. I can imagine myself becoming addicted to bashing zombies in the world, and gathering wood to build my perfect home for zombie survival. The game has a lot charm with a little Resident Evil cheese. I think players will love this world after a few minutes.
If you want to know more about Undawn you can read our article on the Undawn Will Smith Collaboration. And if you’re looking for something to do while you wait, check out our guide on the best zombie games available on Switch and mobile.
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