How to Survive is Survival Horror with a Capital SURVIVAL - Preview
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 14 June 2013 / 3,226 Views
How to Survive is a downloadable isometric zombie survival horror game, a brand new IP developed by EKO Studios that is being published by 505 Games. It is scheduled for a fall release for the PSN, XBLA, Wii U eShop, and PC through Steam.
The game strands players on a remote Columbian location near the coast following the aftermath of an unexplained accident, and forces players to survive not only by fighting off zombies but by fulfilling basic human needs. Yes indeed, you'll have to seek out food, water, and shelter if you want to live. This is made all the more challenging with the hundreds of zombies that all seem to feel that you have survived darn near long enough.
There are three different characters to choose from that all have different strengths and weaknesses. You earn experience points for zombie slaying, item collection, and more which you will use to fill out your skill tree with new skills. Some skills, like being able to build a campfire, are something anybody can learn. Other skills, however, are unique to the different characters, which will give you plenty of reason to play through again with someone else.
No matter which character you select, they all have four meters you have to keep an eye on. First and obviously most important is your health. However you also have a hunger, thirst, and sleep meter. If you get a little too into a zombie hunting binge, you could still fall over dead because you wandered too far from a water supply. If you push yourself too hard and tire yourself out before you make it to a safehouse... well I hope you enjoy having an eternal rest.
A lot of focus of the gameplay is combing through everything in order to find food, supplies, and weapons. At first you may only have a large stick with which you can use to pummel zombies with. If you find a machette, you not only will have a more useful zombie slicer but you will also be able to craft that stick into arrows. If you get a branch and some string, you have a bow. If you use that bow and arrow set to shoot down some birds, you can collect feathers which can improve the distance your arrows can go.
Through crafting you will eventually be able to make dozens of tools and weapons ranging from the simple fishing rod to the glorious Molotov cocktail.
In my play time I was able to quickly make a makeshift bow and was easily headshotting zombies as they rushed at me. A few of these zombies looked to be former military and were sporting protective helmets that had to be shot off first before a shot to the head would fell them. I would have run out of arrows quickly had I not realized that you can recollect them from the no-more-walking dead.
Luckily it wasn't long before I found a flashlight because there is a day/night cycle and with the night comes the nightstalker zombies. Unlike the standard zombies, the nightstalkers actively hunt you down. They are too quick and too numerous to defeat with arrows and a machette.
Thankfully they are also sensitive to bright lights. Shining the flashlight on them caused them to shrink away, though they continually worked up the nerve to try and get me again. Luckily, I was able to slay enough that I leveled up and gained the ability to start a campfire. I soon stumbled on a safehouse location that had a firepit. Where the flashlight is just a directional cone of light, the fire makes a circle of light that kept the nightstalkers away on all sides. Now that I had fire I could cook some meat and then light a torch so I could carry that circle of light with me to find water.
The screens you see are still of an alpha build, so the final product will likely have a bit more polish to it. Still, the land has lush and varied vegetation. The shadows dynamically shift as the digital sun in the sky does. The gameplay that is there is solid and feels natural. All versions should play similarly, but the Wii U version will have some extra gamepad features like off-TV play or being able to have an always-on map and easy access to your inventory.
This is looking good and I'll be eager to see the final version this fall.
