$20 Game of the Week: State of Decay (Xbox 360, PC)

I really hate zombies. I know I said this before, but I really, REALLY, fucking hate zombies. I hate that they’re being rammed down my throat and shoehorned into every comic, tv show, video game, or movie that I see. However, I can appreciate a game that does something different or unique with Zombies. Which is why Undead Lab’s Cryengine-powered State of Decay is this week’s $20GOTW.

State of Decay is what Capcom’s Dead Rising would be if you weren’t held hostage by the plot or a ticking clock. While there is a storyline, you don’t have to follow it. You can focus on survival and base-building, and making fortifying your home base and its defenses is extremely important. You’ll encounter several NPCS, and you’ll have to scavenge food and supplies to keep your base running. Things are randomly generated, and the game’s world even progresses when your system is off. There is also permadeath in the game as well. The character you are controlling can die and another with replace him/her. There is a DLC expansion named Breakdown that removes the story and simply tasks players to survive as long as possible, and another DLC named Lifeline is on the way.

State of Decay’s freeform style and open-ended gameplay make it a hit for zombie fans. The game has also managed to win over non-zombie fans like your’s truly, so check it out, it’s like creating your own personal Walking Dead.