Undead Labs' State of decay 3 has received a gameplay trailer as part of the recent Xbox Games Showcase, a full six years after the game was first announced. The actual state of State of decay 3 had been a big unknown up until that point, and while it was noted that the developer was still working on it, practically everything else was up in the air.
State of decay 2s last update rolled out in 2024, meaning fans of the franchise weren't completely underserved all those years. The second title is still fully playable and loaded with dozens of content updates and DLC, making it one of the better zombie survival sandboxes on the market. The franchise is otherwise quite unique in its handling of the game loop, with players managing a number of survivors as they scavenge, upgrade hideouts, source equipment, and level up across a variety of open world levels. Since there are no other similar titles on the market, State of decay 3 doesn't have to completely reinvent itself to stay relevant.
If this Big State of Decay 3 leak turns out to be true, its tagline couldn't be more accurate
A new leak about State of Decay 3 surfaced a few days ago, and if it ends up being true, it could reflect the game's tagline perfectly.
State of Decay 3 Gets Gameplay Reveal, Harken's Back to Old Games
State of decay 3 was revealed far too early, before development had even begun. Still, the good news is that the new trailer is thicker than one might have expected, with virtually all of the franchise's iconic gameplay elements well represented. It follows a small group of survivors as they gear up and attack an undead hive to take out its central nervous system. Vehicles, customizable weapons, and randomized permadeath survivors are all present and accounted for, meaning this won't just be a follow-up in name.
State of decay 3 not reinventing the series. The core gameplay loop still centers around players taking control of an entire community of survivors dealing with the blood plague, and the most important news is that the undead have begun to evolve. For those worried about the game's longevity after launch, the store pages have already confirmed that DLCs and content updates are coming. Probably, State of decay 2pp Home-coming The DLC serves as an example of the type of post-launch content Undead Labs aims to produce.
What kind of weapon is that?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
As the trailer reveals, State of decay 3 is slated to launch on the Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, and PC platforms, which is odd given that some other titles showcased as part of the Xbox Games Showcase aren't. Clockwork Revolution is an Xbox exclusive, for example. This confirms that Xbox will be at least somewhat picky about which first-party games launch on PlayStation and which ones won't, and is a marked departure from the company's previous “Everything Is An Xbox” marketing campaign.
Due to its sandbox and freeform approach to the zombie apocalypse, one could argue that State of decay 3 has advantages over other games in its niche. The heavy emphasis placed on permadeath mechanics, vehicle and weapon maintenance, and hideout upgrades actually puts it more in line with the likes of Project Zomboidalthough it's hard to compare any mainstream AAA title to Indie Stone's incredibly complex survival game. With a bit of luck, State of decay 3 will be able to bridge that gap.
- Released
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2027
- ESRB
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m
- Publisher
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Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
