For years, Rust has remained relevant as a go-to game for streamers and groups of friends alike, with players able to create their own stories through the game's various servers. Some players might just try to build their ideal setup and protect it, others might focus entirely on raiding, and a third group tends to fill the role of a sneaky traitor who throws alliances out the window. The potential for memorable reactions and sheer mayhem to start at a moment's notice just hasn't been done Rust special, but has led to indie developers taking their own crack at one Rust-inspired release. There is not only a promising underwater game that Rust coming soon, but another Steam page just popped up showing an upcoming Rust-as.
This particular Steam game goes by the name Zeverlandand it throws both out Rusts first-person perspective and its immersive, realistic art style. Instead, it adopts both a third-person camera and graphics that are more reminiscent of Palworldwith cartoon characters, lots of color and a generally more light-hearted atmosphere. Also, instead of fighting wild animals or military units, Zeverland players will have to contend with hordes of (equally charming) undead enemies. An emphasis on friendly cooperation combined with these opponents should make the game appealing to fans of other games, such as Project Zomboid. However, survival gamers should not be fooled by the game's cute appearance, as mechanically it shares a lot in common with Rust.
Developed by Quantum Quirks, this indie game currently lacks a release date on its Steam page.
Zeverland features at a glance
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SURVIVE with bows, melee weapons and guns while dealing with thirst and hunger.
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EXPLORE a huge open world over 5000 km^2, with abandoned farms, lakes, mountains and cities.
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BUILD your own base camp piece by piece while encountering other player-made structures in the world.
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RECRUIT NPCs to make survival easier, from cooks and tailors to security and construction workers.
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GET INFECTED when bitten, choose to start over as a human or continue to evolve as a strong, scary monster.
Common sense keeps you alive: find water, hunt, build shelter. Everything is interactive – dismantle toilets, attach zombie heads to bats or weld a bed to your mobile home. Go it alone or team up: repair bridges, manufacture vaccines and revive this dead world!
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Zeverland is about immersion and reconstruction
Zeverland players essentially have the mission statement that the residents of Vault 76 from Fall-out did: go out and rebuild the world, deal with threats as you go. Said world will be really massive and full of all kinds of different terrains, with different opportunities and challenges. In order to survive, players must not only raid shelves, cabinets and vending machines, but use their wits to create killing tools effective enough to wipe out the tough zeds that roam the map. Examples given are combining an iron and tennis rack, a metal stick and an electric camera, or using a zombie's head as a weapon.
When not managing your health and thirst bars or crafting weapons that would feel right at home in one Dead Island game, players will rebuild the base of their dreams, or create structures to make the world easier to navigate. And outside of the building process, which is a lot of fun in itself, players will be able to find and recruit survivors to their base, each taking on tasks to benefit their fellow survivors. Some can act as security guards to fend off hostiles and protect the player's chosen home, while others can become chefs and outfitters to help the player character prepare for every step they take in the world outside their gates.
However, it would be impossible to catch Rust vibe without the presence of other players, and fortunately players will not be alone in the huge worlds of Zeverland. Perhaps players will discover a player-made bridge over an annoying river, and benefit from someone's creation just as they would in something similar Death Stranding. From there, they can leave a gift to that player they will see the next time they cross the bridge, rewarding them for their efforts. Alternatively, players can use their radio to track another player's signal, along with like-minded survivors.
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Zeverland's roadmap promises a bright future
While Zeverland has had two pre-Alpha tests, it is probably still a long way from its proper launch. However, that hasn't stopped developer Quantum Quirks from detailing its plans for the future. In addition to abandoning MMO ambitions to fully embrace co-op survival, the player's vehicle is expanded with more options to make it a true RV. Additional improvements in the works include, but are not limited to:
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Extended faction history
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Power System
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Agriculture
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Fishing
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Zip lines
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Detailed weapon assembly
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NPC polish and detail
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More interesting map POIs
While Zeverland may be in development for quite some time, there is a clear vision for this title, which is very promising. With clear potential for another testing phase in the future, not to mention more updates, this game certainly deserves a spot on the Steam wishlist for any survival fan.
