Dead State Critic Reviews

Dead State is not much to look at, but as a zombie-themed post-apocalyptic role-playing game it’s definitely a winner. Interestingly enough, the zombies turn out to be the least of the survivors’ problems.

Seemingly small decisions can have such far reaching consequences, that it's impossible to dislike Dead State.

Satisfying, pen-and-paper-style zombie storytelling that's somewhat blandly presented and burdened by bugs. A worthy RPG that would've benefited from more budget.

Maybe, a few patches later, Dead State will become a better game than it is now. Fiddle with the flow of time to make events unfold faster, fix the remaining bugs in the code, restore the cut endings, and you will get a great RPG, not just a good one.

It may not have ended up being the first, but Doublebear has certainly earned its place among the zombie survival greats.

Nothing much to look at, and with a premise that has been dulled through repetition, Dead State is a game that requires you to approach it with an open mind and a forgiving nature. Make the effort, and you'll find a game that makes up in charm what it lacks in polish.

An interesting "zombie RPG" that could have (and should have) been much better.

Dead State is a very fun zombie apocalypse RPG but it’s not quite the hoped-for second coming of Troika.

After a long wait, we were expecting something more from Dead State. Yet the game manages to intrigue for its moral aspects, for the pleasure of exploration and for the successful balance between some harsh old-school elements and an apocalyptic world with many resources, which greatly helps to avoid frustration of the very first hours.

An unusual combat system with profound gameplay and RPG elements make for a solid basis. Exploration is encouraged due and decisions influence the story. Unfortunately, pale characters, an outdated look and a lack of variety in missions dull the overall picture.

Since it was Double Bear’s founder who drafted story of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines and Alpha Protocol, one could expect Dead State to deliver some intriguing characters. But alas, in backwater Texas there’s no place for triple-agents, while clichéd Vietnam vets and truck drivers fail to deliver any surprises.

Dead State game offers a great experience that combines the struggle for survival, the party and shelter management, entertaining RPG part and a tactical combat. The game grabs and holds you for dozens of hours, so you are willing to forgive it its obsolete visuals. We’d like to see bugs disappear a bit faster though.

Make no mistake: to pull off everything that Dead State tries would be an achievement for any RPG, and it’s impressive how much it manages. What it lacks in polish it at least largely makes up for in personality, even with glitches and rough edges as far as the eye can see.

This game is based on good ideas, but the execution isn't that good. If you're looking for a zombie game and you're interested in the RPG concept, it might deserve a try.

It's a sometimes interesting starting point, but to compete with the many zombie games out there, it still lacks content.

It’s a game that does some things really well and other really badly. If you’re willing to endure the latter and you’ve already finished Wastelands 2, you can give Dead State a chance.