To preface my thoughts on Generation Zero, I will say that my friend and I were impressed after nearly finishing the starting region that ends with Saltholmen Church and the Skarven Command Bunker we decided to purchase the game. There were definitely some flaws, but we are interested in where the story was going. We managed to pull 2 other friends in during the current play for free period that lasts a couple more days, and hopefully one or both will feel drawn in enough like we are to buy Gen Zero and keep plugging away little by little to finish the map. But would I understand why they wouldnāt want to. Below are some reasons why I love, laugh at, and donāt like the game.
What I love:
- The combat has been mostly satisfying. Why I say mostly is detailed below. But having played on nothing but skirmish, I gave felt that, for the most part, the combat is realistic enough to enjoy and bring me back for more. With the exception of the Harvester and Tank machines, I feel the combat is pretty spot on at shot to medium range. See below for long range.
- You health doesnāt automatically regen, healing is limited to what you can find and choose to carry and use. Ammo is initially sparse, but as you play and explore more and loot more outlying areas less populated by the machines that soak up your ammo, you have a chance to stock up and not have to worry about ammo as much. Until the Harvesters and Tank show up.
- The atmosphere, graphics, location, and map size. This game is BIG. I am still really blown away by the scale of the map. Itās really crazy how much time and effort the team likely put in carving stuff out. Yes there are a lot reused assets in terms of structures and furnishings, but given the time period and plot line during which the game is set, the country is more focused on defense than luxury. That, and you can only design so many different assets before you ask yourself, is it REALLY that important that we have a dozen different X models?
- Our first encounter with a Harvester or Tank:
Me: Oh god, do you see that?
My friend: See what?
Me: THAT GIANT BUILDING SIZED MECH!!!
My friend: Where- Oh ****!
YELLOW LIGHT TURNS RED. ANGRY WHIRRING SOUND
Me and my friend: countless curses and explicatives I wonāt repeat here RUUUUUNNN!!!
What I laughed at:
- The bicycle physics. The second or third night we brought our third player in, we start laughing hard at our characters becoming the next superman/superwoman. He is lagging behind me slightly so I slow down to catch up, he lag a bit and his character catches up to mine and rubber bands. He collides with my character, and he goes flying 50 feet up in the air, lands head first on the pavement, and gets back up after a highly amusing discount rag doll effect. Please fix this. Or donāt. Terrible bike physics arenāt really something game developers have a monopoly on right now. CLAIM IT NOW!!!
What I donāt like:
- Harvesters and Tanks soak WAAAAAAY TOO MUCH DAMAGE!!! The first time we encountered one of these guys we were half expecting it as we had started to accumulate a good amount of ammo, weapons, misc gear, and healing. As any skeptical gamer will tell you, this is usually an indicator that you are unfortunately going to need it. Like our first battle with our bipedal friends, the Hunters, the Harvester/Tank was moderately terrifying and fun. After we beat him it, we realized we had use nearly all our healing, all our rockets, and had depleted most of, if not all our assault rifle ammo. So we rolled around the farms and homesteads looking for ammo at fighting in this game with only short range weapons like shotguns and submachine guns is a death sentence. After this we took a break for the evening and came back the next day deciding to try for Overby Air Base. This time we brought along our third friend.
Not only were were we repelled by the machines guarding the entrance, we couldnāt get near without being spotted by the Tank patrolling on the hillside, but if we tried to ride up near the gate, we get shredded by the poison ammo dogs. Further depleting our ammo, and healing we managed to sneak out way onto the base via the bunkers/hangers. Waiting for us were not 1, 2, or 3, but 4 big guys. Despite our best attempt at sneaking around the outskirts and methodically picking off patrols and small manageable packs, we eventually attracted the attention of a Tank. At this point, we were also informed that the game spawned another named Tank, which made itās way to the baseā¦with another tank friend in tow. T_T
If not for the fact that a safe house was discovered and unlocked, we wouldāve likely given up attempting to take the base. But after about 2-3 hours in which the in game sunset, and rose again we managed to kill 3 harvesters, 2 tanks, and countless Hunters that were aerial dropped in by said jerks who also spawned threw ticks and other deadly explosives at us. After all this was over, a Tank spawned at the West end of the flight lineā¦at which we let him live. Mainly because we had zero healing, ammo all but depleted, and no necessary items to hurt him with.
The Harvester and Tank just simply absorb too much damage. If they were being shot in areas other than their weak areas, I could understand to a point. But after you shoot an enemy in the back with 20 or so rockets, and the health is still well above 80%, something is wrong. I REALLY am glad we only one skirmish mode.
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Enemy range and damage. Harvesters and Tanks have virtually no range on their rockets. Iāve had them blast me from 3 football fields away with little to penalty to accuracy. This wouldnāt be a terrible issue if not for one MAJOR oversight. There is next to zero travel time on their rocket projectiles. Unless you are already running for cover and manage to get to it by the time they fire, their rockets will cover 100 yards in about .2 seconds. There is no room for error, and no real time for recovery between rocket salvos to do any meaningful damage. I donāt know HOW this game is expected to be beaten on the higher difficulties solo. If you donāt have at least on person serving as bait, you wonāt have another change to hit a Tank in the back unless you happen to be able to chain EMPs. Even then itās nearly impossible as they drop poison gas and more rockets as soon as you try to run around them as intended.
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Poison damage is inconsistent. When initially encountered in the bunker base, the poison is deadly, but with a mask you can withstand it for a short period and out heal the damage done to you when combined with Chemist. Unfortunately, the mask is not good to have on in a fight since it obscures your vision. So with only the 10% provided by chemist I take a crazy amount of damage from the runners that shoot poison. The Tanks that drop poison have killed me EVERY TIME Iām close enough to inhale it.
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Scaling has increased after you move into the farmlands. After we entered the farmlands today and left Saltholmen behind, it feels like the game took off the training wheels that was āeasy modeā and then proceeds to take the baseball bat from the walking dead, hand it Pennywise who is now our dad who took the training wheels off the bicycle, and whispers āDonāt fall. Or itās gonna REALLY hurt if you know what I meanā.