State of Decay 2, the sequel to the surprise hit Xbox 360 game State of Decay, is shaping up to be a bigger and more polished game than its predecessor. Additionally, those who purchase the new Xbox One X will be able to experience it in 4K with high-dynamic range — Microsoft showed the game during its E3 2017 presentation, and it looks like the series is making the jump to true AAA quality.
“What would you do if the world you knew was gone?” the game demonstration’s narrator asks, as we are shown a desolate town littered with rubble and, of course, dozens of undead. Survivors blast away with weapons that have a noticeable snap, but the zombies push back — an enormous, bloated creature charges at a woman who proceeds to jump onto its back and repeatedly stab it with a knife.
As with the first game, State of Decay 2 will feature resource management. We get a brief look at it in the gameplay demonstration, with an abandoned church filling with survivors and supplies rendered in impressive detail. A few hospital beds line the floors, and it our heroes seem to be committed to preventing those bitten from turning into zombies themselves. An infected woman is quickly injected with an antidote to prevent her from turning.
State of Decay 2 is expected to feature three huge maps — each as large as the entirety of the first game — and will arrive to Xbox One, Xbox One X, and Windows 10 PCs this spring. It’s an Xbox Play Anywhere title, allowing those with both a PC and Xbox One to keep their save file when switching between the two games, and they only need to purchase one digital copy.
“In this world of the living and the dead, how will you survive?” the narrator asks. We’ll find out soon.
