Undead labs is adding a powerful new difficulty mode to Steam release came as a surprise to fans due to its status as a Microsoft exclusive.
State of Decay 2 launched to lukewarm reviews. Critics praised many factors of the game, including its gameplay, world simulation, and zombie AI. But it was bogged down by an unfortunate sense of repetition and a lack of great post-game content. 2018 is ed as a generally weak year for Xbox in general; none of its titles managed to get a Metacritic over 75. In State of Decay 2's defense, however, it's seen some very dedicated post launch since it came out. If the 2018 game had been judged by its more recent status, it might have been much more of a success for Microsoft.
As regrettable as the launch period has been, though, Undead Labs is still working on State of Decay 2. A recent improved loading times, better world detail, and 4k resolution at up to 60 frames per second. These upgrades can all be experienced right now by anyone lucky enough to own a Series X. But all fans can experience the other new update to the game, which is the menacing new Lethal Difficulty. Undead Labs boasts that Lethal has been "tuned right to the edge of impossible" to present the ultimate survival challenge. Enemies hit harder and resources are scarcer, and the game's special "freak" zombies have been replaced with even more deadly blood plague versions.
With the new consoles still in their infancy, it's been a very exciting time for the video game industry. Undead Labs isn't the only developer taking advantage of the new hardware for the benefit of its current gen game. A lot of similarly live-service games are having significant next-gen overhauls patched in, including Rocket League. Games like these give players a chance to build something up for themselves, and it's understandable that they would want to keep their adventures and their legacy going as they make the jump to a brand new console.
State of Decay 2 might not be as high profile a crafting game as No Man's Sky or has already been announced, fans might be getting tired of this older sequel. But with this new update, they'll still have a beautifully upgraded zombie survival experience waiting for them in the form of State of Decay 2.
