When State of Decay first launched as an Xbox Arcade title back in 2013, it initially flew somewhat under the radar but went on to become a huge success for its developer Undead Labs and Microsoft. As a result, a sequel was announced at E3 2016, State of Decay 2. If Undead Labs have their way though, State of Decay 2 will be a “bigger, better” State of Decay game with the game world being “substantially larger” than its predecessor’s.
Speaking to IGN, Undead Labs CEO Jeff Strain stated that State of Decay 2 will allow players to explore and survive in a world filled with more detail and will be much bigger than the world featured in State of Decay. However, Strain added that Undead Labs are not quite ready to reveal exact numbers on the new map with regards to size, so we will have to wait and see just how much bigger it truly is.
“I know SoD fans are hungry for details on number and size of maps, regions, kilometers of playable area, etc., but we’re not quite ready for that. For now, suffice it to say that the playable area is substantially larger than State of Decay,” Strain said.
“The millions of State of Decay players have been clear about what they want in State of Decay 2: A bigger, better State of Decay they can play with their friends,” he said. “We intend to deliver on all of those.”
One of the new features added to State of Decay 2 that will take advantage of having a larger map will be four player co-op, which will allow you and three friends to team up together to survive the zombie apocalypse. They don’t have to be friends though, and while State of Decay 2 isn’t a PvP game, there are ways that other players can be hostile towards you. When it comes to co-op, Undead Labs want it to bring an interesting new dynamic to the game rather than just being there for the action.
“The primary goal for multiplayer is that other players bring an interesting new dynamic to the simulation,” Design Director Richard Foge added. “The heart of State of Decay is consequences, and we need to make sure that other players are more than just an awesome addition to moment-to-moment gameplay; they need to become a part of the story based on the agency they have in your world.
“Your guests cannot just say ‘screw it, I’m taking this to PvP-town!’ and directly attack you or any of your community members, because State of Decay 2 isn’t a PvP game. They can’t go into your base and tear down all of your facilities. But there are plenty of ways that they can be a hostile force in your world, because they can directly affect the simulation in meaningful ways.
You can check out the full interview with IGN here.