Late last month, I covered the news about Dead Maze entering its CBT. Developed by indie French Studio Atelier 801, Dead Maze brings back 2D isometric MMO in a boutique and artistic way. A cataclysmic tsunami has struck the coasts of the United States, and the world is thrown into chaos. Out of the disaster comes something much, much worst. Say hello to the zombie apocalypse in an MMO. Having checked out the game in its closed beta state, here’s 3 thoughts about Dead Maze, which is coming to Steam in early 2018.

#1 Mechanics That Work

At first sight, you can be forgiven for thinking that this isn’t a good idea. Zombies and post apocalyptic games have been done to death in recent times, although not too many have made it in an MMO shell. Dead Maze wants to shake things up. In this online world, players need to work together to explore what is left of the world after the cataclysmic events of the plague, monitor their health and food, scavenge for resources, and craft as many life-saving supplies as possible.

That means, besides the basics of movement and auto combat which may turn off some, it’s the survival mechanics that shine. Your character is human. You’ll need food to eat, water to drink, and weapons to stay alive. For every action taken in this world, you spend fatigue points. These can be replenished in camp sites, but you’ll have to navigate through hordes of zombies to find one. What this does is it makes every decision – solo or group – matter, and puts weight behind your actions in later levels. Speaking of levels, you do earn experience points, level up, and gain access to more stats and skills as well. There are times I felt like I was playing State of Decay, a game I love. For an MMO, these survival mechanics are a rarity and it works in Dead Maze.

#2 Handcrafted Art That’ll Make You Nostalgic

For an indie studio, my expectations of the graphics and art style weren’t high, but I’ve been impressed. Dead Maze has a distinct visual style that blends hand-drawn art and cartoon in their narrative scenes that’s fun to watch. Aesthetically, it takes me back to my days of playing 2D isometric classics such as WAKFU or DOFUS – two games that still thrive today. More than anything else, the level of detail within their art style is astounding.

The environment is a joy to look at from the top down, and it’s a shame there isn’t a zoom function. Almost any object that you think can be used as a weapon, usually is a weapon. And all you’ll have to do is get within proximity to pick it up. From a visual perspective, Dead Maze will not be for everyone. It’s bright and colorful, almost way too chirpy to be a part of a zombie apocalypse world. But spend enough time in it and you’ll be more worried about the mechanics and how you’ll survive instead of aesthetics.

#3 Fun Factor Will Depend On Other Players

Where does Dead Maze truly shine? It’s gameplay is centered around survival, and its world is populated with dangerous zombies to navigate through. To my surprise, the maps are pretty large. Players will get starting objectives in the form of tutorial missions early on, but beyond that you’re on your own. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There is a sense of community that the game is trying to foster.

There’s an in-game chat and in-game forum as well to discuss strategy and just socialize with others. The game’s party system allows for up to three other friends to join you online. Its MMO aspects are still untested as there is only a limited amount of players in the closed beta. But I’m looking forward to how it improves and adds when it does arrive on Steam in 2018.

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You may have heard about the game SOS. It’s a 16 player battle royale – before you groan – that tries to be different and I feel it succeeds. We’re well aware of how popular this genre has become. Games like PUBG and Fornite are flying the flag high. Naturally, that’s got a lot of developers working to throw their ideas out there, and SOS is a result of that. Developed by Outpost Games, SOS is currently in closed beta. What’s it about?

In short, an online survival multiplayer game. SOS players are tasked with retrieving a valuable relic in order to claim one of three seats on an escape helicopter. Survival is key, but winning isn’t as simple as outlasting the competition. In order to escape the island, players will need to use the power of both voice and personality to build bonds with other contestants and navigate the dangerous terrain. Scheming, strategizing and even backstabbing are commonplace and the contestants who do them most skillfully often have the best chance to escape.

#1 It feels like an interactive TV Show

The performing aspect of SOS blew my mind. The game senses your mic’s voice activity, and your avatar or cast member moves their mouths in-game accordingly. You’ll also have taunts and hand animations to complement what you’re saying. This makes for an intriguing watch at the beginning of each match, as the game takes turn interviewing all players. The outcome is hilarious and it’s fun. You’re not required to perform, but trust me – it’s infectious. Taking part will only enrich the experience. When the match starts, the real fun begins.

#2 Gameplay works but can be improved

When you look past the TV show gimmick, the gameplay feels really ordinary. To find the relic and get off the island, you’ll need to explore, gather weapons and healing supplies and of course, interact with others to build groups which you can later betray. You have a weapons and equipment inventory to select your primary gear. The left mouse click will fire off attacks, while RMB aims and blocks incoming attacks. There’s native monsters on the island where you’ll need to find one of three relics to get off safely and win the match. The whole ‘episode’ can take between 30-40 minutes, depending on the ebb and flow. Once you die, you get to stay on and watch the rest of the cast members including hearing what they’re saying.

In truth, it feels clunky. Animations for attack and running can be improved further, and the graphics aren’t the best out there. However, with SOS still being in closed beta, I’ve got hopes that they’ll continue to fix and add more stuff to the game.

#3 It’s More Than A Game For Streamers

How SOS truly differentiates itself from the current battle royale roster of games is through its connectivity between players and viewers. Outpost Games have created Hero.TV, a website where folks can view all games and players live. Content creators can link their Twitch accounts too, and that integrates their Twitch audiences to join the fun in interactive ways. For example, shooting flares will allow viewers to cast votes and decide what goods you’ll receive. That level of interactivity is pretty cool, and plays into the TV show theme that SOS has got going on. For creators, it’s another way to build audiences and exposure, especially if you have the personality for it.

Overall, SOS is fun. I’ve had a blast in the CBT, and whether or not this thing takes off at release will come down to how much marketing SOS does. This game’s gimmick is refreshingly cheesy, but incredibly fun for both players and viewers.

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