Yet another review for this alpha/7dtd in general. Yay.

[Waltuh]

     Before I begin, I'd like to start by stating the obligatory "I've been playing since" console days, still miss those bees. And have pumped in 'round about 1k hours on steam since I've switched to pc some years ago. Therefore I feel like my opinion should be considered as fact, and also you should agree no matter what. All kidding aside however, it is to say that I should start to express how much I've enjoyed this game so far. 
 

     This alpha is, in my opinion obviously, the best this game has ever been in a very long time. I'd go as far as to say it was like Alpha 19, introducing new features and textures that really make the game feel great to play. The recent quality in animations (relatively speaking), sounds, and level design, and questing features make the game really lively. 

 

     The performance has improved significantly. My rig is hasn't changed since A20, and I've noticed how smoother this alpha is, especially in cities, where previously I'd stray away from because doing a TierV POI just wasn't worth it considering at 20-30fps those feral business men seem to instant transmission right to my face and slap me into a daze. Now I can go into cities and actually see what I'm doing, and fight hordes without feeling like i'm in a powerpoint presentation. There are still things to improve upon, but I'm confident that the devs will make this game really polished and optimized by the time this game goes gold.

 

     The zombies in this game are really smart, but also really dumb, but also really aware of their surroundings, but don't know what spikes are. Yes the AI for the zombies can be a little more than frustrating, especially when building a base. They exploit things you wouldn't even realize were exploitable. Though I'd say as far back as A17, the zombies began to regain some sense of intellect. Zombie pathing has been worked on, and tweaked time and time again, and our strategy to defend against a bloodmoon horde has to evolve with it. Not much to say here honestly, I've never really had any big problems with the way they operate in terms of how they path to you. The rage system makes them feel more (un)alive then before, with the zombies seemingly getting angry at you slapping them in the face with a big stick, and speeding up. The gore system really adds that extra spice that satiates my depraved fantasies of killing zombies. The jiggle (?) physics is also a nice touch. Zombies look horrendous in all the right ways.

     

     The level design is fantastic. I'm loving all the beautiful POI's and just how immersive they all feel. It's doesn't seem "blocky" (?), or empty. It's extremely detailed, and I really appreciate all of it. There are times where I spend longer on a quest just because I'm looking at each room and just observing how everything was placed, and why they were placed there. I remember walking into the Waterworks POI, and noticing how much it was been revamped since I last saw it console, which was a little nostalgic as it was the first POI I ever made a base in playing this game. Not just old POI's however, even relatively new ones, TFP weren't kidding when they said all POI's have been remodeled and enhanced. Modern houses, and old gothic styled mansions really add a ton of diversity to the cities, and towns. I'm also still finding new POI's, since starting in June. Might I add that I enjoyed seeing POI's such as The Bert Englund Residence, or Jeffelon Zuckergates estate (lol). 

 

     Lastly I'd like to talk about how the game plays. Especially concerning the new Learn by Reading/Looting. I'm a very efficient player. I like min/maxing builds, and getting everything as fast as possible. I like figuring out ways of accumulating vast amounts of XP, so I can get to the good stuff earlier. I really don't like the early game of having primitive tools with terrible stamina, and fragile armor. So when I heard about the new system, I was devastated. "This game is going in the wrong direction" I thought. "No more motorbike on day 1? Blasphemy!" - I cried. Then I tried it, again, and again (I died a lot is what I'm saying here). I've never liked grinding more than ever before. Everything feels rewarding, the linear progression as the devs say, is very balanced. I know that traders and quest rewards are a big point of contension regarding game balance, but if we put that aside for a second, the crafting system, and the reading system seems like they go hand in hand. Like a ying and yang. You want to craft better weapons? Go loot some stuff, which will grant XP to level up the perk that relates to what you want to loot, and soon enough you'll be able to craft a better weapon and already have the points to use it more effectively. You want to get vehicles earlier? Dump points into Vehicle mechanic, loot some crack-a-books and vehicles and by the time you unlock them you'd also gather enough resources to also craft a forge and workbench. Players like myself still feel like we're breezing through the early game, but also doing in a way that doesn't feel cheesy. In the previous alpha it was extremely easy to get a bike on day 1, do some monotonous mining or salvaging, and you're in that mid game stage in no time, often left feeling unsatisfied due to my own playstyle of getting everything fast, "I've won, but at what cost?". This new alpha however shook up what mid game stage was. Having a primitive spear level 4 means a whole lot more than when it did in Alpha 20, which was hot trash and a waste of backpack space. You get a sense of accomplishment and progression despite being in the same gamestage as before, due to the new perk reworks. 

 

     Traders are a big part of this game. Always have been. They are safehaven, and gives you more to do in the apocalypse. But they are also your ticket to the bullet train of progression, next stop end game. Quests are great, I love going into POI's clearing it out, getting some loot, and getting additional rewards. Infested clears are my favorite, though they are definitely not the easiest, a welcome challenge. The rewards however are what makes quests a little concerning considering how balanced everything else is. You get rewarded for what you do. Tier 1-3 quests give you your respective tech tier rewards, that a player should already be in, if not be close to reaching. However as I've stated, I'm a very effecient player, therefore it's imperative that I do not go ham on those fetch and clear quests, lest I want to be handed a level 3 steel spear when the one I'm currently using is one I so meticiously grinded for which would be a level 2 iron spear. Well, now what. I've received a reward that ultimately broke my progression. Any and all magazines left to read are no longer needed. I've received the ultimate weapon of mass killing. Or maybe a tool, an impact driver, steel pickaxe, steel axe. Whatever it may be, there are rewards that make the magazines redundant if you decide to play in the manner that I do. This isn't to say that the rewards are inbalanced precisely because of a lack of foresight by the devs, rather it is a note of caution that no matter what there will always be ways to transend yourself into godhood if you decide to go forth on that path. Trading is also pretty big on your progression, however not as impactful anymore, which is a good thing in my opinon. I was not keen on the idea of removing the trader secret stache. But like the removal of Sexual Tyrannasaurus (rip), it was for the better and it shows. Trading seems really useful, and not a waste of resources. The manner in which the items that a trader sells relative to your progression feels natural, and in no way seems like you shouldn't be buying that item that you're not supposed to have this early, or that late. 

 

     Still with me? Don't worry here are my final thoughts. There is still a mountain of problems I have with this game, however I refrain from mentioning them, as I'm sure they've already been addressed or acknowledged. Things like item bugs, performance issues, or the like. One that I personally hate is the flickering that never seems to go away, but through extensive research it seems like it will never go away as it relates to reflections and how the game renders objects, and no amount of TAA blurring will smooth it out. Damn, I just mentioned one. Anyhow, for all the things still in development there are an equal, if not more amount of finished polished things to enjoy. I am very happy with how this game is turning out, and really excited for the future of this game. Dare I say my expectations were diverted, and hope it will continue to do so for the better. 👍

 

 

 

 

TL:DR Me like zombe game very much