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[Redshirt]

OpenCritic: 68/100


ACG: Thumbs up

For me, it's a budget title. Despite its issues this is absolutely something worth purchasing.

Eurogamer: Thumbs down

State of Decay 2 is a poor return on the scruffy promise of its predecessor, which topped Xbox Live Arcade charts largely, I suspect, for its resemblance to DayZ. It tantalises with the thought of raggedy everyday heroes pooling their myriad talents to survive, only to quantify and busywork all that out of existence.

Destructoid: 8/10

State of Decay 2 comes together as a game that feels designed for players who like to make checklists and chip away at long-term tasks. That notion might sound contradictory to existence in a zombie apocalypse, where death comes fast and often, but engaging with the game from this perspective makes its rough edges seem more like minor smudges.

Gaming Trend: 85/100

Compared to the first game, State of Decay 2 is a godsend, but it’s still far more glitchy than the average game.

IGN: 7.5/10

Combat is satisfyingly brutal and the special zombies inspire some real fear of permanent death, even though the Blood Plague turns out to be more of a sniffle. But the bugs are just as persistent as the zombies, and after a dozen or so hours the repetition of both eventually take their toll, making the appeal of replaying feel more limited than I’d expected for a sandbox RPG.

Kotaku: Thumbs up... I think

For as much fun as I had with the game, I expected a bit more polish.

PC Gamer: 74/100

It’s worth restating here that State of Decay is fundamentally a game about filling up resource bars, and I can foresee a time when I get bored of that. But the size of the world and the endless characters to encounter keep things fresh, and I’m already planning how to do more efficient playthroughs. Life after the apocalypse can’t go on forever, but it can be fun while it lasts.

Polygon: Thumbs down

[...] it just reminds me of a host of open-world games that are more beautiful, more storied, more fun.

TrueAchievements: 4.5/5

If you walked away from the original game feeling flustered from the constant micromanagement of everything, State of Decay 2 isn't going to change your mind. All of those aspects return and in many cases are made deeper.

Trusted Reviews: 3.5/5

An improvement on the original, and with far more variety on offer, but State of Decay 2 suffers from repetitive combat and poor player communication throughout. Fans of survival sims will likely appreciate the greater attention to detail...

Wccftech: 7.5/10

State of Decay 2 is every bit as fun and rough as the first game was in 2013. [...] It's one of those titles that can be described as being more than the sum of its parts.

Windows Central: 4/5

Where State of Decay 2 ascends is in its simulation, which has more depth, drama, and dynamism than ever before. [...] If you can forgive its quirks, State of Decay 2 will infect you like few other games can.

Xbox Achievements: 60/100

State of Decay 2 is a perfectly fine game. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[off duty ninja]

The snippets from these reviews remind me of exactly how I felt playing the first one. I guess it can wait a while. It sucks too because the concept of these games seems so great but the execution is lacking.

 

[LaughingStock]

"System seller"
Xbox is doomed.

 

[Calibos]

"System seller"
Xbox is doomed.

First post is a shitpost drive-by.

It's definitely disappointing to see the performance hitches and the co-op bugs driving the games scores down into the 60's. Expectations are still the rule for a game like this. It's $30 or $10 on gamepass and is the only relevant hardcore zombie survival simulation out right now. I am in for that "Walking Dead" fix that ACG talked about in his "funfactor" video and for the fact that the game has base building and permadeath.

I wish MS could get a polished, complete first party game out this year, but it's looking like slim chance of that.

 

[Redshirt]

If anyone has any other reviews they want highlighted, post them and I'll add them. A relevant quote would be great.

 

[Leocarian]

If anyone has any other reviews they want highlighted, post them and I'll add them. A relevant quote would be great.

Can you please use this quote instead for our review? Thanks.

"While the game is better being played with friends, the number of bugs that occur from connection issues to necessary mechanics being completely missing can bring the game to a sudden stop and needs to be addressed as soon as possible."

 

[Redshirt]

So, I've now read/watched about 30 reviews in addition to watching several hours on Twitch.

One thing I learned from the reviews is that co-op is more fun than I expected, so I'm pretty excited.

Still a bit disappointed overall. I love the Kotaku piece: "I expected a bit more polish." Why the hell would you expect more polish? I have no idea, but so did I.

 

[Leocarian]

So, I've now read/watched about 30 reviews in addition to watching several hours on Twitch.

One thing I learned from the reviews is that co-op is more fun than I expected, so I'm pretty excited.

Still a bit disappointed overall. I love the Kotaku piece: "I expected a bit more polish." Why the hell would you expect more polish? I have no idea, but so did I.

Thanks for updating the thread. But you forgot to remove the original quote you put in. Lol.

 

[cucuchu]

Just watched my most trusted reviewer ACG and I think this game will be perfect for me.

I never expected this game to have mass appeal though and I will be surprised if its MC reaches beyond 68 in the end. Its funny that State of Decay 2 and Sea of Thieves will have similar metacritic scores but be essentially opposite games...Sea of Thieves is a pretty game that runs well with very limited content and not much to do, where as State of Decay 2 is a jankey, buggy mess with a lot to do and a fair amount of depth. I'll take the latter of course, fun factor trumps presentation always in my opinion and it looks like State of Decay 2 at least has that going for it. It looks like it will be well worth my $50 vs the $60 I payed for Sea of Thieves.

 

[Redshirt]

Thanks for updating the thread. But you forgot to remove the original quote you put in. Lol.

I like that quote. I think it resonates with fans of the original. It doesn't reflect badly on you, so is there a reason you want to me remove it?

 

[LaughingStock]

Hey, i want to see xbox doing well. But MS isn't even trying.

 

[Alexander DeLarge]

I really want to buy it but I'm going to wait until the Steam version launches. I refuse to use the Windows Store because it doesn't work (literally doesn't work, like the install button does nothing, install sizes are doubled so a 100GB game like Forza Horizon 3 is 200GB, customer support sucks) and UWP limitations are a pain in the ass.

 

[Leocarian]

I like that quote. I think it resonates with fans of the original. It doesn't reflect badly on you, so is there a reason you want to me remove it?

Our review. Please remove it. Thanks.

 

[Bigfroth]

So is this game suppose to be one the big releases for Xbox this year? I never played the first one but heard good things about it.

 

[Leocarian]

So is this game suppose to be one the big releases for Xbox this year? I never played the first one but heard good things about it.

No the big game was Sea of Thieves and were still waiting for Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Crackdown 3.

 

[Redshirt]

I really want to buy it but I'm going to wait until the Steam version launches. I refuse to use the Windows Store because it doesn't work (literally doesn't work, like the install button does nothing, install sizes are doubled so a 100GB game like Forza Horizon 3 is 200GB, customer support sucks) and UWP limitations are a pain in the ass.

This has kind of been on my mind as well, but I really don't want to wait too long. This is a good time for me.

 

[EBE]

Looking forward to this. Was watching a stream last night--looked really fun. Really enjoyed the first

 

[BLAUcopter]

I know this will be janky as fuck but I dont care and people that loved the first game shouldn't care either.

Great atmosphere and sweet mechanics. Haters gonna hate.

 

[iconmaster]

The original was ugly and janky and I couldn't put it down. So this all sounds pretty great.

 

[Hendrick's]

I get that the first was janky as well, but I don't get why MS doesn't put resources other than marketing behind these kind of releases.

 

[Leocarian]

So now our review has been removed the OP? I am confused lol.

 

[Alebrije]

It's just another zombie game about survive with scarce resources , no more no less.

 

[Plague Doctor]

I may get this on steam (cause fuck the trainwreck which is the Windows 10 store) when it eventually releases but man... fucking MS needs a damn win and they keep on dropping the damn ball. I am now at the point where they are such an underdog, I am rooting for them. Mind you, I see no need or compelling reason to invest in their hardware for this generation. But, fuck, I want them to turn this around.

 

[xviper]

i'm shocked, SHOCKED

the first game was trash and the sequel looks the same from the videos so the scores seems to be right

 

[WaterAstro]

More of the same means I'll be disappointed if I play it. I was so bored of the first one.

 

[Dargor]

So now our review has been removed the OP? I am confused lol.

Your review, not your topic, capeesh?

 

[mercenar1e]

I thought partnering up with Microsoft would mean more resources added to the development of the game but it looks like the total opposite has been done and the release is limited to the Microsoft Store for PC users.. sad.

 

[Leocarian]

Your review, not your topic, capeesh?

No, not capeesh. There is no reason to put the review in and then take it out when I simply asked to change up a quote. What is your point?

 

[Dlacy13g]

I think this game ultimately falls in at around 7/10 which is about where my expectation was. I am good with that.

 

[Krappadizzle]

I picked it up. Preloading now. I loved the first one. Played it a ton of the 360 but hated the performance and jank. The music was incredible and the gameplay was really fun. I played a ton of it despite the technical shortcomings. I just hope I can find a decent amount of people or at least one like-minded individual to play in a more hardcore/stealth focused manner. Looking forward to it. Love the fact that I'm downloading on both PC and Xbox One and can just hop back and forth between my man cave and living room depending on how I feel.

Karak's review from ACG on Youtube is excellent if you've not seen it yet.

 

[Redshirt]

No, not capeesh. There is no reason to put the review in and then take it out when I simply asked to change up a quote. What is your point?

I added your review at your request even though it's not listed on OpenCritic or Metacritic. I also added a quote that you handpicked.

Then, you wanted a level of control that I'm not comfortable with, and I'm not dealing with it, so this is the last I'll even reference this. Beyond this, take it up with the mods.

 

[WaterAstro]

I added your review at your request even though it's not listed on OpenCritic or Metacritic. I also added a quote that you handpicked.

Then, you wanted a level of control that I'm not comfortable with, and I'm not dealing with it, so this is the last I'll even reference this. Beyond this, take it up with the mods.

lol yeah, the dude is so bent on self advertising. He should really work on being a legit review site and get on OpenCritic or MetaCritic first.

 

[Leocarian]

I added your review at your request even though it's not listed on OpenCritic or Metacritic. I also added a quote that you handpicked.

Then, you wanted a level of control that I'm not comfortable with, and I'm not dealing with it, so this is the last I'll even reference this. Beyond this, take it up with the mods.

Level of control that you're not comfortable with? What are you talking about dude? Asking to put in a different quote from the article has nothing to do with me controlling your thread. Controlling your thread would be me asking you to remove certain websites and keep others or something stupid like that.

Even though we're not listed on meta critic or open critic? There are plenty of websites that have reviews that are not on there yet, because those websites have insane standards and take a long time to hit a quota. Have you ever read their policies? Of course not. You're not in the industry and don't have connections with publishers and developers like we do and you have no clue how video game journalism politics work behind the scenes. Please don't make me laugh and pretend you know what you're talking about.

I even PMed you and you flatout ignored me and instead you put this in your own thread and derailing it when it does not need to be derailed with and could have been dealt with privately.

It's our review and we wanted to be a bit more clear with our audience and all I asked was to remove the original quote that you put in nothing else. But obviously, that's too much work for you. Forget it and don't worry about it.

 

[Bargain Bin Gamer]

Hey, i want to see xbox doing well. But MS isn't even trying.

MS is doing just fine. Just picked up a XB1S and I'm enjoying the 30 day Gamepass trial. I'll have about 20 days to play SoD2 and just finished Gears 4 today. There's plenty to like about XBox.

 

[hiphopcr]

Per usual, all the Xbox guys at work are buzzing with excitement about playing this together. Love how Xbox has continually delivered great multiplayer games this gen along with the best network in Xbox Live and the best value in gaming in Game Pass.

 

[B_Signal]

Per usual, all the Xbox guys at work are buzzing with excitement about playing this together. Love how Xbox has continually delivered great multiplayer games this gen along with the best network in Xbox Live© and the best value in gaming in Game Pass™

 

[Hendrick's]

Per usual, all the Xbox guys at work are buzzing with excitement about playing this together. Love how Xbox has continually delivered great multiplayer games this gen along with the best network in Xbox Live and the best value in gaming in Game Pass.

Joke post or bot?

 

[Krappadizzle]

Won't speak for anyone else, and I'm not an Xbox guy, as I have an One X and PS4Pro, but I'll say i've only played single-player games on my PS4Pro since I've had it. X has offered a lot of great value for me as I prefer playing on my PC but do occasionally want to go sit on the couch and want to play some Sea of Thieves or any of the ton of games that are released monthly that I get to keep with GWG. Xbox'x backwards compatibility program has been amazing.

 

[Drewpee]

With Microsoft's first party game quality lately the reviews are pretty much exactly where I expected them to be.

I enjoyed the first game and I am sure I will enjoy this one but Microsoft really needs to get their first party library together. Sony and Nintendo have been embarrassing them this entire generation. They have made some strides in hardware, now the software needs to follow up.

 

[chilleverest]

Anyone willing to open a PC performance thread ?

 

[Horns]

The first one didn't get the best reviews, but I still enjoyed it for what it was.

 

[hiphopcr]

Joke post or bot?

Oh yeah that's right, according to Gaf no one is allowed to have fun on Xbox ever, ever, ever, ever, ever....

 

[Vawn]

That's too bad. Xbox really could use a big exclusive.

 

[-MD-]

Per usual, all the Xbox guys at work are buzzing with excitement about playing this together. Love how Xbox has continually delivered great multiplayer games this gen along with the best network in Xbox Live and the best value in gaming in Game Pass.

> State of Decay 2
> Buzzing with excitement

I'm gonna play this with a friend but this would be an easy skip if we couldn't get it through game pass for $10

 

[WaterAstro]

That's too bad. Xbox really could use a big exclusive.

Well, it's an okay game. The reviews are not that bad. It's just not God of War.

At least it's not a devastating disappointment like Sea of Thieves. The ship has sailed for that game.

 

[Drewpee]

Oh yeah that's right, according to Gaf no one is allowed to have fun on Xbox ever, ever, ever, ever, ever....

If you are an Xbox gamer (me included), the last place on earth to look for positive reinforcement is neogaf. I have read this site for years and there has always been an insane bias against all things Xbox from the day I started reading.

I am all for criticizing Microsoft and Xbox but there are way too few who are willing to give Microsoft any kind of props for anything positive they do. Microsoft could release the next xbox wifh the most ridiculous specs at the cheapest price possible and people would still crap all over them.

 

[Bl@de]

Exactly what I expected in the „System Seller Thread“. An okay game and nothing more. It‘s a shame that it‘s also plagued by numerous bugs.

 

[LaughingStock]

MS is doing just fine. Just picked up a XB1S and I'm enjoying the 30 day Gamepass trial. I'll have about 20 days to play SoD2 and just finished Gears 4 today. There's plenty to like about XBox.

Mine is collecting dust. I don't regret buying it because i finally had the chance to play all the halos and gears of war games. But apart from that, there's nothing exclusive to enjoy.
I missed the 360 era and i hoped this gen would be just as good. I want to see the next halo. Sea of thieves and state of decay are not even close.
I have all systems and i'm not into console wars. I just want to play good games.

If you are an Xbox gamer (me included), the last place on earth to look for positive reinforcement is neogaf. I have read this site for years and there has always been an insane bias against all things Xbox from the day I started reading.

I am all for criticizing Microsoft and Xbox but there are way too few who are willing to give Microsoft any kind of props for anything positive they do. Microsoft could release the next xbox wifh the most ridiculous specs at the cheapest price possible and people would still crap all over them.

It's all about the games. Specs mean nothing if you don't have games people want to play.

 

[B_Signal]

Oh yeah that's right, according to Gaf no one is allowed to have fun on Xbox ever, ever, ever, ever, ever....

it's more how it's written than the intent. I can see State of Decay, with friends, being a real time thief, even if it has got problems. Seems like the sort of game playing with friends would help smooth over the rough edges, but that post...

 

[Drewpee]

It's all about the games. Specs mean nothing if you don't have games people want to play.

Very true but specs matter when 95% of all games are third party. I love GOW and Halo but there hasn't really been an IP this entire generation that I can think of that stands out to me besides Sunset Overdrive.

Even with that though most games I play are third party and I have the best of every version because I have a One X. That makes a difference for someone like myself and it gives Microsoft a little more rope regarding their first party titles.