Zombasite: Orc Schism Released (and Zombasite Quick Take)

Posted by Rampant Coyote on December 19, 2017

I’m a fan of Soldak Entertainment’s RPGs. I’ve been a fan since Depths of Peril. They drive me nuts with task-overload, yet somehow I keep coming back for more. These are dynamic RPGs with tons of procedural content, but the real key is that the worlds are not static. They don’t wait until you are ready.  The bad guys will level up just like you, create a plan, and execute on that plan while you are busy doing something else. Townspeople aren’t static, either. They may turn on each other, die, get replaced, or even (in this new game) get married.

In spite of being a fan of previous games, it took me a while to try the latest game, Zombasite. I’m not into zombie apocalypse games that much, and having the world of the previous games collapse didn’t sound like a fun time for me.

I was still telling myself that when I found myself unable to quit playing two hours after I started playing. Just like the other games in the series, this one is addictive. At least for me. In a lot of ways, it’s a return full-circle to Depths of Peril. With civilization pretty much wiped out, humanity is reduced to clans. Much of the game is dealing with other clans, as allies, trade partners, or enemies, as in the previous game. You can also adventure with them and solve each other’s quests. Unlike Depths, even more of the game will involve dealing with your own clan–protecting them and trying to manage them and stop infighting, keeping them happy (and sane).  Also, you will find it necessary to arrange hunting, foraging, or scavenging parties to help keep necessary supplies stocks.

Also, like Depths, you have big outdoor areas to explore, many of which contain one or more dungeons. A lot of this adventuring is a lot like Din’s Curse and Depths of Peril, but with the addition of some zombie versions of monsters, and the risk of infection. Infection is curable, fortunately, but not trivially so. It adds yet another layer of depth to the game, I’ll grudgingly admit. As if these games needed any more layers of depth.

As usual, replayability is extreme. There are eight classes to choose from, to begin with, each with their own unique set of three skill “trees “. *OR* you can create your own “hybrid” class by combining two of the skill trees from any of the other classes. Each new world may present new enemies and plots. As I mention, the bad guys *will* plot against you and your clan. There are a number of victory conditions you can achieve to “win” a world / scenario and start over in a new area (taking your character progress, inventory, and clan recruits with you).  There are also all kinds of difficulty level controls, pacing choices, and unlockable modifiers to make the game mode interesting in subsequent playthroughs if you so desire.

It’s a good game. While I automatically groan at the words “zombie apocalypse” these days, I have to admit that Soldak kinda kicked butt on this one. I still feel totally overwhelmed as I’m playing, even when I’m winning.

Shortly after I get hooked, Soldak has released the expansion. I’ll just quote the press release for this one:

Soldak Entertainment today announced the availability of Zombasite: Orc Schism.

Zombasite: Orc Schism is the first expansion for the unique action RPG, Zombasite. This zombie apocalypse action RPG is set in a dynamic, evolving, fantasy world for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Zombasite: Orc Schism can be purchased (10% off the first week) at:
http://www.soldak.com/Zombasite/Orc-Schism.html
http://store.steampowered.com/app/730750/Zombasite__Orc_Schism/
https://www.gog.com/game/zombasite_orc_schism

Also, if you don’t have the base game yet, Zombasite is currently 50% off!

Long ago, when a necromancer attempted to raise Elves he thought to be dead, it went very wrong. Instead of raising an army of zombie slaves, a new race was born. The irate Orcs ripped the necromancer to shreds. Dormant necromancer magic has protected Orcs from zombie infection ever since, but the Zombasite, a zombie parasite, is intelligent. It has finally learned to break the defensive magic. The new infection swept through the entire Orc population like wildfire. Again it went very wrong. A war raged within each Orc between the Orc blood, the Zombasite, and the original Elven blood.

When the Orc blood won, a Dark Orc arose. With less Elven influence in their physiology, Dark Orcs’s aggressiveness and strength intensified, and they expanded their terrible savagery.

When the Elven blood won, the new being became one of the Mutated. The Mutated are a new, unstable Elven/Orc race. The Elven heritage has become the dominate part, but they are still corrupted with Orc blood and necromancer magic. This corruption slowly mutates them over time, sometimes in good ways and sometimes bad. No one quite understands the Mutated and everyone fears them.

And finally when the Zombasite won, a Zombie Lord was unleashed. Zombie Lords have full access to the strength of the Orcs and intelligence of the Elves. They are the most powerful and feared Zombies in existence.

With three new powerful factions rising up from the ashes of the old Orc race, how will you continue to survive the Zombasite?

Features:

Play the Bard class (Minstrel, Illusionist, and Sage specialties) (now 333 total class combinations)
Control the defense of your town
Fight new monsters (Dark Orcs, Mutated, & Zombie Lords)
Solve many more quests
Defend and explore random towns
Explore new area types
Fight with and against new clans

You can go to http://www.soldak.com for more information about Zombasite and Soldak Entertainment.

Filed Under: Game Announcements, Impressions - Comments: Comments are off for this article



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