The best time for a dystopian future game is when things are going well in the world. They remind us what could go wrong, and how little TV we would get to watch if they did. Somewhere between horror and sci-fi, this is a well-worn genre of movie, video game, cartoon, and a few famous novels you were supposed to read in high school. Endzone – A World Apart, by developer Gentlymad Studios and publishers Assemble Entertainment and WhisperGames, channels that dystopian energy and throws you into a shattered world where climate change and radiation have ravaged the environment and you are working to lead a small settlement to a promising future.
Endzone – A World Apart begins with environmental catastrophe that hit a little close to home after some of the weather events we have seen over the past year in addition to some radiation in the ground for good measure. There are 3 possible game modes, a challenge-based mode where you work to solve a specific problem for your settlement like invaders or a strained food supply, a free build mode where you work to build your own version of utopia from what’s left of the world, and a long tutorial that teaches you the ins and outs of everything in the game. My mistakes started early in this game, and I started without the tutorial. Unfortunately, those settlers didn’t make it long. However, I went back to the tutorial and was able to pick it up pretty quick.
The art is as dreary as you would expect from the end of the world. However, there are some bright times. Like any society building game, Endzone – A World Apart uses in game time to change the weather and guide your progress in the game. Fortunately, they did include a fast forward button where you can choose whether to enjoy the slow progress of your society or get to the part where your buildings are built. Every structure and basic necessity in the game is built from scraps, grown yourself, or harvested from the forest. This represents the biggest challenge of the game as weather conditions change through the seasons and bring deadly radiation with them. I didn’t have a whole lot of experience with the radiation issue during my play through, but some seasons brought severe radiation that forced me to have some settlers dig up the radioactive material to save the colony.
When you need to build, fish, or do anything else that takes manual labor then you must build a building for whatever task you are trying to accomplish and assign settlers to that job. The assignment to different roles can be done indiscriminately since no settlers excel in any area. All of them come with the same attributes and can be assigned to where they are need in the colonies. However, you will need to monitor your workforce to make sure you still have unassigned settlers since those characters are the ones who salvage scrap metal and wood from nearby areas. In addition to the basic survival and reproduction of your colony, there is also a component of maintaining happiness in your populace. Too few houses or a bad drought that leaves you with a food shortage will destroy the morale of your settlement and leave you spiraling towards civil unrest and revolution in an already dangerous wasteland. In addition to internal threats from unhappiness, there’s also some warring nearby societies that will invade for your resources once your settlement reaches a certain size. To keep these attackers at bay, you can fortify your settlement by building some defenses and being stocked up on food and supplies.
Despite the context of climate change and nuclear radiation destroying the world hitting a little close to home (especially after 2020), Endzone – A World Apart takes a realistic look at trying to maintain a colony through the new dark ages and gives an opportunity for players to build a thriving society in a world whose best days are behind it. With realistic challenges, a compelling narrative, and multiple game modes to keep the experience fresh, it’s hard to go wrong with Endzone – A World Apart on Steam and it is definitely a worthy addition to your game library.
8.2/10
Check Out the Endzone – A World Apart Steam Launch Trailer:
Endzone – A World Apart is available on Windows PC via Steam and GOG.
Steam Review
My first console was the original Playstation and I would play Twisted Metal every now and then but games didn't hook me until I played the original Halo at my friend's house. As soon as I picked up that controller, I knew I needed an Xbox and I had to have that game. Since those early Halo days, I've branched out and played any game I could find with a great story and memorable characters but Master Chief is still my favorite. @thenotoriousTGT on Twitter
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