"Survive the Fall: Initial Preview Released"

Long before Bethesda took the helm of the series and Walton Goggins donned the ghoul makeup for its captivating TV adaptation, Fallout was an isometric action RPG viewed from a bird's eye perspective. It's this classic style of wasteland exploration that the upcoming Survive the Fall seems to be drawing inspiration from, based on my initial hours with the game. This deadly post-apocalyptic survival tale builds on the original Fallout's template, especially with its robust camp development system. The game's squad-based combat and scavenging mechanics offer a fresh experience, though the somewhat static story presentation might hinder its full personality from shining through.

Unlike many other post-apocalyptic settings, the ruined world of *Survive the Fall* wasn't caused by nuclear negligence. Instead, a comet collision with Earth led to a catastrophic event that wiped out a significant portion of the population, leaving behind a smoldering crater that emits a toxic mist called Stasis. Survivors either avoid this mist or embrace it, gaining otherworldly powers at the cost of their humanity. Throughout the game, your growing squad of scavengers must forge alliances with various factions scattered across three biomes to survive and thrive, from the Stasis-huffing Shroomers to the enigmatic cult known as the Sighted.

As I embarked on the numerous quests in Survive the Fall, I quickly appreciated its squad-based setup. Navigating your party of up to three survivors through the expansive national park setting, you can manually search for resources or delegate tasks to your team, streamlining the process of scavenging settlements. This division of labor feels more natural and efficient, though the interface can become cluttered with button prompts when interactive elements are too close together.

Combat in Survive the Fall is also team-oriented. Given the scarcity of rifle and shotgun ammunition in the early stages, I prioritized stealth, approaching enemy camps with tactics reminiscent of Commandos: Origins. Utilizing stealth, distractions, and environmental hazards like explosive barrels and dangling cargo pallets, I managed to clear out enemy clusters effectively. However, when stealth failed and combat ensued, the controls felt somewhat fiddly with a controller, though the ability to pause and direct squadmates to focus on specific targets was a helpful feature.

Survive the Fall - Preview Screens

14 ImagesAfter a day of battling mutants and gathering resources in the game's deadly badlands, Survive the Fall transitions into a base-building management sim. Documents found in the world can be researched to earn knowledge points, which can then be invested in a comprehensive technology tree. This allows you to craft various structures and amenities, from bunk beds and kitchens to water filtration systems and armories. The depth of the base-building mechanics promises hours of engaging gameplay as you transform your settlement from a dilapidated outpost into a thriving community.

Exploring beyond my base, I encountered a variety of intriguing locations, from a crashed passenger plane turned enemy fort to a farmstead overrun with Stasis-infected ghouls. While these areas were visually impressive, some, like the Mycorrhiza swamplands with their luminescent mushrooms, suffered from performance issues and occasional game-breaking bugs. These technical hiccups, including getting stuck in menus, hopefully will be addressed before the game's release.

The lack of voice acting in Survive the Fall results in interactions with your squad and NPCs feeling somewhat flat, relying solely on onscreen text. While some characters, like the amusing Blooper who refers to Stasis as "fart wind," provided moments of humor, most conversations felt more like quest prompts than opportunities to deepen character relationships.

As Survive the Fall is set to launch on PC this May, it holds significant post-apocalyptic potential. If the developers at Angry Bulls Studio can smooth out the rough edges in controls and performance, this survival-based action RPG could prove to be a worthy addition to the genre, deserving of your hard-earned bottlecaps.